Brick repair in Lansing MI - sound joints and mortar that suits your old brick
Crumbling mortar or flaking brick faces? We find what's letting water in, then repair the wall so it holds up.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does brick repair involve, and when does a wall need it?
Brick repair in Lansing usually means cutting out worn or cracked mortar, replacing bricks whose faces have broken off and filling the joints with new mortar, so water stops working its way into the wall. Most houses need it on part of a wall, not the whole thing.
You've probably noticed mortar sanding out of the joints, a crack running through the brick or a few faces flaking off near the ground or under a downspout. The price mostly turns on how many joints and bricks have actually failed, how high we have to work and how hard the old mortar is to match, because this is slow hand work. The schedule turns on the same things, plus how soon any paperwork clears, and the estimate after I've seen the wall gives you your own number. If it's mostly the joints that are worn, our tuckpointing page covers that work in more detail.
How we handle brick repair
When brick faces are flaking or cracking, I look for what's pushing water into them before we swap anything out, whether that's a gutter spilling over, a downspout emptying against the wall or ground sloped toward the house. We ask how old the building is, because that tells us what's already in the joints, and we pick a mortar that works with the old stuff instead of fighting it. Then we cut out only the joints and bricks that have failed, set new brick where the faces are gone, fill and finish the joints to match the rest of the wall and clean up.
Brick trouble often starts somewhere else on the property. If a settled walk or driveway is sending water at the house, we can replace it with driveway pavers laid to carry water away, and if a slope keeps wet soil banked against a wall, retaining wall construction can hold it back.
Repointing worn joints
This suits a wall where the brick is still solid but the mortar is crumbling or cracked. We replace only the bad joints, so the sound original mortar stays where it is.
Replacing damaged bricks
This suits a wall with a handful of bricks that are flaked, cracked or broken through. We cut them out and set in brick that's as close as we can get in size and color.
Rebuilding a failed section
This suits a spot where the brick has loosened or bulged and patching won't hold. We take that section down to sound brick and lay it back up so it ties into the wall around it.
Brick repair in Lansing and the city's permit process
Whether a brick repair needs a permit isn't something I'll guess at, so before work starts I check with the office that covers your address. In the City of Lansing, the permit process starts on the city's AccessMyGov site, which you can reach from the city's residential permits page, and the city lets you schedule permit inspections online. If the job needs a permit, we work out the paperwork with you before anyone picks up a trowel. If your building is on the city's historic preservation list, the city's Historic Preservation page is the place to start your planning.
Around here we see a lot of older brick houses with washed-out joints on the chimney, the front steps and the low courses near the ground, and we get the same calls on jobs in East Lansing and Holt. We're based in Lansing and work across the cities around it, so if you don't see yours listed, call and ask.
Why Lansing homeowners call Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry for brick repair
The owner looks and works
I come out to look at the wall and give the estimate myself, then I work on site alongside our crew while the job gets done. The person who told you what the wall needs is the one making sure it gets done that way.
We fix why it's failing
We go after the water or movement behind the damage, not just the bricks you can see from the driveway. I'd rather tell you a job can wait than sell you work you don't need.
Full time masonry since 2023
I started out rebuilding steps and pointing up old chimneys for neighbors on weekends, and in 2023 I made it a full time business here in Lansing. Old brick and worn mortar are the work we got our start on.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured on every job we take. If something goes wrong on your property, you're not the one left covering it.
On brick, the mortar you put back matters as much as the brick itself. Call (517) 237-5922 or request an estimate and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a brick repair estimate from the person who'll do the work
We reply within one business day. Once you send the form, I set a time to come out and look at the wall myself, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.
What happens after you call about brick repair in Lansing?
Call or send photos
Call (517) 237-5922 or send a few photos of the cracked or crumbling spots. We set a time for me to come out and see the wall.
I look at the wall
I check the joints, the brick faces and where the water is coming from. Then I tell you what I see, what I'd fix first and what can wait.
Think over the estimate
You get it all in an estimate you can take your time with. It's sized to the damage I actually found, so you're not paying for joints that are still fine.
Paperwork, work and cleanup
Once you say go, we sort out any paperwork, do the work and clean up. Then we look it over with you before we call it finished.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my brick needs repointing?
Your brick likely needs repointing if the mortar has worn back more than 1/4 inch, is crumbling, has holes in it, shows hairline cracks or has cracks opening between the brick and the mortar. If you see any of those, have a mason look at those joints. A few photos sent with your call help me see what's going on before I come out.
How much does brick repair cost in Lansing?
Repairing brick across the US usually costs about $210 to $260 per brick, as a general national figure for the work, not our price. Because the job is mostly careful hand labor, repairing only the joints and bricks that have failed keeps it smaller, and sound original joints are better left alone anyway. Your own number comes from the on-site estimate.
How long does repointed mortar last?
Mortar joints typically last more than 25 years, while the bricks themselves can go well past 100. So over a wall's life, expect the joints to need work again long before the brick does. That's normal wear, not a sign the wall is failing.
What mortar should I use to repair old brick?
National brick industry guidance says repointing mortar should be similar to or weaker than the original mortar in strength, because a harder mix can damage the brick beyond repair. Buildings from the early 1900s or older need extra care, since the traditional mix was sand and lime and portland cement only joined it after 1900. Ask your mason what mix they plan to use and how it compares with what's in your wall.
What causes brick faces to flake off?
Usually freeze-thaw spalling, where water in the brick freezes and breaks off its outer layer. That leaves the softer, more porous inside of the brick exposed, and it's more prone to the same damage, so a flaked brick tends to keep getting worse. It's worth having it looked at before more faces go.
What license covers masonry work in Michigan?
In Michigan, masonry is one of the trades a maintenance and alteration contractor license can cover, and each license lists the trades its holder is qualified for. Ask to see the license and look for masonry on it, or check through the state licensing department. A good bricklayer isn't always good at repointing, so it's also fair to ask about past repointing jobs or a small sample on a spot of wall nobody sees.
Other work that protects your brick
Driveway pavers
A cracked or sunken driveway can pool water right where it meets the house, and a new paver surface pitched the right way keeps that water off your brick.
Retaining wall construction
When a yard slopes toward the house, soil and runoff keep pressing against the lower brick, and a retaining wall holds that ground back where it belongs.
Lansing, MI
Send photos of your cracked brick joints
Call (517) 237-5922 or use the form with a few photos and the age of your building ready, since age shapes the mortar we'll plan for.