Craftsman Lansing Concrete and MasonryCraftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry

Masonry contractor in Saint Johns, MI - brick, block and mortar fixed at the cause

Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Lansing that repoints mortar, rebuilds chimneys, fixes block foundations and builds retaining walls and walkways for homeowners in Saint Johns, MI.

Request a quote(517) 237-5922
Tiered concrete block retaining walls hold a sloped rock garden above a paved walkway.
  • Licensed and fully insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About Saint Johns, MI

Saint Johns is a small city about 20 miles north of our base in Lansing, close enough that it's a regular drive for me and our crew. Near downtown the houses sit on ordinary city lots, and many of them are older homes with brick walls, block basements and working chimneys, mixed in with storefronts and newer streets farther out. Past the city limits the lots get bigger, with garages, outbuildings and long front walks.

That mix decides most of our work here. On the older houses it's mortar, chimneys and basement walls, where the job is matching what's already there, and on the bigger lots it's walls, walks and steps that need a solid base under them.

Services in Saint Johns, MI

  • Tuckpointing

    Older brick houses here often have joints that crumble at a touch, letting water into the wall. We grind out the worn mortar and pack in new mortar matched to the brick.

  • Chimney repair

    Chimney tops are a house's most exposed brick, so on older homes here they usually loosen first. We rebuild what's failing and redo the crown that sheds water off the top.

  • Foundation repair

    Many basements here are block, and a stair-step crack or a bowed wall usually traces back to water pushing from outside. We repair the wall and go after that water too.

  • Concrete block walls

    Bigger lots here often call for a garage or yard wall, and concrete block walls are the sturdy, plain choice. We pour a solid footing first, because that keeps block from leaning.

  • Brick repair

    Brick around windows and porches on older homes here often cracks where the house has settled. We cut out the cracked brick and weave in matching pieces so the repair blends in.

  • Walkway construction

    Front walks on older lots here have often heaved or sunk, which usually means a poor base underneath. We dig out, pack a solid base and lay brick, stone or pavers.

What to know before a masonry job in Saint Johns

The first question on a permit here is which office takes it. The state's guidance sends applications to whichever agency enforces the code for your address, and that can be the state, the county or the local government, so if you want to check for yourself, call the City of St. Johns first and ask who takes yours. I make that same call before we start a job here. On the contractor side, the state licensing department licenses residential builders, and anyone building a home, or a building that's part home and part business, needs that license, with some exceptions the law spells out. We're licensed and fully insured, and it's fair to ask anyone you're weighing to show you the same.

Saint Johns is an easy run up from Lansing, and we cover this part of the map regularly, out to Owosso as well. What moves the price here is mostly what's hiding behind the face of the wall, how hard the old brick is to match and how easy it is to get to the work. The schedule turns mainly on whether a permit is needed, and your estimate gives you the figure for your own job.

Saint Johns, MI properties and local conditions

A lot of the older brick homes in Saint Johns have had a patch or two over the years, and the patch is often the problem. Old brick is fairly soft, so when someone fills the joints with today's hard mortar, the brick ends up taking the stress and its face starts to crack and pop off. We look at how the old mortar breaks, match it as close as we can and replace only the joints and brick that have actually failed, so you're not paying to redo a wall that's mostly fine.

On the yard side, most of what we see is water going where it shouldn't, like downspouts dumping next to a block basement or a walk that tips toward the house. We check where the water goes before we price a wall or a walk, because a new wall in the same wet spot fails the same way.

Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Saint Johns

We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come up to Saint Johns myself to look at the wall, chimney or yard. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation, so you can think it over before you decide anything.

How it goes when you call us about a job in Saint Johns

  1. Call or send a few 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 set a time to come up.

  2. I look at it in person

    I come out to Saint Johns myself and walk the job with you, then tell you what I see, what I'd fix first and what can wait. It all goes into an estimate you can take your time with, and if something can wait, I'll say so.

  3. Sort the paperwork and start

    Once you say go, I check with the office that covers your address, and we work out any permit with you before anyone picks up a trowel. Then I'm on site alongside our crew until the job's done.

  4. Clean up and walk through

    We clean up the site and haul away the debris. Then we look the work over together before we call it finished.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my masonry project needs a permit in Saint Johns?

Your project needs a permit if it builds, enlarges, alters, removes or demolishes a building, because the city's code requires one for that work, applied for in writing with the Code Administrator. Adding on, cutting a new opening through a masonry wall or taking down part of a building all fall under that rule. Before work starts, I check with the office that covers your address and we work out the paperwork with you.

Which masonry repairs don't need a permit in Saint Johns?

Ordinary repairs that don't involve a code violation don't need a permit under the city's code and the state's guidance. That exemption stops at cutting away a wall, cutting a structural beam or bearing support, or changing a required way out of the house. Whether your repair counts as ordinary is something I check with the office before we start, rather than guess.

Do I need sealed plans for a masonry project on my house in Saint Johns?

If your home is a one- or two-family house under 3,500 square feet of calculated floor area, the state's guidance doesn't require an architect's or engineer's seal on the plans. Every permit application still needs a set of construction documents, though the building official can waive them when the application's description shows the work meets code. When drawings are needed, we sort out what the office wants with you before work starts.

How much does masonry repair cost in Saint Johns, MI?

Masonry repair is priced by how much of the wall, chimney or walk has actually failed, so the figure comes from looking at your job, not from a chart. Repointing a few bad spots costs far less than rebuilding a chimney top, and work that needs scaffolding, a steep roof or a long carry to the back of the lot adds labor. Matching old brick, digging a sunken walk down to its base and any permit or drawings also move it, and your estimate spells out each part.

How do I know if a crack in my block basement wall in Saint Johns is serious?

A horizontal crack, a wall that bows inward or a crack that keeps getting wider usually means the wall is moving and needs real repair. Thin hairline cracks that don't change are often from the block shrinking as it cured and can usually wait. Send a photo through the form with a tape measure beside the crack, and I'll tell you if it's worth a visit.

Will a Lansing masonry contractor come out to Saint Johns?

Yes, we work in Saint Johns and the country around it, and it's an easy drive up from our base in Lansing. The cities with pages on this site aren't the only places we go, so if you're out past the city limits, call and ask.

Service areas

Explore the services

Lansing, MI

Call about your Saint Johns masonry job

Water that gets into failing mortar or a cracked wall usually widens the damage over time, so an early look can keep a small repair small.

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