I walk your Goshen job myself
I come out, look at the brick or stone with you and write the estimate myself in plain words, so you know what we found and what it means. Then I work on the crew with our masons. Call (574) 213-0235 to set a time.
Masonry contractor in Goshen, IN - brick and stone repair that holds up
We're M&K South Bend Concrete & Masonry, based in South Bend, and we repoint, repair and rebuild brick, stone and block on Goshen homes, with careful work on older brick as what we're known for. Call (574) 213-0235 to talk it over.
(574) 213-0235
Goshen houses and what they need from a mason
Most of our calls in Goshen are about older brick. Usually it's mortar worn back from the face of the brick, a chimney top with loose courses, or a front step pulling away from the house. Older brick was usually laid with softer mortar than what's sold today, and that matters, because hard modern mortar packed into an old wall can make the brick crack and flake its face off instead of the joint taking the wear.
Houses close to the Elkhart River bring one more thing to plan around, and that's water. Before we set a retaining wall, rebuild steps or work on a foundation near the river, we look at where water sits and runs on your lot, because a wall holding back wet soil needs a way to drain or it starts to lean in time.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Goshen home
We reply to every call and message within one business day. I'll set a time to come out to your Goshen house, walk the job with you and write up the estimate in plain words. It's free, and there's no obligation.
(574) 213-0235Masonry work we do on Goshen homes
Most of our Goshen work is repair on older houses: repointing worn mortar joints, chimney repair, brick repair, and foundation repair that keeps an old house sitting square. We also build retaining walls, walkways and paver driveways, and we do stone veneer installation when you want stone on a foundation, a fireplace or the front of the house.
- Foundation repair
- Chimney repair
- Tuckpointing
- Brick repair
- Driveway pavers
- Retaining wall construction
- Masonry restoration
- Fireplace installation
- Stone veneer installation
- Concrete block walls
- Foundation block wall installation
- Outdoor kitchen masonry
- Walkway construction
- Brick wall installation
- Stone masonry
- Brick pointing
What a Goshen job takes before we start
The City of Goshen handles permits here, through its online permit portal and its One Stop office, and the city says coming in person can be the better way when an application is urgent or you aren't sure what your project needs. Before we start, we check with the city for your address and pull any permit the job calls for, so the start date waits on that permit being in hand. You can also search permit data on the portal yourself, which is an easy way to see what's been filed for your house.
Goshen jobs run much like the ones we do in Dunlap and Elkhart, and the price moves with the same things: how much brick or stone has to come out, whether the old brick and mortar can be matched, how high or tight the work sits, and what turns up once a wall is open. Work that reaches the street or the sidewalk takes more planning, because that's the city's right-of-way. Your estimate lays each of those out in plain words, so you can see where the number comes from.
Why Goshen homeowners call us for older brick
Repairs that don't start the next problem
I grew up on a farm, where a patch done wrong cost more than fixing it right once, and I run this business the same way. On older brick that means fixing what caused the damage and matching the mortar to the wall, not just filling joints.
Licensed, insured, permits checked first
We're fully licensed and insured, and before we start we check with the office that covers your address and pull any permit the job needs. If your house sits in a historic district, we help you reach the commission before any work begins.
Questions Goshen homeowners ask about masonry
Do I need a city permit for masonry work in Goshen, IN?
You do for any digging in the public right-of-way, meaning in or near the road or close to or under the sidewalk, because the city requires its Right-of-Way Excavation permit for that work. The city's permit portal also has its own application for driveways, which matters for a paver driveway. For other jobs, we check with the city for your address before we start and pull the permit when the job calls for one.
How much does masonry repair cost in Goshen?
Masonry repair in Goshen is priced job by job, and the size of the repair is the biggest factor. A chimney that needs a few courses reset at the top costs far less than one that has to come down to the roofline, and on an old wall I won't know everything until a section is open. I'll give you the number in writing after I walk the job, free.
What building code applies to masonry work on a Goshen home?
The Indiana Residential Code applies, the state's code for construction on houses and the structures that go with them, like a detached garage. State law requires every local government in Indiana to require work to meet it, so Goshen follows the same code as South Bend and the cities around it.
How do I check if my Goshen house is in a flood zone?
Start with FEMA's flood map viewer, which FEMA calls the best place to begin for an official flood hazard determination. The U.S. Geological Survey has also mapped estimated flooding along the Elkhart River at Goshen, but those maps show what could flood, not a regulatory flood zone. It matters for a retaining wall or foundation work near the water, because building in a floodway takes a permit from the state's Division of Water.
How do I plan a brick repair on an older house in Goshen?
Start by finding out why the brick failed, because patching mortar over a leak or a settling footing just brings the damage back. I come out, look at the brick, the mortar, the chimney top and where water runs, and write up what I'd do and why. Some of it can't be known until a wall is open, and I'll tell you that up front instead of guessing.