Craftsman Lansing Concrete and MasonryCraftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry

Masonry Contractor in Waverly, MI - Repairs That Fix the Cause

Craftsman Lansing Concrete and Masonry is a Lansing, MI masonry contractor working in Waverly. We repoint brick, fix chimneys and foundation walls, and build steps, walks and retaining walls for homeowners and landlords here.

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Brick paver patio beside a stacked-stone outdoor bar with a lantern, grill, and nearby garage.
  • Licensed and fully insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About Waverly, MI

Waverly is the community just west of Lansing that most people know by the Lansing Mall and Waverly Community Schools. It's a mix of single-family streets, apartment complexes and rental houses, with the shopping around the mall in the middle. Older brick houses sit on a lot of the streets, with newer frame houses mixed in, and the homes keep going west toward Grand Ledge.

Most of what we're called out for here is repair on houses with some years on them. Brick fronts wear at the mortar joints first, block basements show the first crack where water collects outside, and concrete steps settle away from the door. That's why I look for the cause before I put a number on anything.

Services in Waverly, MI

  • Chimney repair

    Older chimneys here usually lose mortar at the top first, where water sits. Our chimney repair rebuilds the damaged brick and fixes what was letting the water in.

  • Tuckpointing

    Brick homes this age usually show soft, sunken joints under the gutters and along the bottom courses. We grind out the worn mortar and repack it with a mix that suits the brick.

  • Foundation repair

    Block basements here often crack where the yard slopes toward the house. We repair the wall and deal with the water behind it, so the crack doesn't come right back.

  • Brick repair

    Cracked and flaking bricks show up most on porches, stoops and the low courses near the ground. We cut out the damaged brick and set in a close match.

  • Walkway construction

    Concrete front steps and walks on older lots settle and pull away from the house. We tear out what's failing, pack a solid base and build a walk that sits level.

  • Retaining wall construction

    Backyards that slope toward the house or a neighbor's lot often need a wall to hold the grade. We build on a packed base with drainage behind, so water has a way out.

Working in Waverly: permits, licenses and what sets the price

For building permits, Waverly falls under Delta Township, which Eaton County lists among the local governments that run their own building codes and zoning. The township takes written permit applications before a building or structure goes up, so when a job needs one, its review sets our start date. On the contractor side, the state requires a Residential Builder license from LARA, the state licensing department, to build a house, and it also licenses people paid to repair, alter or add to one, with a few exceptions in the law. Ask anyone you're thinking of hiring which state license covers your job. We're licensed and fully insured, and I check with the township before every job here so any paperwork is settled before we start.

What moves the price here is what's behind the damage. A crack I can trace to a downspout is a smaller job than a wall that moved because the footing did, and matching older brick can take some looking. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, and on getting the right brick and mortar in hand. Waverly is a short drive from us in Lansing, the same as work in East Lansing, though a job over there can fall under a different office, which is why I check every address. Your estimate lays out what I'd fix first, what can wait and what it costs.

Waverly, MI properties and local conditions

Waverly has a real mix of owner-occupied houses and rentals. On rentals, small masonry problems tend to sit between tenants until a step is loose or a basement is wet, and by then the fix is bigger than it had to be. If you own one, I'll tell you what needs doing now for safety and what can go on next year's list.

Plenty of houses here have been patched before, with caulk over cracks or hard gray mortar smeared into old joints. We take out the bad patch before we fix anything, because new work laid over it fails right along with it.

Get a free on-site masonry estimate for your Waverly home

Send the form or call (517) 237-5922 and we'll reply within one business day. I come out to your Waverly house myself, look at the wall, chimney or yard, and give you a free estimate with no obligation.

How it goes when you call us about a Waverly job

  1. Call or send us photos

    Call or send a few photos of the wall, chimney or yard, and tell us where in Waverly you are. We set a time for me to come look, and it helps if you're home to show me what you've noticed.

  2. I look at it myself

    I check the damage and look for what's causing it, like where water runs or whether the footing moved. I tell you what I'd fix first and what can wait, then put it in an estimate you can think over.

  3. Paperwork first, then the work

    Once you say go, we sort out any permit the township needs before anyone picks up a trowel, and its review decides when we start. I work on site alongside our crew until the job is done.

  4. We clean up and walk it

    We clean up the site and haul off the old material. Then we look the work over with you before we call it finished.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for masonry repair in Waverly, MI?

Ordinary repairs don't need a building permit under Michigan's rules, but a lot of masonry work goes past ordinary. Cutting away part of a wall, removing or cutting a beam or bearing support, or changing a required exit route out of the house all fall outside it, and so does changing how the building is used. I check with the township on every job, and the state's building permit information page lays out the rules if you want to read them yourself.

Do I need an engineer's drawings for a masonry job on my Waverly house?

Most houses here don't need drawings sealed by an architect or engineer, because the state waives that seal for one- and two-family homes under 3,500 square feet of calculated floor area. A permit application still needs construction documents, though the building official can waive them when the application makes code compliance clear. If your job does need drawings, I'll tell you at the estimate so it doesn't surprise you later.

How do I check a contractor's license in Michigan?

For boiler, electrical, elevator, mechanical or plumbing work, you can look up the person's license on the state's Verify a License page. That matters on masonry jobs that bring in another trade, like a gas line to an outdoor kitchen or a gas insert in a new fireplace. For the masonry side, ask us which state license applies to your job and we'll tell you straight.

Why does my Waverly address say Lansing?

The Lansing ZIP code 48917 covers Waverly, so your mail says Lansing even though the house sits outside the City of Lansing. That's why I look past the mailing address to see which office covers your property before any work starts.

What causes mortar to crumble on an older brick house?

Usually water, given enough years. Mortar is meant to wear before the brick does, and it goes fastest under a leaky gutter, along the base of a wall and at the top of a chimney. We find where the water's coming from before we repoint, or the new joints go the same way.

How much does masonry work cost in Waverly?

The price comes down to how much is failing, what's causing it and how hard it is to reach, and I give you the number after I've seen it in person. A few cracked joints near the ground costs far less than a chimney top or a basement wall where the footing moved. Matching old brick and mortar color, and any permit the job needs, add to it too.

Service areas

Explore the services

Lansing, MI

Tell us about your Waverly masonry project

A few photos of the wall or chimney often let me tell you on the first call whether it looks urgent or can wait.

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