E&M Brownsville Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor working in San Benito, TX. We repoint worn mortar, fix cracked brick and block, and build walls, walkways, pavers and outdoor kitchens laid right the first time.
San Benito is a short drive up the road from Brownsville, and the houses here need the same kind of care we give in Brownsville and Cameron Park. There's a lot of older brick in the established neighborhoods and block fences around plenty of yards. On the newer homes at the edges of the city, people want a paver drive, a stone front or an outdoor kitchen out back. Years of Valley sun and hard Gulf rain wear on all of it, and the mortar joints usually go first.
That mix decides the job. On the older houses it's usually repair, cutting out failed joints and broken brick so the wall stays sound. On the newer lots we're building something new, and the footing and base under the work matter more than anything you see on top.
When brick cracks in a stair-step line or a door starts sticking, we find out what moved before we patch, because a patch over movement just cracks again.
Explore serviceCracked crowns, loose brick and failed joints up top let water into the chimney, so we rebuild what's gone and seal the crown before the next hard rain.
Explore serviceTuckpointing is cutting out worn joints, filling them to match the brick and running a thin contrasting line down the center so the wall looks sharp again.
Explore serviceYou want broken or flaking brick gone without a patch that sticks out. We cut the bad ones out and set replacements matched in size, color and texture.
Explore serviceA paver drive holds up to cars only as well as the base under it, so we dig out, pack base in layers and lock the edges first.
Explore serviceWe plan a retaining wall around three things: a solid footing, drainage behind it so water doesn't build up and push, and a slight lean into the soil.
Explore serviceOn older brick and stone, restoration means cleaning, repointing and rebuilding failed sections with materials that suit the old wall, not a hard modern mix that cracks it.
Explore serviceYou want a fireplace that draws right and doesn't smoke up the room. We build the firebox, smoke chamber and flue in proportion, faced in brick or stone.
Explore serviceStone veneer is a thin stone face for walls and columns, and it holds up when the backing gets a proper water barrier and lath first.
Explore serviceFor a block fence or privacy wall, we pour a footing sized to the wall's height, run rebar up the cores and grout them solid where it counts.
Explore serviceBlock foundation walls carry the house or addition above, so we set them on a level footing, keep every course plumb and reinforce them to the plans.
Explore serviceWe build the counters, grill surround and oven base in block, brick or stone, planning room for the grill, doors and utility lines before the first course.
Explore serviceWe grade a walkway to shed water away from the house and pack a firm base, so the brick, pavers or stone stay flat underfoot.
Explore serviceYou want a brick wall that matches the house and stays straight. That comes down to a proper footing, level courses and tooled joints.
Explore serviceNatural stone gets fitted piece by piece, so we sort and shape each one for walls, steps and columns that look laid by hand, because they were.
Explore servicePointing is the everyday fix for crumbling mortar. We rake out loose joints to solid mortar and pack new mortar in layers, matched to the old color.
Explore serviceIn San Benito, building permits go through the city's Permits and Licensing division, and it only issues one after the site plan and construction plans have been reviewed and approved by every department that has to sign off. That review is usually what sets the start date on a permit job, and some plans have to be drawn by an engineer or architect, which adds time. The city also requires contractors working inside city limits to register with it and renew every year, so ask whoever you hire whether they're registered. Ask if they're licensed and insured too. We're licensed and fully insured.
Before we start, I check what the city asks for on your job, and when a permit's needed we pull it and call for the inspections, so you're not running back and forth to the city offices. The price turns on the size of the job, how much old mortar or brick has to come out, whether matching brick can be found, the footing a new wall needs and how easy it is to get a crew and materials to the spot. You get a written price after I've looked at it in person. We run the same crew up to Harlingen and over to Los Fresnos, so San Benito is regular ground for us.
Send the form or call (956) 505-5518 and tell us what's going on with your brick, block or stone. 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's free and there's no obligation.
(956) 505-5518Plenty of masonry jobs fall under the city's permit list, which covers new construction, remodels, repairs, additions and demolitions and names fireplaces and fences for homes. The city wants the application in before work begins. We check what your job needs first and handle the permit when one's required.
You can email it to sbpermits@cityofsanbenito.com or turn it in at the city's office at 400 N. Travis Street, and the city's permit applications page has the details. On our jobs, that part's ours.
No, the city requires gas lines to be done by a master licensed plumber, and gas permits go to licensed contractors. We build the masonry and leave room for the line, and the plumber runs it.
Cameron County Emergency Management puts hurricane season at June 1 through November 30. Loose chimney brick, a cracked crown or a leaning block fence is worth having looked at before then, because wind and hard rain find the weak spots first. Spring is a good time to call.
We're based in Brownsville and work across the Rio Grande Valley cities around it. These are the ones with their own page. If yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Worn joints let water into the wall, and pointing it now costs a lot less than rebuilding it later, so call (956) 505-5518 or use the form.
If you've got a cracked wall or crumbling mortar in San Benito, tell us about it and I'll come take a look.
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