Masonry Contractor in Taylorville, IL - Brick and Chimney Work That Fits Your House
Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Springfield, IL that works on houses across Taylorville. We repoint and repair old brick, fix chimneys and foundations, and build walks and outdoor kitchens.
Older brick homes and yards across Taylorville
We come down from Springfield for Taylorville jobs, and the houses here are the kind we know best. There's a lot of older brick, often with a chimney that's been through decades of weather. There are also block foundations under frame houses, and newer places toward the edges of the city where the walks and patios have started to shift. We work all over the city, from the west side near Jaynes Park to the roads running south toward Lake Taylorville.
The age of the house decides most of the job here. An old wall with an earlier patch in the wrong mortar is a different repair from a newer house with one cracked corner, so the first thing I look at is what the house is and what's been done to it before.
Working in Taylorville: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Permits in Taylorville go through the City Clerk, the office that issues the city's permits and licenses. Before we put your job on the calendar, I check with the city on what your project needs, and if it needs a permit we take care of the paperwork, so the start date waits on that. If you want to ask about a contractor's city license, the City Clerk's office is the one that issues them. We're licensed and insured.
Price mostly comes down to how much has to come out and how hard it is to reach. A few cracked bricks low on a wall is a small job, while repointing a whole side or taking a chimney down to the roofline takes more labor, and high work means scaffolding. The weather sets the schedule as much as the city does, and the written estimate gives you the figure for your house. It's the same way we work up in Lincoln.
Services in Taylorville, IL
Tuckpointing
Mortar on older Taylorville brick washes out after enough winters. We cut out the bad mortar and repack the joints to suit the brick.
Brick repair
Water gets behind old brick and pops the faces off, mostly near gutters and downspouts. Our brick repair swaps the flaking ones for brick that matches.
Chimney repair
Chimneys here take the worst of the weather, so the cap cracks and the top rows loosen first. We rebuild what's failing and leave sound brick alone.
Foundation repair
Block foundations under older houses here crack and bow when wet ground freezes against them. We find what's pushing on the wall before we fix it.
Walkway construction
Front walks here heave after a few hard winters, usually over a thin base. We dig out, pack a real base and lay a walk that sheds water.
Outdoor kitchen masonry
Bigger yards toward the edges of the city have room for an outdoor kitchen. We build the brick or stone base and counters to match the house.
What Taylorville winters ask of brick and block
Winters here swing above and below freezing over and over, and that's what wears masonry out. Water soaks into soft brick and open joints, freezes and pushes, and every cycle loosens a little more. That's why damage shows up first where water collects, like chimney tops, the base of a wall under a downspout, and steps and stoops. We fix the masonry and tell you where the water's coming from, because new mortar under a leaking gutter won't hold up long.
Many of the older brick houses in Taylorville were built with softer brick and mortar than what's sold today. Hard modern mortar in an old wall can crack the brick around it, so we match the mortar to the wall, not to whatever's quickest to mix.
Get a free estimate on your Taylorville masonry
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Taylorville house myself, look the job over and write up a free estimate, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
How a Taylorville job goes
Call or send the form
Call (217) 210-0722 or use the form, and tell us your address and what you're seeing. We set the visit for a day and time that suit you.
I look it over in person
I walk the job, show you what I see and tell you straight if it's smaller than you feared or can wait a season. You get a written estimate with the work spelled out, so the price isn't a guess.
We check permits and schedule
Once you say go, we check what the city asks for at your address. Then we set a date with you around that answer and the weather.
We build it and walk it
Our crew does the work with me right alongside them, and we walk it with you before we pack up. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Taylorville masonry questions answered
How do I get a building permit in Taylorville, IL?
You start with the city's Building Permit & Checklist form, which is posted on the city's Building & Zoning page with its other permit forms and building permit fees. The city lists (217) 824-8713 and hbo@taylorville.net alongside those forms if you have a question. On our jobs, I check what your project needs before we start, so you're not guessing.
Why does brick repair cost more on an older house in Taylorville?
Older houses usually cost more to repair because the work is slower, not because the brick is worse. Finding brick that matches a wall that's weathered for decades takes hunting, and soft old mortar has to come out carefully so we don't chip the brick edges. Sometimes the damage goes deeper than the face once a wall is open, and I'll tell you on the estimate what I can see and what I won't know until we start.
What is the best time of year for masonry work in Taylorville?
Spring through fall is best, any stretch when nights stay above freezing, because fresh mortar that freezes before it sets crumbles. Late fall fills up fast before winter, so if you notice loose brick in summer, calling then gives you a better shot at a date. Small repairs that aren't letting water in can usually wait for spring, and I'll tell you if yours can.
Who licenses plumbers if my outdoor kitchen in Taylorville needs a sink?
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses plumbers and plumbing contractors, and it says anyone who installs, alters or extends plumbing in Illinois has to be licensed. So if your outdoor kitchen needs a water line or a drain, that part goes to a licensed plumber. We build the masonry around it.
Do I need to tuckpoint my whole house or just part of it?
Usually just part of it. The sides that take the most weather and the spots where roof water runs down wear out first, while the rest of the wall can have plenty of life left. I'll show you which joints are actually failing and quote those, because repointing good mortar is money you don't need to spend.
Should I repair or rebuild an old brick chimney in Taylorville?
Repair it if the brick is sound and it's mostly the top and the joints that are going, which is the usual case. A rebuild makes sense when the brick itself is breaking up or the chimney has started to lean. I'll tell you which one you've got once I've seen it up close.
Get your Taylorville brick looked at
Open joints and small cracks are cheaper to fix before another winter gets into them, so call (217) 210-0722 or send the form.
