Masonry Contractor in Meadowbrook, AL - Repairs That Match, Walls That Stay Put

For unincorporated Meadowbrook addresses, Shelby County requires a permit for any project over 200 square feet, any change to a load-bearing wall and any new accessory structure, while it says sidewalks, driveways and fences under seven feet may not need one. The county says the only way to know for sure is to call its permits office, and it holds the property owner responsible for lawful work even when a licensed contractor does it. Before we start, we check with the county for your address and handle the permit with them when one's required.

Yes, once the job is big enough. Alabama requires anyone paid to work on another person's home, up to three floors and four units, to be licensed by the Home Builders Licensure Board when the job costs more than $10,000, and licensed builders have to put their license number on the contract, so ask for it before you sign. A contractor also needs a state business license in each county where it works, and if you're building on your own one- or two-family home for your own use, you're exempt from the builder license. We're licensed and insured.

The cost of masonry work in Meadowbrook comes down to the size of the job, how much old work has to come out, the materials you pick and how easy the work is to reach. Matching older brick and mortar takes more time than laying new, natural stone usually runs more than veneer or block, and a permit adds a step when the county requires one. I look at the job in person and walk you through the number before anything starts, so you know what you're paying for.

A repair that needs no permit can usually go on the calendar soon after the estimate, while permitted work waits until Shelby County reviews it and issues the permit. For residential permits, the county returns one reviewed set of plans that has to stay on the job site the whole time, and we keep it there until we're done. How long the work itself runs depends on the size of the job and how much has to be torn out, and I'll tell you what to expect at the estimate.

You may, if your neighborhood is governed by an Architectural Review Committee, because Shelby County has permit applicants in those areas contact the committee for its further requirements. Check with your committee early, since its rules can change the design, and I'll plan the job around what they ask for.

You can search your address on AlabamaFlood, which shows FEMA floodplain data by address or county. Shelby County's floodplain rules apply to FEMA flood zones and other flood areas the county designates, so if you're in one, tell me at the estimate and we'll check with the county what that means for a new wall, walk or slab.