We're a masonry contractor in South Bend, IN, and we repair brick, chimneys and foundations and build walls, walkways and paver driveways for homes in Granger. I come out to every job myself and work on the crew that does it.
(574) 213-0235
Granger isn't its own city. It's part of St. Joseph County that spreads across Clay and Harris townships, and the houses we work on here are mostly in subdivisions, with brick or stone across the front, a chimney or two, paver or poured driveways, and backyards with patios and low walls.
The calls we get from Granger usually aren't about a house falling apart. It's a cracked mortar joint over the garage, stone veneer coming loose by the front steps, pavers that have sunk where the car sits, or a chimney crown that's started to crack. Those are small when you catch them, and fixing them right keeps them from turning into a wall that has to come down. We see the same kinds of houses next door in Mishawaka, so the work carries over.
Tell us what you're seeing at your Granger home, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out, walk the job with you and write the estimate up in plain words. It's free, and there's no pressure and no obligation.
(574) 213-0235Most of our Granger work is brick repair and repointing on brick fronts, chimney fixes, and resetting paver driveways and walkways that have settled. We also build new, like retaining walls for backyards that need a level spot, stone veneer, outdoor kitchens and block walls.
Because Granger is unincorporated, a five-digit address there usually falls under the St. Joseph County/South Bend Building Department, and that's who issues the permit. The department wants the permit in place before work starts, so a job that needs one waits until it's in hand. Every contractor and subcontractor has to be registered with the department to work in the county, and registration takes a $5,000 bond, proof of workers' compensation and a $125 yearly fee, so it's worth asking whoever you hire and checking with the department. We check with the office that covers your address before anything starts, and when the job calls for a permit we pull it as part of the work.
The department says a lot in a flood plain or wetland may need prior approval, so if a retaining wall or footing is going in near low, wet ground, we sort that out first. Your price comes down to how much brick, stone or block has to come out and go back, how close we can match what's there, how high we're working and what we find once a wall is open, and the schedule turns on the permit, the materials and that same opening up. I walk all of it with you on site and write it up in plain words. Granger runs up to the Michigan line, and we do the same work across it in Niles, MI, where we check with the office that covers that address.
I come out to look at your house myself, so the person writing the estimate knows the work. I also work on the crew alongside our masons and laborers, which means what we talked over in your driveway is what gets done on the wall.
We're best known for repointing and chimney work on older brick. On those jobs I'd rather match the mortar to the brick than reach for something harder, because hard mortar on softer brick can crack the brick itself, and then you've got a bigger repair.
I grew up on a farm, where a patch done wrong costs more than doing it right once, and I've run this business that way since 2023. We're fully licensed and insured. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. Call (574) 213-0235 or use the form to tell us about your project.
Plan on one, because the county's fee schedule calls for a permit in advance for work in the unincorporated county, and its fees cover repairs and alterations as well as new construction. The department's renovation permit application lists masonry and chimneys, and fees are tripled as a penalty when work goes ahead without a required permit.
Yes, if you own the house and live in it, you can do your own work without registering or getting a license with the county. You still have to buy a building permit, the same as a contractor would, so the permit rule above applies to you too.
If you don't get a monthly bill from a city sewer company, you're on a septic system, the St. Joseph County Department of Health says. Before we dig footings for a wall, patio or outdoor kitchen, we want to know where the tank and field are so we stay clear of them. If the septic itself needs installing, replacing or repairing, that takes a permit from the health department.
The state does. Plumbing contractors need an Indiana State Plumbing License before they can register with the county's building department, and electrical and HVAC contractors apply to the department for review before they're licensed there. Ask to see the license of whoever runs the water or the wiring.
The cost follows how much has to come out and go back, so repointing a few cracked joints runs far less than taking down and relaying a section of brick. Matching older brick or stone, working high on a chimney and whatever turns up behind the face all push it up, and a permit fee adds to it. I'll write your figure up after we walk the job together.
Call (574) 213-0235 or send the form, and I'll set a time to come out and walk the job with you. From there we check on the permit, order materials that match your house and set a start once the permit's in hand.
