Brick repair in Billings MT - worn joints fixed with mortar that suits your brick
Mortar crumbling out of the joints in your brick? We cut out the bad joints and refill them with fresh mortar that suits your wall.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Does your brick need repair, or just the mortar?
The short answer: Brick repair in Billings, MT usually means repointing, where we cut out the worn mortar joints and pack in fresh mortar so the wall holds tight and stops letting water in.
Most people call because they found sand on a windowsill or a joint they can push a key into. The brick is usually fine and it's the mortar that quit, which is the cheaper problem to have as long as it gets fixed before water gets into the wall. The price comes down to how many joints have failed, how much wall they cover and how high we have to work, since a second-story wall means scaffolding and more cost per square foot. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any permit paperwork, and the estimate gives you a figure for your own wall instead of a guess.
How do you know your brick needs repair?
Mortar turning to sand
You rub a joint and it comes away as grit, or you find little piles of it on the sills and along the foundation. That joint is worn out, and the longer it sits, the more water it lets in and the more joints around it follow.
Gaps where mortar dropped out
You can see holes, or joints sunk back well behind the face of the brick. Each gap is an open path for water and dirt, and what starts as a few spots can spread across a whole side of the house if it's left alone.
Cracks along the joints
Hairline cracks in the mortar, or a crack running between a brick and its joint, mean the bond has let go. Caught early it's joint work, but cracks that run in a line or keep growing can mean the house has moved, and that's worth knowing before anyone repoints over it.
How we handle brick repair on your house
I start by walking the wall and marking the joints that have actually failed, because sound original joints hold up better than repointed ones and there's no sense cutting out good mortar. On an older house I ask how old it is, since houses from the early 1900s or older were laid with a far softer mortar made without portland cement, and a hard modern mix next to that brick pushes the stress into the brick until its face breaks away. Masons call that spalling, and it's why we pick a mortar that suits the brick that's there, not the hardest bag on the shelf. Then we cut the bad joints back to sound mortar, clear out the dust, pack in the new mortar, tool the joints to match their neighbors and clean the wall and the ground before we leave.
Brick work often comes up alongside other jobs around the yard. If you're redoing the drive while we're out, we also lay driveway pavers, and if a slope is leaning on a wall or a bed, we handle retaining wall construction too, so one visit can cover all of it.
Spot repointing
This suits a wall where most joints are sound and the damage sits in patches, like under a downspout or along one side. We fix the failing joints and leave the good ones alone, which keeps the bill to what the wall needs.
Full repointing
This suits a wall where bad joints are spread across most of the face, so patching would mean coming back again and again. We cut out and refill the whole area so the joints wear evenly from here on.
What happens when you call about brick repair in Billings?
Here's how a brick repair job goes with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I'm the one who comes to look at your wall, and our crew does the work.
- Step 01
Call or send us a note
Call (406) 318-2106 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing. We'll set a time that works for you for me to come look at the wall.
- Step 02
I look at your wall
I check the joints, ask how old the house is and a few other plain questions, then write the estimate myself. You get it in writing, so you know the cost before any work starts.
- Step 03
We repoint and walk it
If you go ahead, we sort out any permit paperwork and then our crew does the work. Before we pack up, we walk the finished wall with you.
Brick repair permits and older houses in Billings
Permits in Billings go through the City of Billings Building Division, which takes every application online through its public portal. Whether your brick repair needs one is a question for the division, and I'll bring it up when I look at the job. When a job needs a permit, we help with the paperwork, can file it for you and keep you posted on where it stands.
A lot of the brick we see around Billings is on older houses that have been patched more than once, often with mortar harder than the wall wanted. We run into the same thing on jobs in Lockwood and Laurel, so the first thing I sort out is which joints are original and which are somebody's weekend fix.
Get a free on-site estimate for your brick repair
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look at the wall. The estimate is free and there's no obligation to book. Photos of the worn joints, the wall's rough size and height, and the age of your house help me come prepared.
Why Billings homeowners call Stonecraft Billings Concrete and Masonry
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at your wall and write the estimate myself, and I'm usually right there working with our crew on the job. The person who priced the work is the one watching it go in.
Repair work since 2021
We've been in business since 2021, and careful repair on older brick is what we're best known for. That's the work on this page, so you get a crew that does it often, not one squeezing it in between new walls.
Repairs sized to the wall
A few bad joints don't call for a new wall, and I'd rather tell you that than sell it to you. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and that starts with not padding the bill.
Licensed and insured, as Montana requires
We're licensed and insured. The state requires a license for any business that repairs a building for someone else, so it's worth checking for anyone you hire, us included.
How long a repair lasts comes down to the mortar behind the face, the part nobody sees, so that's where I start. Call (406) 318-2106 or send us a note to set up a look at your wall.
Brick repair questions we hear in Billings
How much does brick repointing cost in Billings, MT?
Repointing 100 square feet of brick usually costs about $500 to $2,500 across the US, which is a national range, not a Billings price for your wall. Where your job lands depends on how much of the wall needs it and how hard it is to reach. The estimate gives you the number for your own house.
How do I know if my brick needs repointing?
Your brick needs repointing where the mortar has worn back more than about 1/4 inch from the face, crumbles, has gaps, or shows hairline cracks or cracks between brick and mortar. Only those joints need repair, so a few bad spots don't mean the whole wall has to be redone.
How long does mortar last in a brick wall?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves may well last more than 100. So most brick walls need their joints redone at some point, and that's ordinary upkeep rather than a sign the house is falling apart.
What causes mortar joints to crumble?
Mortar joints wear from freezing and thawing, acids in rain, the building settling, knocks and bumps, and dirt working into them. The joints most exposed to the weather usually go first, which is why one side of a house often looks worse than the others.
How do I check a contractor's license in Montana?
You can look up a contractor on the Licensee Lookup System from the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, which is the main place to check a license in the state. You're welcome to look us up there before you book.
How do I choose a good contractor for repointing brick?
Ask about their past repointing jobs, not just their brickwork, because a skilled bricklayer isn't always skilled at repointing. Brick industry guidance also suggests having a contractor show their work on a section of wall that's out of sight before they do the rest.
Other masonry work around your yard
Driveway pavers
If your driveway is cracked or sinking next to the brick you're having fixed, pavers give you a surface that's easier to repair one piece at a time.
Retaining wall construction
When a slope keeps pushing soil against a wall, walk or foundation, a properly built retaining wall holds the ground back so it stops crowding the house.
Call about your worn brick joints
Our phones are open every day, 6 AM to 11 PM on weekdays and 7 AM to 11 PM on weekends, so call (406) 318-2106 or use the form once you've had a look at your wall.