Masonry Contractor in Helena, AL - Brick, Block and Stone Work That Fits Your House
Caliber Hoover Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Helena, AL. We repair and repoint brick, fix chimneys and build retaining walls, walks, paver driveways and stone veneer for homeowners.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Masonry work for Helena homes
Helena is a Shelby County city a short drive south of Hoover. As a masonry contractor based in Hoover, AL, we get calls there from homes near Old Town and Buck Creek and from newer neighborhoods farther out. Most of those calls are about crumbling joints, a garden wall that's started to lean, or a walk or drive somebody has been planning for a while. We do the same work nearby in Pelham and Alabaster, and across the area as far as Mountain Brook.
What the house is made of decides most of the job. An older brick house needs repair that matches the brick and mortar already there, and a newer one usually needs walls, steps and drives built to sit right on its lot, so I start every Helena estimate by looking at the house and at how water moves across the yard.
What we do on Helena properties
Foundation repair
When a crack opens in the block or brick at your foundation, I look at what's moving and why before we patch anything.
Explore Foundation repairChimney repair
Loose brick and washed-out mortar near the top of a chimney let water into the house. We rebuild what's failing and match the rest.
Explore Chimney repairTuckpointing
On older Helena brick, tuckpointing means grinding out tired joints and filling them with mortar colored and shaped to match the originals.
Explore TuckpointingBrick repair
A few cracked or spalled bricks, where the face has popped off, can be cut out and replaced without redoing the whole wall.
Explore Brick repairDriveway pavers
Pavers make sense on a Helena driveway because a sunken spot can be lifted and reset later instead of breaking out a slab.
Explore Driveway paversRetaining wall construction
Where a yard drops off, a wall has to drain or it leans, so we build the base and drainage before the wall.
Explore Retaining wall constructionMasonry restoration
For older brick homes and garden walls around Helena, restoration means cleaning, repairing and repointing so new work blends with the old.
Explore Masonry restorationFireplace installation
A new fireplace gets planned with its chimney, hearth and the room around it, and I go over all three at the estimate.
Explore Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
Stone veneer, thin stone set over a wall, holds up when the wall behind it is built to shed water, so we start there.
Explore Stone veneer installationConcrete block walls
Block walls for property lines, garages or raised beds go up on a footing, the concrete base under the wall, so they stay straight.
Explore Concrete block wallsFoundation block wall installation
For additions, garages and crawl spaces, we lay foundation block level and square, and fill the hollow cores where the plans call for it.
Explore Foundation block wall installationOutdoor kitchen masonry
Outdoor kitchens here are block frames with brick or stone on the face, and we set them on a base sized for their weight.
Explore Outdoor kitchen masonryWalkway construction
A walk that heaves or holds puddles usually has a thin base, so we dig out and pack a proper one before laying anything.
Explore Walkway constructionBrick wall installation
New brick walls and columns get matched to your house's brick and mortar so they look built with it, not added later.
Explore Brick wall installationStone masonry
Natural stone steps, walls and borders take more fitting by hand than brick or block. That's slower work, and I'll explain how it shows in the estimate.
Explore Stone masonryBrick pointing
Brick pointing fills cracked or sunken joints before water gets behind the brick, and if they're only starting, I'll tell you it can wait.
Explore Brick pointing
What Helena lots ask of masonry work
I learned this trade on a city crew, where the work had to pass inspection and someone else lived with it for years. I come out for the estimate and run the job on site with our crew, so the person who priced it is the one building it.
Your address checked against flood areas
The city has found that its flood hazard areas take on water from time to time, so before we plan a wall or drive, I check whether your address sits in one.
New work matched to the old
On older brick, we match mortar color, joint shape and brick size to what's there, because patchwork that stands out tells everyone where the trouble was.
The price explained before we start
I walk you through what the job involves and what's driving the cost, and I'll say so when something can wait, so you know what you're paying for.
A free on-site masonry estimate for your Helena home
Put what you're seeing or planning and your address in the form, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out to look at the job myself, and the estimate is free, in person and carries no obligation.
Helena masonry questions we hear
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Helena, AL?
If the work is in one of Helena's flood hazard areas, yes, because the city requires a Development Permit before any development there. For other jobs, the city's building, planning and community development department guides residents through what's needed. Before we start, I check with the city about your address and your job, and when a permit is required we handle it with them.
How do I find out if my Helena property is in a flood zone?
You can search your address on AlabamaFlood, the FEMA floodplain map you'll find through ADECA's floodplain page, and it searches by county too. That matters for masonry because of the flood permit rule above. I check it before we plan anything, so you don't have to look it up before you call.
When does a masonry contractor in Alabama need a home builder license?
The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board counts someone as a residential home builder when they build, remodel, repair or improve a house within the board's jurisdiction and the job costs more than $10,000, labor and materials together. The board says a subcontractor working for a licensed builder doesn't need that license of their own. So on a bigger job, it's worth asking who holds the license, the company you're hiring or the builder they work under.
Does a contractor working in Helena, AL need a city business license?
The City of Helena requires a business license for a business opening in the city, and it applies its business license tax across its police jurisdiction. It's a fair question to put to any contractor before work starts on your property.
How much does masonry work cost in Helena, AL?
There isn't one price, because a Helena masonry job comes down to its size, the material, how much old work has to come out and how hard the spot is to reach. Matching old brick and mortar takes longer than new work, stone takes more hand fitting than block, and a permit in a flood hazard area adds a step. I'll give you your number once I've seen the job in person.
How long does a masonry project in Helena take?
Most of the schedule comes down to the size of the job and whether the city needs a permit first, which I find out before we pick a start date. Repointing a section of wall or replacing a few bricks is a much smaller job than a retaining wall or an outdoor kitchen, and we don't hurry the base and drainage, since you won't see them once it's done. I'll talk the timing through with you when I come out.
Not in Helena? Call us anyway
If your city is listed below, its page shows what we do there, and if it isn't, call (205) 236-6688, since we work across much of the Birmingham area.