Brick repair in Ventura CA - sound mortar joints and brick edges left intact
Crumbling joints, loose bricks or a cracked wall? We find what's actually causing it and fix that, not just the surface.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does brick repair involve when the mortar is crumbling?
Brick repair in Ventura usually means repointing, which is clearing worn mortar out of the joints between your bricks and packing in new mortar, because the joints are where a brick wall wears out first. Done with the right mortar, it stops the crumbling and keeps water from working its way into the wall.
Most people call us after spotting sand at the base of a wall or a gap where mortar used to be, and the first thing I sort out is whether it's routine repointing or something wider. The price mostly moves with how many square feet need work, how high the wall goes, how fragile the brick is, since soft brick takes slower work, and whether any bricks have to come out and be replaced. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any permit the city asks for, and the written estimate I give you after looking at the wall spells out what we'd do and why.
How can you tell your brick needs repair?
Mortar crumbling out of joints
You see sand on the ground, joints sitting back from the brick face or gaps you can push a key into. That's usually worn mortar and a routine repointing job, but the longer it waits, the more water gets behind the face and starts breaking down the brick edges too.
Cracks running through brick
A crack that cuts across the bricks themselves, not just along the mortar lines, often points to a structural crack that new mortar alone won't fix. Left alone, those cracks tend to widen and loosen the bricks around them, which makes the repair bigger.
Brick that stays dark and damp
Patches that stay wet long after everything else has dried usually mean water-soaked brick, often from a failed cap, the top course that sheds water off the wall, or failed flashing, the metal strip that steers water out. Repointing over a soaked wall doesn't last, so the water has to be stopped first.
How we handle brick repair
I start by looking at the whole wall with you, because crumbling joints are often a symptom and I want to find where the water or movement is coming from before anyone picks up a tool. Then our crew clears the worn mortar out to sound material, and where the brick is soft we do that by hand even though it's slower, because a grinder can chip the very edges we're trying to save. Guidance written for historic masonry backs that up, saying hand chisels carry the least risk of damage and give the best result, while power tools in unskilled hands can be disastrous for soft brick. We pack new mortar into the joints, shape them to match the rest of the wall and clean the face as we go. If we find cracked brick or soaked walls along the way, I tell you plainly that the job is bigger than new mortar, and we talk it through before going any further.
Brick repair often sits next to other work around the yard. A wall that's bowing because it holds back soil may need retaining wall construction rather than another round of mortar, and if the front of the house is getting attention, we also lay driveway pavers that can pick up the color of your brick.
Repointing worn joints
This suits a wall where the bricks are sound and only the mortar is crumbling or sitting back from the face. We replace the mortar and leave the bricks where they are, which is usually the smaller job.
Brick replacement and wider repair
This suits walls with cracked or loose bricks or damp patches that won't dry out. We cut out the damaged brick, deal with where the water is getting in and then repoint, so the repair doesn't fail again in the same spot.
Get a written plan for your brick repair
We'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come see the wall. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation.
(805) 507-9163- Based in
- Ventura, CA 93001
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call us about brick repair?
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's how a brick repair job runs with us and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (805) 507-9163 or use the form and tell us where the wall is and what you're seeing. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the wall with you
I walk the wall with you and answer your questions before I write anything up. The written estimate says what we'd do, why and what it costs, so you can see exactly what's driving the price.
We do the work and walk it
Once you're ready, we line up any permits and set a start date, and I run the job on site, checking the joints as our crew goes. At the end we walk the finished wall together.
Why Ventura homeowners call A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry for brick
I look at every wall myself
I come out to look at every job, and I'm on site running our crew of experienced masons and checking the work as it goes. The person who looked at the problem with you is the one making sure it gets fixed.
In business since 2021
We've been in business five years, and I learned this trade under an older mason after years of landscaping, where the stone and block work was the part I liked best. Brick and mortar repair on older homes is what we're best known for.
Licensed and insured in California
We're fully licensed and insured. The state's masonry contractor license covers masonry walls and fences, so I'd ask any mason you're considering how they're licensed before they touch your wall.
If you're not sure whether your wall needs new mortar or something more, that's the first question I'd want to answer, and you can contact us to set up a visit.
Brick repair, permits and older homes in Ventura
The city's Building and Safety Division issues building permits in Ventura, and its list of work that goes through plan review names alterations, additions and adding or removing walls, not brick repair, so that list doesn't settle whether your job needs a permit. When it isn't clear, we ask the city before we start, and if a permit is needed, we handle the application and set up the inspections.
A lot of the brick we repair here is on older houses, and that matters because the city's General Plan calls for a check of historic eligibility on projects in a historic district or on buildings more than 40 years old, along with steps to protect what's there. That's one more reason we go gently on older walls. If your home is on the city landmark register, you may qualify for property tax relief by pledging to rehabilitate it and keep its historic character for at least 10 years, and owners in the program may save about 50% of their property tax each year. We see the same kind of older brick on jobs in Ojai and Santa Paula.
Questions about brick repair in Ventura
How much does brick repair cost in Ventura?
Across the US, brick repair usually costs about $20 to $40 per square foot, so treat that as a national planning figure rather than a Ventura quote. Where your job lands depends on how much wall needs work, how high it is and whether bricks have to be replaced. Our estimate gives you a written figure for your own wall.
How long does repointing brick last?
One cost guide says repointing brick in and around a home can last up to 30 years, so good repointing is a repair you plan in decades, not seasons. Getting that kind of life depends on the mortar suiting the brick and the old joints being cleared properly first.
How do I choose the right mortar for brick repair?
The right mortar is one that suits your brick and your wall, because mortar that's too hard can pass damage into softer brick. Ask any mason which mortar they plan to use, and I'll put mine in the written estimate along with why.
Should I seal my brick after it's repaired?
Only sometimes, because a sealer can trap moisture inside the brick. We check where water is getting in and whether the wall dries out before suggesting any coating.
What is the best way to fix a few bad mortar joints on a low wall?
Even a few bad joints on a low garden wall that isn't holding anything up need mortar that matches the old and careful removal that keeps the brick edges intact. A quick patch with the wrong mix usually stands out and can fail sooner, so small spots deserve the same care as a full repair.
Who should repair brick on a chimney or historic wall?
Historic walls, chimneys, bulging masonry and anything high off the ground belong with an experienced mason. Those jobs carry more risk if the mortar or the removal is wrong, and the work itself is harder to do safely up high. Call (805) 507-9163 and I'll come take a look.
Related work around the house and yard
Retaining wall construction
If a garden wall is leaning or holding back soil it wasn't built for, a new retaining wall can solve what patching mortar can't.
Driveway pavers
When the brick on your house looks right again, a paver driveway in a matching color can tie the front of the property together and replace cracked concrete.
Brick repair service areas around Ventura
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry is based in Ventura, CA, and we do brick repair in the cities around it, including the 12 cities listed here, from Oxnard to Santa Barbara. If your city isn't one of them, call and ask.
Ventura, CA
Get your brick joints looked at
Have photos of the cracked joints, the wall's height and your home's age ready when you call (805) 507-9163 or send the form, so I know what to look for when I come out.