E&M Brownsville Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor in Brownsville, TX. We repoint and repair older brick, fix cracked walls and chimneys, and build block walls, walkways, pavers and outdoor kitchens across the city.
Brownsville gives us a little of everything. In the older neighborhoods we work on brick houses where the mortar has gone soft and sandy after decades of heat, humidity and rain, and the job is matching what's there, because a bad patch on an old wall sticks out from the street. Farther out, newer subdivisions bring block garden walls, brick veneer, paver driveways and backyard kitchens. We cross over into Cameron Park and Los Fresnos for the same kind of work.
The ground matters as much as the house. A lot of yards here sit on clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, especially near the resacas, so a wall or walk is only as good as what's under it.
Cracks in brick or a sticking door can mean the foundation's moving. We find where it starts before patching anything, so the repair holds.
Explore serviceA chimney takes the worst of the sun and rain on any roof. We rebuild loose top courses, replace cracked concrete caps and repoint open joints.
Explore serviceTuckpointing fills raked-out joints with mortar tinted to the brick, then adds a thin, crisp line down each joint so an old wall looks sharp again.
Explore serviceWe cut out flaking or cracked bricks one by one and set in the closest match we can find, so a few bad ones don't cost you a wall.
Explore serviceYou want a driveway that doesn't split down the middle like an old slab. We dig out, compact a solid base and lay pavers that move with the ground.
Explore serviceRaised beds, grade changes and resaca-side yards need walls built on a footing with drainage behind them, so trapped water doesn't push them over.
Explore serviceOn older brick and stone, restoration means cleaning, repointing and repairing with materials soft enough for the old wall, because hard modern mortar can crack old brick.
Explore serviceIndoors or on a patio, we build the firebox, hearth and surround in brick or stone, laid out to the clearances the unit's maker calls for.
Explore serviceStone veneer gives a wall or column the look of solid stone. It only lasts with the right backing and flashing behind it, so that's where we start.
Explore serviceBlock is the usual choice here for privacy and property-line walls. We set it on a proper footing, with steel and grout in the cores so it stays straight.
Explore serviceAn addition or raised floor sits on a short block wall. We lay it on a level footing, reinforced and grouted, because everything above rides on it.
Explore serviceWe build the block frame, counters and brick or stone face for your outdoor kitchen, and plan room for the water, gas and wiring.
Explore serviceWe build front walks and garden paths in brick, pavers or stone over a packed base, pitched just enough that rain runs off instead of pooling.
Explore serviceNew brick should match the house, not fight it. We lay garden walls, planters and columns with tooled joints and caps that shed water.
Explore serviceFor stone walls, columns and borders, we pick and fit each stone by hand so the joints stay tight and the weight sits where it should.
Explore serviceCracked or sandy joints with sound brick need pointing, not replacement. We cut out the bad mortar and pack new before water gets behind the face.
Explore servicePermits for work on a Brownsville house come from the city's Building Inspections and Permitting Office, which reviews the plans and comes out to inspect permitted work when someone calls for it. Whether your job needs one is their call, not ours, so before we start we check what the office asks for on that job, and when a permit's needed we pull it and call for the inspections. On a permitted job, plan review is usually what sets the start date, and after that the schedule turns on the size of the job and the weather.
The city's contractor registration is for plumbing, mechanical and electrical contractors, who file a state license and proof of insurance with the city, so on a masonry job the thing to ask any contractor for is proof of insurance. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to see it before we start. Price turns on how much bad work has to come out, how closely we have to match old brick and mortar, what the ground needs under a new wall or walk, and how easy it is to get material to the spot, and I'm the one who comes out, looks at it and writes the estimate with your number on it. We work the same way in San Benito and the other cities around Brownsville.
Tell us what you're seeing, whether that's crumbling joints, a cracked wall or a yard project, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out, look at the job in person and give you a written price for the work we talked about. The estimate's free with no obligation, and you can also call (956) 505-5518.
(956) 505-5518Plenty of masonry jobs do, because the city's permits cover building, altering, repairing or demolishing a building or structure. The city also links to a residential list of work that doesn't need one from its permit FAQ page. We check your job against what the city asks for before we start, and if a permit's needed, we pull it.
When every required document comes in with the application, the city says plan review should take no more than three to five business days. Missing paperwork is what usually stretches it, so we get the drawings and details together before we apply.
The city takes applications for all projects online through its Accela system, as its residential construction page explains. On jobs we're hired for, we file the application and call for the inspections ourselves.
A licensed plumber does the plumbing, because state law and city ordinance require it, and the same rules put electrical work in a house in the hands of a licensed electrician. You can check a plumber's license with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners license lookup. We build the block, counters and facing and leave room for their work.
Brownsville is home base, and we work across the Rio Grande Valley cities around it, including the ones listed here and others nearby. If you don't see your city, call and ask.
Open joints let water in behind the brick, and a joint repointed now usually costs far less than a wall torn out later, so call (956) 505-5518 or use the contact form to set up a visit or ask a permit question.
If you've got crumbling mortar or a wall you're not sure about, send us a note and I'll come take a look.
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