Masonry contractor in Carson City, NV - old brick repaired, new walls built
Anchorstone Reno Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Reno that repairs and repoints brick, fixes chimneys and builds retaining walls, block walls and walkways for homes in Carson City.
Masonry work on Carson City homes
Carson City is a short drive south of our base in Reno, and it's one of the cities we work in, along with Fernley to the east and Indian Hills just south of it. The calls we get here mostly come from two kinds of houses.
On the older streets near downtown, it's brick houses where the mortar has worn back from the face of the brick, and chimneys that need their tops looked at. In the newer neighborhoods, it's block walls on the lot line, paver driveways and retaining walls where a yard climbs toward the hills on the west side. The price mostly follows the size of the job, how much old material has to come out before new goes in and how easy it is to reach the wall. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed and what we find once the old work is open. When I come out for the estimate, I'll walk you through what we'd do and why. On old brick that usually means matching the mortar to the brick, and on a sloped lot it means measuring how tall the wall really is from the footing up, because the ground decides how much wall you need.
What we do on Carson City properties
When a Carson City house shows stair-step cracks in its block foundation, we find what's moving underneath before we patch anything.
Brick chimneys here usually wear first at the crown, the concrete cap on top, so we check it and the upper joints before we talk about a rebuild.
Tuckpointing means raking out worn mortar and packing in new, and on older Carson City brick we match the new mortar's color and softness to the old.
A spalled brick, one whose face is flaking off, can usually be cut out and replaced on its own, and we hunt for a close match first.
Pavers suit driveways in the newer neighborhoods here because one sunken paver lifts out and resets, and the packed base underneath decides how well they hold.
Where a yard climbs toward the west-side hills, a retaining wall gives you flat ground, and the drain rock behind it keeps water from pushing it over.
When an older brick house has old patches, the wrong mortar and worn joints, restoration handles it as one plan instead of piece by piece.
In a Carson City house, a new fireplace has to work with framing that's already there, so we plan where the flue, the smoke channel, will run first.
Stone veneer, thin stone set over an existing wall, often goes on the plain fronts of newer houses here, and we build a drainage gap behind it.
Block walls along the back lot line are common here, and we set them on a poured footing and grout the hollow cores where the wall needs strength.
For an addition or garage on your Carson City house, we lay the block foundation wall square and level, because everything built on top inherits its mistakes.
Bigger backyards here have room for a grill island, and we build its block or stone base, leaving the gas hookup to that trade.
A front walk here that heaves or puddles usually has a thin base, so we dig out and pack a deeper one before laying brick, stone or pavers.
A new brick garden or screen wall can match the brick on an older house here, and we size the footing to the wall's height and the soil.
Natural stone walls, steps and planters suit hillside lots here, and we set each stone so its weight sits on the stones below, not the mortar.
Brick pointing fills a few worn joints rather than redoing the whole wall, and on many houses here that's all the brick needs for now.
What Carson City houses need from a mason
When you call us about a Carson City house, you get a plain explanation before a price, and me on site for the work, not just the sale.
Mortar matched to old brick
We match new mortar to the brick it holds, because mortar harder than old brick forces the brick to crack instead.
What can wait, said plainly
If a worn joint or hairline crack can safely wait, I'll tell you so instead of selling you the repair.
You see what we see
I walk the wall with you and point out what's causing the damage, so you know your own house when we leave.
Permits sorted before work starts
When your job needs a permit, we find out which office covers your address and apply before work starts.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and fully insured, and we back the work with one promise, satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Carson City masonry questions
How do I get a building permit for masonry work in Carson City?
You or someone you authorize applies to the building official, who runs the city's Building Division, and gets the permit before work starts. Under an older city ordinance, the division issues permits to build, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure. When your job needs one, we take that step off your plate, as we said above.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Carson City?
The older city ordinance lists retaining walls no taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, as work that needs no permit. That doesn't cover a wall carrying extra load from above, like a driveway or a steep slope, or one holding back flammable liquids. On a sloped yard the footing can add more height than you'd guess, so check the current list with the Building Division before you count on it.
Does a block wall or fence in my Carson City backyard need a permit?
The older city ordinance lists fences no higher than 6 feet among the work that needs no permit. Whether your block wall counts as a fence is a question for the Building Division, and even exempt work still has to follow the code and other local laws, because the ordinance says an exemption doesn't excuse breaking them.
Do I need a permit for a paver patio, walkway or driveway in Carson City?
The older city ordinance lists patios, sidewalks and driveways as needing no permit when they sit no more than 30 inches above the ground next to them. They also can't sit over a basement or a story below, or form part of an accessible route, the step-free path some buildings need. Confirm the current list with the Building Division before work starts.
How much does masonry work cost in Carson City?
The cost comes down to the job's size, how much old work has to come out and the materials you choose. Natural stone takes longer to set than block, and matching old brick can mean hunting down salvaged brick, while a simple block wall on open ground keeps things lean. At the estimate I'll lay out what we'd do and why, so you can weigh the choices yourself.
What causes mortar to crumble on older brick houses in Carson City?
Old mortar crumbles because it's meant to be the soft part of the wall, wearing away slowly so the brick doesn't, and years of water finally hollow the joints out. The fix is repointing with a mortar soft enough for the old brick. If only a few joints are going, spot brick pointing is often all you need for now.
Not on the list? Give us a call
We also work in the cities listed below. If yours isn't there, call (775) 447-1254 and ask, since this list isn't every place we go.
Plan your Carson City project with us
Call (775) 447-1254 or use the form to tell me what you're seeing, so I come down to Carson City already knowing where to look.