Masonry Contractor in Yakima, WA - Solid Brick and Block, Careful Repointing

Premier Yakima Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Yakima, WA. We build brick and block walls, repair chimneys and foundations, and repoint mortar joints on houses across the city, with the owner on every job.

Get an estimate (509) 452-1015

A broad driveway paved with rectangular tan and brown pavers leads to a closed garage.

Curved stone retaining wall with a light cap borders a flower bed and green lawn.

What we run into on Yakima houses

Yakima is where I started this business in 2023, and it's where most of our calls come from. The older houses closer to downtown are often brick, with chimneys that have taken years of weather and mortar that's gone sandy, and plenty of homes sit on block foundations with cracked joints that need a look. Newer houses toward the edges of the city bring different calls: retaining walls for sloped yards, paver driveways, walkways and grill islands. We see the same mix just south in Union Gap and north in Selah.

The ground sets the rules for anything new. The city puts the frost depth at 24 inches below grade, so a new footing has to sit deeper than that or freezing ground can lift it. On older brick the job is different, because the new mortar has to be soft enough that the joint gives before the brick does.

Masonry work we do on Yakima houses

Foundation repair
When a foundation shows stepped cracks in the block or a wall bowing in, we find out what's moving first, then rebuild or reinforce the section that's failed.
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Chimney repair
Most leaky chimneys lose water through a cracked crown, the concrete cap up top, or open joints. We repair the cap and repoint or rebuild what's loose.
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Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing fills worn joints with mortar matched to the brick, then adds a thin contrasting line so the wall looks crisp and even again.
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Brick repair
If a few bricks are flaking, cracked or loose, we cut out only those and set matching ones, leaving the sound brick around them alone.
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Driveway pavers
You want a driveway that stays flat under daily parking. The plan starts with digging out, a packed gravel base and an edge that keeps pavers from spreading.
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Retaining wall construction
Sloped yards often need a wall to hold back soil. We plan the footing, the drain rock behind it and the block for the height you need.
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Masonry restoration
For an older brick or stone house, restoration is repairs done in the right order: cleaning, replacing failed pieces and repointing with mortar suited to the old masonry.
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Fireplace installation
We build masonry fireplaces from the footing up, sizing the firebox, smoke chamber and flue together so the fire draws instead of smoking the room.
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Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer is a thin stone face over a wall, and it lasts only as well as the backing and drainage behind it, so we start there.
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Concrete block walls
For a garden wall, shop wall or property line wall, we lay block on a footing, with steel and grout in the cores where the wall needs strength.
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Foundation block wall installation
New additions, garages and outbuildings often sit on a block foundation. We lay it course by course, plumb and level, to the plan the building needs.
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Outdoor kitchen masonry
Where the grill, sink and counter go sets the layout, and then we build it on a block core faced in brick or stone to match the house.
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Walkway construction
A walkway should drain and stay even underfoot. We set brick, pavers or stone on a packed base with a slope so water runs off instead of pooling.
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Brick wall installation
We lay new brick walls the way commercial work taught me, with straight courses, full mortar joints and ties and footings sized for the wall's height and use.
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Stone masonry
Natural stone takes more fitting than brick because no two pieces match. We shape and dry-fit the stones before setting them, so the wall carries weight evenly.
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Brick pointing
If the joints are sandy but the bricks are sound, we rake out old mortar carefully and pack in new, so brick edges stay whole.
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Permits, licenses and price on a Yakima masonry job

Inside city limits, building permits come from the city's Code Administration Division. Its list of quick permits covers jobs like reroofs, re-siding and like-for-like change-outs, not masonry, so before we start we check with that office whether your wall, chimney or foundation job needs one, and if it does we take care of the paperwork with you. Larger projects can also need land use review, which the city can run alongside the building permit, but the permit isn't issued until that review is approved, so on those jobs the review sets when we can start. Before you hire anyone, make sure they're registered with the state Department of Labor & Industries and hold a City of Yakima business license, which every business working inside city limits needs. We're fully licensed and insured.

Price comes down to what I see when I come out. How high the work is and how we reach it, how much old mortar has to come out, whether matching brick or stone can be found and how deep a new footing goes all move the number, and the schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on getting material in. You get your own figure from the estimate, after I've looked at the job. We take the same calls just east in Terrace Heights, where we check with whichever office covers the address before we start.

Look your lot up on FEMA's flood map before planning a new wall or foundation, since the city points to that map for flood hazards.
If your grill island gets lights or outlets, whoever does the wiring gets the electrical permit from the state and has the work inspected, because the city sends electrical permits to L&I.
Retaining walls and block foundations get drainage planned in from the start, because water trapped behind a wall is usually what pushes it out.
Matching old brick can take some hunting, so we start looking early and tell you up front if a close match is the best we'll find.
If a crack is old and not moving, I'll tell you it can wait and what to watch for, instead of selling you a repair now.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Yakima masonry job

Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's a cracked joint, a leaky chimney or a wall you want built, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to look at the job myself, and the estimate is free at your property with no pressure and no obligation.

(509) 452-1015

Questions Yakima homeowners ask about masonry work

Do I need a separate permit for a paver driveway or walkway in Yakima?

Sometimes, depending on where it runs and how big it is. Work in the city's right of way, usually the strip along the street with the sidewalk and curb, needs its own permit, and the city's Engineering Division information covers it. A project that adds more than 5,000 square feet of new hard surface also needs a stormwater permit application with drainage calculations from a licensed engineer, though most home driveways and walkways come in well under that.

What building codes does Yakima use for masonry and foundation work?

The city reviews plans against the 2021 Washington State codes, including the building, residential and existing building codes. The state's 2024 codes take effect May 3, 2027. We build to whichever set the city is reviewing under when your job goes in.

What bond and insurance does a masonry contractor in Yakima need to carry?

A Washington contractor registered with L&I carries a surety bond of $30,000 as a general contractor or $15,000 as a specialty contractor. Liability insurance is set at $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or $250,000 as one combined limit. Ask any contractor you're considering, us included, and check their registration before you sign.

Service areas

We work out of Yakima and take jobs in the cities around it, and these are the ones with their own page. If you don't see your city here, call and ask.

We answer the phone until 10 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so call (509) 452-1015 after work or send us a message whenever it suits you.