Craftsman Lansing Concrete and MasonryCraftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry

Masonry contractor in Jackson, MI - fixing the cause on older brick and block

Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Lansing that works in Jackson, repairing brick, chimneys, foundations and retaining walls and building new walkways, walls and outdoor kitchens.

Request a quote(517) 237-5922
Stone outdoor kitchen island with grill and bar seating stands on a paved patio with outdoor chairs.
  • Licensed and fully insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About Jackson, MI

Jackson sits south of us, a straight run down US-127 from Lansing, and it's one of the older cities we work in. Close to downtown, a lot of the houses go back generations, with brick chimneys, porches on block piers and foundations that have been settling for a long time. Farther out the lots get bigger and the ground starts to roll, the way it does around Ella Sharp Park along the Grand River.

So the calls here usually split two ways. The older houses need mortar, chimney and foundation work that matches what's already there, and the hillier yards need walls and steps that can handle water running downhill toward the house.

Services in Jackson, MI

  • Tuckpointing

    A lot of older brick houses in Jackson have mortar joints that have gone soft and sandy. We grind out the bad mortar and pack in a mix that suits the age of the brick.

  • Chimney repair

    Chimneys on older Jackson houses stand up in the weather, so the top bricks and the concrete cap usually crack first. We rebuild what's loose and pour a new cap to keep water out.

  • Foundation repair

    Block and stone foundations under older houses here settle and crack. We find out why the wall is moving before we patch it, since a patch over a moving crack won't hold.

  • Retaining wall construction

    Where Jackson yards roll toward the house, a retaining wall holds the slope back. We build on a packed base with drainage behind it, since trapped water is what tips most walls.

  • Outdoor kitchen masonry

    Larger Jackson backyards leave room to cook outside. Our outdoor kitchen masonry sits on a footing dug below where the ground freezes, to keep frost from shifting the counters and grill.

  • Brick repair

    Flaking bricks on Jackson houses usually sit under an overflowing gutter or a leaky sill. We replace them with a close match and show you where the water's coming from.

Working in Jackson: permits, contractor checks and what sets the price

Building permits in Jackson come from the city's Community Development Department, and whether your masonry job needs one is their call, so I check with them about your address before anything gets scheduled. If it does need one, that paperwork comes first and the work waits on it. The department also requires contractors to register with it before breaking ground on any project, bringing their State of Michigan certification to do it, so it's fair to ask whoever you hire for that city registration and their state license.

Most of what moves the price is hidden until I'm looking at the wall, like how deep the bad mortar goes, whether the wall is still moving and how hard the spot is to reach. Streets close to downtown can be tight for a mixer and a pallet of brick, so access is something I check on the visit. The schedule turns on any permit and on the weather, because we hold off on mortar work in a hard freeze. Our crew works all the way down US-127 through Mason, so Jackson is right on our route, and your estimate puts the number on your own job.

Jackson, MI properties and local conditions

Michigan winters are hard on old mortar. Water soaks into soft joints, freezes, swells and pushes them apart, and after enough winters you get sandy joints, loose bricks at the top of a chimney or a front step that's started to tip. We fix the joints and the bricks, and we look for where the water's getting in, because if that's left alone the same spot fails again.

On the rolling lots outside downtown, rain runs downhill toward foundations and behind garden walls. When a basement wall stays damp or a wall out back starts leaning, we deal with the grade and the drainage along with the masonry.

Get a free masonry estimate for your Jackson home

Send a few photos and a line about the job, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a time. I'll come out to your Jackson house myself for the estimate, which is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.

What happens after you call us about a Jackson job

  1. Call or send photos

    Call (517) 237-5922 or send a few photos of the wall, chimney or yard through the form. Photos help me see what I'm walking into before I drive down.

  2. I look it over myself

    I come out and look at the job in person, then tell you what I see, what I'd fix first and what can wait. That goes into an estimate you can think over without anyone pushing you.

  3. Sort paperwork, then start work

    Once you say go, we sort out any paperwork, and the city says a building permit can be issued within 24 hours if all its requirements have been met. Then I'm on site working alongside our crew until the job's done.

  4. Clean up and walk through

    We clean up the site when the work is finished. Then you and I look it over together before we call it finished, so plan to be home for that last part.

Frequently asked questions

How much does masonry repair cost in Jackson, MI?

The price of a Jackson masonry job comes down mostly to how much has to be taken apart and rebuilt, not the size of the crack you can see. Matching old brick, working high on a chimney and fixing the water problem behind the damage all add to it, while catching soft mortar before bricks start coming loose keeps it smaller. I'll give you a number for your house once I've looked at it.

How do I tell if the mortar on my Jackson house needs tuckpointing?

If the mortar rubs out like sand when you drag a key across it, or the joints have pulled back from the face of the brick, it's time to have it looked at. Hairline cracks in mortar that's still hard can usually wait, and I'll tell you if yours can.

How do I know if my Jackson house needs a historic district review before masonry work?

Ask the city, which has a Historic District Commission and lists its application on the city's forms and permits page. If your house needs that review, we work out the paperwork with you before anyone picks up a trowel.

What do I need to apply for a building permit in Jackson, MI?

State guidance says each permit application needs a set of construction documents, though the building official can waive them when the application's description shows the work meets code. For one- and two-family homes under 3,500 square feet of calculated floor area, those documents don't need an architect's or engineer's seal. The city's department reviews plans for new construction and inspects the work its permits cover.

Who needs a Residential Builder license in Michigan?

Under state law, a person who builds a residential structure, or one that's part residential and part commercial, has to be licensed as a Residential Builder with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The law has certain exceptions, so the license a contractor needs depends on the work. We're licensed and fully insured.

Does a Lansing masonry contractor work in Jackson?

Yes, we're based in Lansing and work across the cities around it, Jackson included, along with plenty that don't have their own page on our site. If you're not sure we come out your way, call (517) 237-5922 and ask.

Service areas

Explore the services

Lansing, MI

Call about your Jackson masonry job

If what you're looking at can wait, I'll tell you that straight instead of selling you work you don't need.

Request a quote(517) 237-5922
(517) 237-5922Request a quote