Brick wall installation in Athens GA - a wall that sheds rain and stands steady
Want a new brick wall that won't stain, crack or lean after a few wet winters? We build it to shed water and stay put.
What does it take to build a brick wall that lasts in Athens?
Brick wall installation in Athens is building a new brick wall from the footing up, laid so the joints shed rain and the shape keeps it standing steady. A wall that's designed and built right needs very little upkeep for a long time.
Most people who call about a new wall already know what it's for, like closing in a yard, framing a patio or holding back a slope, and that purpose shapes everything after it. The price moves with how long and tall the wall is, how thick it has to be to stand on its own, how much digging the footing takes and the brick you choose. It also moves with whether the wall holds back soil, because a retaining wall is a different job from a freestanding one. The schedule turns mostly on the weather, since mortar doesn't set right in a downpour or a hard freeze, and on any permit the wall needs. Your own figure comes from the estimate I write after seeing the spot, which says what we'll build and why.
What happens after you ask us about a new brick wall?
Call or send the form
Call (706) 395-0746 or send the form and tell us a little about the wall you have in mind. We'll set a time for me to come out to your house.
Look at the spot together
I come out myself, look at the ground, the slope and where water runs, and listen to what you want the wall to do. The estimate spells out what we'll build, how and why, so you can see where the money goes and compare it fairly with other bids.
Handle the permit if needed
When the wall needs a permit, we take care of the application and the inspections with the city or county office for your address. In Athens-Clarke County, the permit office tells applicants when a permit is processed, which may take up to 2 days or more, so we plan the start date around that wait.
Build it and walk it
Our crew builds the wall with me working alongside them, and when it's done we walk the finished wall with you so you can look it over up close. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How we handle brick wall installation, and the stone and pointing work around it
A new brick wall has to deal with rain soaking in, so we plan for water from the first course instead of hoping the wall stays dry. I start by settling the height and layout with you, because those two choices decide how thick the wall needs to be and what shape keeps it standing steady. Then our crew marks the line, digs and pours the footing, lays the brick course by course with the joints tooled to a shape that sheds water, and finishes the top with a cap so rain runs off rather than down into the wall. We clean up as we go, so you're left looking at the wall and not at our mess.
Some walls call for more than brick. If you'd like stone piers, a stone base or a natural stone section beside the brick, our stone masonry work fits right in. If an older brick wall nearby has crumbling joints, brick pointing, which means cutting out the worn mortar and packing in fresh, helps the old work hold up next to the new.
Get an estimate for a new brick wall at your home
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. I'll look at the spot with you and write up a free estimate at your property, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Brick wall questions from Athens homeowners
How much does a brick wall cost in Athens, GA?
Across the US, a brick wall project of about 220 square feet usually costs about $13,000 to $18,500 per job. That's what the market typically charges for a wall that size, not our price, and a shorter garden wall or a taller, thicker one will land somewhere else. Your own number comes from the estimate I write after seeing where the wall will go.
Does my retaining wall need a permit in Athens, GA?
Yes, if it's over 4 feet, because Athens-Clarke County requires a building permit for every retaining wall over that height, issued by the county's Building Inspections office. When there's no site review, a zoning permit from Planning comes first and the building permit follows, and Transportation and Public Works may ask for its own review. Each retaining wall needs its own permit and gets a Certificate of Completion once it passes a final inspection. We handle that paperwork and those inspections with the office for your address, here and in Commerce, Jefferson, Monroe, Winder and the other cities around Athens.
Does a contractor need a license to build a brick wall in Georgia?
Yes, for most walls, since the county's building department notes that Georgia requires a state license to practice contracting on work costing $2,500 or more. The State Licensing Board for Residential and Commercial General Contractors handles that licensing for general and residential contractors. We're fully licensed and insured.
How does a brick wall handle rain in Georgia?
A wall one brick thick will let some water through in heavy wind-driven rain no matter how well it's built, so a good design expects water to get in and plans how it gets out. Brick industry guidance prefers concave or V joints on these walls because they shed water instead of leaving flat ledges, and you can ask for either one by name. That guidance also says penetrating water repellents can help but need reapplying now and then, while film-forming or acrylic sealers should be skipped.
How do I know how thick a freestanding brick wall should be?
The taller a freestanding wall gets, the more thickness or support it needs, because UK brick industry guidance limits how slender a thin wall can be so it stays steady against sideways forces. That guidance says a thicker base, piers that stick out from the face or a zigzag layout can get around the limit, and that freestanding walls need vertical movement joints since nothing holds them in the way a house holds its walls. It's the reason we settle the shape with you before any brick goes up.
What causes white powder on a new brick wall?
Usually it's new building bloom, which shows up shortly after the wall is built as it dries out. If the white comes back later, water is likely getting in and staying, so the caps, copings and sealant joints are the first places to check. Letting those go can lead to damage elsewhere in the wall.
Other masonry work that goes with a new wall
Stone masonry
Pick stone masonry when you want natural stone beside your brick, like stone piers, a fieldstone base or a stone cap that sets the new wall apart.
Brick pointing
If an older brick wall or house wall nearby has joints that crumble when you rub them, pointing replaces the worn mortar so it keeps out water again.
Tell us about the brick wall you want
Call (706) 395-0746 or send the form with the wall's purpose, rough height and length, and whether it holds back soil, so I show up knowing if we're planning a retaining wall, which takes a different permit path.