Masonry contractor in Vestavia Hills, AL - work that holds on hillside lots
Caliber Hoover Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Hoover that repairs brick, repoints old mortar and builds retaining walls, walks and drives for homeowners all over Vestavia Hills.
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Masonry work on Vestavia Hills homes
Vestavia Hills sits right up against Birmingham, and most of the houses we work on there are on lots that climb or drop away from the street. Plenty are brick, some of it a few decades old, with a retaining wall, a long front walk or a steep drive already in place. It's a short drive from our base in Hoover, and we do the same work in Pelham and the other cities around it.
On a job here, the price usually turns on how steep the yard is, how much digging and drainage the work needs, how closely we have to match the old brick and how hard it is to get material to the spot, and I'll give you your own number at the estimate. The schedule mostly waits on the permit, when one's needed, and on dry days for mortar to set. Nearly all of it comes back to the ground, because water runs down these yards toward foundations, walls and steps, and a wall that isn't drained and footed for that slope won't stay where we put it.
Masonry services for Vestavia Hills homes
Foundation repair
Hillside houses here often have one foundation wall holding back soil, so that's where we look first for cracks and bowing.
Explore Foundation repairChimney repair
A chimney takes weather on every side, so a cracked crown or loose bricks at the top let water in. We rebuild what's failing.
Explore Chimney repairTuckpointing
When the mortar on older brick houses here turns sandy, we grind out the joints and refill them with mortar that matches the original.
Explore TuckpointingBrick repair
Runoff from a slope keeps the bottom rows of a brick wall wet, and that's usually where we find flaking brick to replace.
Explore Brick repairDriveway pavers
Steep driveways need a firm, well-packed base and edges that hold, or pavers creep downhill. We build the base for your grade.
Explore Driveway paversRetaining wall construction
Plenty of yards here need a wall holding back the hill, and we build it for the soil and water it'll hold.
Explore Retaining wall constructionMasonry restoration
For brick and stone houses that have aged a few decades, we clean, repair and repoint so the old walls hold up again.
Explore Masonry restorationFireplace installation
A new fireplace in an older house here has to tie into the chimney already there, so we plan the work around it.
Explore Fireplace installationStone veneer installation
Stone veneer needs a way for water to drain out at the bottom, which matters most on houses that sit below a slope.
Explore Stone veneer installationConcrete block walls
Block walls work well for terraces and property lines on uneven ground, because we can step the footing down as the yard drops.
Explore Concrete block wallsFoundation block wall installation
For additions and basements cut into a hillside, we lay block foundation walls with the drainage the uphill side needs.
Explore Foundation block wall installationOutdoor kitchen masonry
On a sloped backyard, an outdoor kitchen usually starts with a level pad or terrace, and we build the block and stone on that.
Explore Outdoor kitchen masonryWalkway construction
Walks that climb from the street to the door often need steps and a slight tilt so rain runs off instead of pooling.
Explore Walkway constructionBrick wall installation
When you want a new brick wall beside an older brick house, we pick brick and mortar color to match what's there.
Explore Brick wall installationStone masonry
Natural stone suits the wooded, rolling lots here, whether it's a low border along a bed or a mortared wall by the street.
Explore Stone masonryBrick pointing
If only a handful of joints have cracked open, pointing just those keeps water out of the wall without redoing the whole face.
Explore Brick pointing
What Vestavia Hills slopes ask of masonry
I learned masonry on a city crew, laying block and patching old brick on buildings that had to pass inspection, and I started this business in Hoover in 2021 to do homes the same way. I come out for every estimate and run the job with our crew.
Footings and drainage built for your slope
Water does most of the damage on a hillside, so we don't hurry the footing, base and drainage under a wall or walk, even though nobody sees them once it's done.
Repairs that match your old brick
We match mortar color, joint shape and brick to what your house already has, so a repair blends in instead of standing out every time you pull in.
A straight answer on what can wait
If your brick needs a few joints filled now and the rest can wait, I'll say so, and explain what you're paying for and why before we start.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate in Vestavia Hills
Tell us your address and what you're seeing, like crumbling joints, a leaning wall or a new project. We reply within one business day, then I come out to look and give you a free estimate with no obligation.
Vestavia Hills masonry questions
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Vestavia Hills?
Many masonry jobs do, because the City of Vestavia Hills' Building Safety department issues permits for any demolition and for all new construction, which the city counts as including remodeling, additions and alterations. The city's residential code exempts some work, sidewalks among them, but exempt work still has to meet the code. The contractor has to have the permit before work begins, work done without one costs double the permit fee plus a $100 penalty, and the city advises you to confirm your contractor has one and to get each phase inspected as it's finished. Before we start, we check with Building Safety about your address and handle the permit with them when one's needed.
What license does a masonry contractor need to work in Vestavia Hills?
Any general contractor or subcontractor needs a city business license to work in Vestavia Hills. On residential work over $10,000, a general contractor also has to show a current Alabama Home Builders card to get that license, because the state's home builder law covers paid work to build, repair or improve a home of up to three floors and four units once the job tops $10,000. We're licensed and insured, and it's fair to ask any contractor you're weighing about both before you hire.
Can I act as my own general contractor in Vestavia Hills?
Yes, homeowners don't need a city business license and can serve as their own general contractor. On work over $10,000 you'd sign a notarized home builder license exemption form, and anyone you hire needs a subcontractor's city business license. A subcontractor whose part of the job tops $10,000 also has to be licensed for it.
How do I build a foundation or addition on a steep lot in Vestavia Hills?
If your lot has an average slope steeper than 1/3, the city requires a State of Alabama licensed engineer to design the footings and foundations for new construction and additions. A geotechnical engineer also has to study the soil and the site and inspect those footings and foundations. On a lot like that we build the footings and block to the engineer's design, and I'll tell you at the estimate if your slope looks like it's in that range.
What affects the cost of masonry work in Vestavia Hills?
On most jobs here the biggest cost is the ground work, because sloped yards mean more digging, more drainage and more effort getting brick and block to the spot. Your choices matter too, since repointing only the failing joints costs less than redoing a whole wall, and natural stone usually runs more than block. A city permit fee when one's needed, and the engineer on a steep lot, can add to it, and I'll price your job once I've seen it.
How long does it take to get approval for weekend work in Vestavia Hills?
At least two business days, because weekend or after-hours work in Vestavia Hills needs a noise waiver from the city, and review takes a minimum of two business days. The waiver is requested through the city's online portal, and the approved copy has to stay at the job site. A dumpster or portable storage unit on the job needs a permit too.
Other cities we work in, and yours
If your city has a page below, start there. If not, call (205) 236-6688, because we work across the Birmingham area, including cities that aren't listed.