Masonry Contractor in Ogden, NC - Walls and Walks That Handle the Rain

Check with New Hanover County before work starts, because the state's move from its 2018 code to the 2024 code was still pending in the last word we have. An earlier State Fire Marshal release said the 2018 code stays in effect until the 2024 code's start date is set, and that until then an owner or their agent can ask to use the 2024 code instead. The county's COAST helpline takes permit questions like this one, and I'll go over it with you when we talk permits.

State law requires a general contractor license when the total project cost is $40,000 or higher. A limited license lets the holder run any single project worth up to $750,000, not counting the land or any added costs to improve it. You can look up any contractor with the state board before you sign anything, and we're fully licensed and insured.

They do when your property sits in the 100-year floodplain, the flood-prone area on FEMA's maps, and the work is new construction or a substantial improvement. The county's flood standards then mainly call for raising the lowest floor and for foundations and anchoring that let flood water pass safely under the house. County Building Safety handles the building side of those rules, and County Engineering handles grading and filling within the floodplain.

Usually not, because homeowners and renters policies typically leave flood damage out. More than 20% of flood claims come from properties outside the high-risk flood zone, so it's worth asking your agent about flood coverage even if your lot isn't mapped as risky. On our end, I look at where water goes around any wall, walk or foundation we work on, since masonry that drains well is the part of this we can help with.

Your price comes down to the size of the job, the material and how much prep the ground and any old brick need, and you'll have it in writing after I walk the property with you. Repointing sound brick costs less than tearing a wall out and rebuilding it, so I'll tell you plainly when a wall only needs its joints redone. On new work, a deeper base and real drainage add cost up front, and on flat, wet Ogden lots I'd rather you spend it there than on fancier brick, because a wall or driveway that holds water doesn't hold up.

Water, mostly, because mortar that stays wet breaks down, and Wilmington's normal yearly rainfall is now over 60 inches for the first time on record. Mortar that's harder than the brick around it, or a wall that holds water at its base, speeds that along. When I come out, I'll show you where the water's getting in before we talk about touching a joint.