Masonry Contractor in Hilo, HI - Block, Brick and Stone Built for the Rain

The building official issues them for work the state building code covers, wherever County of Hawaii ordinance requires a permit. The state code leaves that choice to each county, so whether your wall or repair needs one comes down to the county's rules for that kind of job. When I look your job over, I tell you up front if it needs a permit, and if it does, we take care of the paperwork with the county and keep you posted on where it stands before we start.

Make sure the contractor holds a current license from the state Contractors License Board, because every Hawaii contractor license comes up for renewal by September 30 of every even-numbered year, and one that isn't renewed counts as unlicensed and can't do the work. The state also requires a General Excise Tax License from anyone earning income from construction contracting, with a one-time $20 fee at registration. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I come out.

For a home on Site Class D ground, the state residential code puts North and South Kohala, Hamakua and North Hilo districts in category D2 and every other district on the island in category E, which takes in Hilo itself. A higher category usually means more steel and grout in block walls and foundations, so it's one of the things I check before I write the scope.

A licensed electrician or plumber has to do that part, because the state contractor board says electrical and plumbing work in Hawaii needs an individual license, and a contractor without one must employ someone who has it. That license may also be needed to get the building permit, so we plan the block, counters and stone around where those lines run before any of it gets built.

Water causes most of it. Rain soaks the joints, moss and shade keep them from drying, and roof runoff or a low spot in the yard keeps feeding the same corner until the mortar goes soft. New mortar won't last if that water still gets in, so I find the source first and put fixing it in the scope.

The price comes down to how big the job is, how much old work has to come out and what's causing the damage, and you get it in writing after I've measured on site. Drainage work, steel and grout for a reinforced wall, a steep or tight lot, and any permit or engineer add to it, while a simple repair on sound ground costs less. The schedule turns on the weather, since mortar and concrete shouldn't go down in a heavy rain, and on any permit the job needs.