Masonry contractor in Iowa City - brick and mortar work built for Iowa winters
R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Cedar Rapids that repairs and builds brick, block and stone work for homeowners in Iowa City, from worn mortar joints and tired chimneys to new retaining walls.
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Older brick and newer builds across Iowa City
Iowa City has a good share of older brick homes close to downtown and the university, many still carrying their original mortar, chimneys and porches after a long run of hard winters. Farther out the houses get newer, with block foundations, paver walks and yards that slope toward the creeks, and we see much the same mix next door in Coralville.
That mix shapes the job. Older walls usually want a softer mortar matched to the brick, while newer walls and walks depend on the base and drainage under them, which is the part I care most about getting right.
Permits and pricing on Iowa City jobs
The City of Iowa City issues the permits for work here, and on some older houses the permit wait, not the masonry, is what sets our start date. Before each job we contact the city to learn what it requires, and I'll tell you what we found and who will handle it. You can check a contractor too, because Iowa law requires construction contractors who earn at least $2,000 a year from construction to register with the state's Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to answer questions about that when I come out.
Price here comes down to how much brick or mortar has failed, how high or awkward the work sits, how closely we need to match older materials and how deep a wall or footing has to be dug. The schedule turns on that permit wait, on the weather, since mortar usually needs days above freezing to set properly, and on our calendar, and my written estimate sets out what I'd do on your house and why. It's a short drive down I-380 from Cedar Rapids, and we do the same kind of work up in Anamosa as well.
What do older Iowa City houses need most?
The city's building code rates this area for severe weathering, and on a brick house that means water soaks into the joints, freezes and pushes them apart, winter after winter. You'll usually notice it first as sandy mortar, a loose brick near the chimney top or a step that has started to crack, and we deal with it by raking out the worn mortar, packing in new and fixing where the water gets in, not only where the damage shows.
Newer houses tend to have the opposite trouble. Their brick is usually sound, but walks, steps and walls settle or tilt when the base under them was thin or holds water, so we dig those out and rebuild from the bottom up.
- Call (319) 536-8125
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Masonry work we do in Iowa City
Tuckpointing
Older Iowa City brick usually wears at the mortar joints before the bricks themselves. We rake out the worn mortar and refill the joints with a mix that suits your wall.
Chimney repair
Chimneys take the worst weather, so loose brick and a cracked cap show up there first. We rebuild what's failing and reseal where it meets the roof.
Masonry restoration
Older Iowa City homes often have soft brick that hard modern mortar can damage. Our masonry restoration matches the original materials so the repair suits the house.
Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards push soil downhill, and frost heaves walls built on a thin base. We build on a packed gravel base with drainage behind the wall.
Foundation repair
Wet springs and hard freezes put pressure on basement walls, and cracks or bowing usually follow. We find what's pushing on the wall before we repair it.
Walkway construction
Frost tilts walkways laid on loose fill, leaving trip edges. We dig out, pack a firm base and lay the walk so it drains.
What happens after you call us about an Iowa City job
Call or send a message
Thank you for reaching out. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come to your Iowa City house, and it helps if you're there so you can show me what you've noticed.
I come out and look
I look over the wall, chimney or yard, ask what you've seen, and then write up what I'd do and why. If a few cracks can wait, I'll tell you, because there's no sense paying for work the house doesn't need yet.
We check with the city
Before work starts we check what the city requires for your job. If it needs a demolition permit, the city issues one no sooner than seven working days after a proper application, and the permit takes effect once the city's notice is posted on site, so we plan the start around that.
We work, then tidy up
The same small crew I work beside does the job, and we cover the work at the end of each day to keep weather off fresh mortar. We leave the site tidy each evening, so you aren't stepping around tools and loose brick.
Get a free on-site masonry estimate for your Iowa City home
Tell us what you've noticed and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Iowa City house. The estimate is free and done on site, and there's no obligation once you have it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (319) 536-8125
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Questions from Iowa City homeowners
Do I need a permit to take down a chimney or porch in Iowa City?
You do if the house is in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone or a Conservation District Overlay Zone, or is an Iowa City Historic Landmark, because the city's building code calls for a demolition permit to remove a chimney, porch or other part of the house there. Taking down a whole building or structure also goes through a demolition permit from the city, so we confirm the details with the city before any brick comes down.
What city fees can add to the cost of masonry work in Iowa City?
A permit fee can, when your job needs a permit, and when plans are required and the work is valued over $15,000, a plan review fee is paid before the permit is issued. Starting work before getting a needed permit adds an extra fee equal to the permit fee, and only the Building Official can reduce it when an emergency forced the work. That's one reason we check with the city before we begin.
How do I keep a new wall or step from heaving in Iowa City winters?
Put it on a footing or base that frost can't lift, and the city's code lists 42 inches as its frost line depth, so footings are usually planned around that depth. Frost does the most damage in soil that holds water, so we also pack the base firmly and give water a way out with gravel and drainage, because those hidden parts decide whether the wall stays put.
What causes mortar to crumble on older brick houses in Iowa City?
Water is usually the cause, soaking into the joints and freezing over many winters until the mortar turns sandy and falls out. On older houses, earlier patches made with mortar harder than the brick can make it worse, because the hard joint pushes the damage into the brick face. We rake the joints out to sound mortar and refill them with a softer mix that suits the brick.
What are the flood rules for basement and foundation walls in Iowa City?
Below the elevation set in the city's flood plain management standards, floors and walls have to be built from flood damage-resistant materials, so a basement or foundation wall in that area is held to that rule. For flood insurance, the University of Iowa's flood map site says its draft maps aren't the official ones and points Iowans to the FEMA Map Service Center or local officials for the current map. When a wall we're rebuilding may sit in that area, we ask the city before we choose materials.
Can you match the brick and mortar on an older house in Iowa City?
In most cases we can get close, and matching mortar on older brick homes is the work we're best known for. At the estimate I look at the color, the sand in the joints and how the joints were shaped, and if a close match isn't possible on your wall, I'll say so before any work starts.
Tell us about your Iowa City masonry job
Call (319) 536-8125 or send the form with your address and a few words about the job, so I come out knowing which wall, chimney or walk to look at first.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125