E&M Brownsville Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in Primera, TX. We repoint and repair brick, build block and brick walls, and lay walks and paver driveways on new and established homes across the city.
Primera is a growing city in south-central Cameron County, close to Harlingen in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley, and it's an easy drive up from our base in Brownsville. On our jobs here we see newer slab homes in brick and stucco going up next to older houses on bigger lots, block walls along property lines, and plenty of driveways and walks that have cracked or sunk and need redoing.
The ground shapes most of the work. It's flat, heavy clay that moves through wet and dry spells, and the city has flooded from heavy rain before, so we plan every footing, base and drain with both in mind.
When a slab settles in Valley clay, it shows as stair-step cracks and sticking doors. We find where it's moving before we patch anything.
Explore serviceMost chimney calls start with a cracked crown or loose brick up top. We rebuild what's failed so rain stops getting into the stack.
Explore serviceTuckpointing adds a thin line of contrasting mortar on fresh joints so an older wall looks crisp again. It's the finishing pass after we refill worn joints.
Explore serviceCracked brick, or brick with its face flaking off, gets cut out and replaced with a match in size, color and texture, then mortared in tight.
Explore serviceYou want a driveway that flexes with the ground instead of cracking across. We dig out, pack a deep base, set the pavers and lock the edges.
Explore serviceOn flat Valley lots, a retaining wall usually holds fill for a raised bed or built-up pad. We drain behind it, because trapped water pushes walls over.
Explore serviceFor older brick homes, restoration means cleaning gently, repointing and replacing damaged pieces without changing the look. We'd rather save original brick than tear it out.
Explore serviceIndoors or out on the patio, we build the firebox, hearth and surround in brick or stone, laid out to the clearances the plan calls for.
Explore serviceStone veneer is thin stone set over a prepared wall. We put the moisture barrier and metal lath on first, because skipping them is how veneer comes loose.
Explore serviceMost block walls here go up as privacy or property-line walls. We pour a real footing and grout rebar into the hollow cores so they stay straight.
Explore serviceRaising a slab off the ground or building an addition? We lay foundation block on a footing sized to the plan, set level and reinforced as drawn.
Explore serviceYou want somewhere to cook outside most of the year. We build the block base, counter and brick or stone face around the grill you pick.
Explore serviceWe lay walks in brick, pavers or stone on a packed base, pitched away from the house so rain runs off instead of pooling at the door.
Explore serviceGarden walls, columns and fence piers in brick go on a footing, laid plumb course by course and tooled so the joints shed water.
Explore serviceStone walls, steps and accents take more fitting than brick because no two pieces match. We shape and set each so the weight carries down.
Explore serviceIf mortar crumbles under a key, it's time to repoint. We cut joints to sound depth and refill with mortar softer than the brick.
Explore serviceThe City of Primera issues its own building permits through its Building Inspections Division, and that list names walls, patios and fences, along with repairs and alterations to any building or structure inside city limits. So a new block wall or brick work on the house can mean a permit and city inspections, and the schedule waits on those. Before we start, we check what the city asks for on your job, and when a permit's needed we pull it and call for the inspections. Two things worth asking any contractor about are the city's own business license and, if the job has wiring, the state license, because Texas requires anyone doing electrical work in, on or outside a house to be licensed. We do the masonry and leave lights and outlets on an outdoor kitchen to a licensed electrician. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm the one who comes out, then runs our own crew on site.
We're often on the road between Brownsville and Harlingen, so Primera sits right on our route, and we do the same work out west in La Feria. What moves the price is the size of the job, the brick, block or stone you pick, how much old mortar or brick comes out first, and how deep the footing or base has to go in this clay. The schedule turns on permits and inspections, rain, and how long a brick match takes to find, and the estimate is where you get your own number.
Tell us what's going on with your brick, block, walk or drive, or call (956) 505-5518. We reply within one business day, then I come out, look at it in person and give you a written price for the work we talked about. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.
(956) 505-5518The city fines anyone caught working without a required permit, and you still have to buy the permit, at twice the cost. That's money spent for nothing, which is why we check the city's building permit requirements before we dig a footing.
Yes. The city issues permits for new homes, additions, structural work on an existing home and new accessory dwellings only to the homeowner or the contractor, and those permits are what let city inspectors check the work was done right. On our jobs we pull the permit ourselves, so you're not running paperwork back and forth.
The city asks for a site plan, an estimated construction value covering materials and labor, and an Energy Report. The site plan shows the whole lot, the house, the new work and its distance to every property line, and the Energy Report covers your windows and their sizes, doors and walls. If we're laying the foundation block for an addition, I'll go over that plan with you before the footing goes in.
We're based in Brownsville and work across the Rio Grande Valley cities around it. These are the cities with their own page, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask, because we work in others nearby too.
Mortar that's starting to wash out costs a lot less to repoint now than brick that has to be relaid later, so call (956) 505-5518 or use the form and I'll come take a look.
If something in your brick, block or stone has you wondering, send us a note and we'll talk it through.
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