Brick wall installation in Hilo HI - built solid from the footing to the cap
Want a brick wall along your yard or driveway? We build it on a proper footing with brick suited to outdoor weather.
- Service
- Brick wall installation
- Call
- (808) 229-1042
When does a yard need a new brick wall?
An old wall leaning out
If your garden wall leans toward the yard or the street, the footing under it has usually moved or was never built for the job. A leaning wall only gets harder to save, and once it's past straightening, a rebuild is the fix.
Cracks through brick and mortar
A crack that runs through the bricks and the joints together, often in a stair-step line, usually means the wall has shifted underneath. Even small cracks let water in, and water working into a wall loosens it more every season.
Brick faces flaking off
When the faces of the bricks flake or crumble, the brick usually wasn't made for a wall that sits out in the weather. Patching doesn't change the brick, so the damage keeps spreading until the wall is rebuilt with brick that suits it.
What goes into building a brick wall in Hilo?
Brick wall installation in Hilo means building a freestanding brick wall, usually a garden or yard wall, on its own footing with brick chosen for outdoor use. It carries nothing but its own weight, but it takes weather on every side, so the brick, the footing and the quality of the work decide how long it holds up.
Most people who call us want a wall to mark a property line, hold a planting bed or close off a yard, and some are replacing an old wall that's leaning or crumbling. The price moves with the wall's length and height, the brick, the design and how much the ground changes level along the line. The schedule turns on whether the county needs a permit for your wall, how soon the brick arrives and the weather while we build. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I've measured.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough length and height of the wall
- Where the wall line runs
- Slopes or level changes along the line
- Any old wall to tear out
- Brick color and look you want
How our crew builds a brick wall
A garden wall takes weather from every side, so we give it the same care as a house wall, from the footing up to the cap. I lay out the line and the height first and check them before anyone digs, because a wall that starts off line stays off line. We dig the footing down to undisturbed ground, the firm soil nobody has dug or filled, and reinforce it where the ground needs it. Then the crew lays the brick to the line, keeps the joints full, covers the top of any unfinished section at the end of the day so rain stays out, and sets the cap. We'll tell you which brick we're quoting and why it suits a wall outdoors. Brick industry guidance says a garden wall shouldn't settle for anything less than excellent work, because any defect can lead to the wall breaking down, and that's the standard I learned on commercial jobs. Every wall we build is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Some yards call for more than brick. If you'd like natural stone beside the new wall, our stone masonry work pairs well with brick. If you already have brick on the property with worn or crumbling joints, brick pointing renews the mortar, and we look at why it wore out first, because new mortar won't last if water is still getting in.
Other masonry work for your yard
Stone masonry
Pick stone masonry when you want the yard to look natural, with stone steps, planters or a stone wall built to sit alongside your brick.
Brick pointing
Older brick on your house or yard with soft, sandy or missing mortar between the bricks needs pointing before water works its way in.
What happens after you call about a brick wall?
Call or send the form
Call (808) 229-1042 or send the estimate form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly where the wall goes and how long it runs so I can plan the visit.
I measure and write it up
I walk the line, measure it and look at the ground and any old wall before I put a price on anything. You get a written estimate with the scope and the price, and it tells you up front if a permit or an engineer is part of the job.
Our crew builds the wall
Our own crew builds it the way the estimate is written, with me running the job on site. What you approved on paper is what goes up in your yard.
We walk it with you
Before we call it done, I walk the finished wall with you and check it against the estimate. Then we clean up the site and haul off what's left.
Questions before you book a brick wall
What is the best brick for a garden wall in Hilo?
Long-standing brick industry guidance says a garden wall should use brick that meets grade SW, the grade made for severe weather, unless a brick has a proven record in similar exposure. Used or salvaged brick usually falls short because it's often unevenly fired, so it only belongs in the wall if it meets that grade. Ask any mason which grade their quoted brick meets before it's ordered.
Is a pier and panel brick wall cheaper to build?
Usually, yes. A pier and panel wall uses thin brick panels braced at intervals by masonry piers, the thicker brick posts, so it takes less brick than a solid wall and is fairly easy to build. It also adapts easily to ground that changes level, which helps on a sloped yard.
What causes a new brick wall to turn white?
That white bloom is efflorescence, salts carried to the surface by water, and when it shows up soon after the wall is built it usually comes from normal drying. If it keeps coming back later, water is likely getting into the wall and staying there. That's why the details that keep water out of the brick matter, starting with a cap that sticks out past the brick on both sides with a drip edge so water falls clear of the face.
Who reviews building permit applications in Hawaii County?
The County of Hawaii's Department of Public Works reviews building permit applications against a set of minimum standards, and you can reach its Hilo office at (808) 961-8321. Whether your wall needs a permit is a question for the county. If your job needs one, we take care of the paperwork with the county and keep you posted on where it stands before we start.
How much does a brick wall cost in Hilo?
There's no fair number until I've measured your wall line and seen the ground it will sit on. A taller or solid wall costs more than a low pier and panel wall, and a slope, an old wall to tear out or a hard-to-reach yard adds work. Cheap salvaged brick isn't a saving if it doesn't meet the grade a garden wall needs, and the estimate puts your figure and scope in writing.
How do I choose a mason to build a brick wall in Hilo?
Start by making sure their license is current, because Hawaii's contractors license board counts a license that wasn't renewed by its expiration date as unlicensed, and that contractor may not practice. Then ask which brick grade they're quoting and how they'll build the footing, since footings often get too little attention on a wall that carries only its own weight. We're licensed and insured, based in Hilo, and we work in Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park and the cities around them.
Get a written estimate for your new brick wall
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done in person at your property, with no pressure to book. I'll measure the wall line, look at the ground and put the scope in writing.
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Send us photos of your wall line
A few photos of the yard and where the wall will run let me see the slope and access before I come out.