Brick wall installation in West Palm Beach FL - a garden wall that holds up for years
Planning a brick garden wall for your yard? We build it from the footing up, so it stays straight and sound for years.
What goes into building a brick garden wall in West Palm Beach?
Brick wall installation in West Palm Beach means building a freestanding garden wall on its own footing, one that carries nothing but its own weight and gets its whole character from the color and texture of the brick you choose.
Most people who call about a new wall want one along a property line, around a patio or across the front yard, and have a look in mind. At BR West Palm Beach Masonry & Concrete, I start with what the wall has to stand up to, because a garden wall takes weather from both sides and needs the same care as a house wall, starting with the footing nobody sees. If you'd rather have stone, see our stone masonry page.
The price comes down mostly to the size of the wall, the style you pick, the brick and how much digging the footing takes, and a sloped yard adds work. The schedule turns on getting the brick delivered and on any permit, which we sort out with the building office before work starts. When I come out, I write up an estimate that explains what we'd build and why.
The main parts of a brick wall installation
Before any digging starts, it helps to know where a garden wall gets its strength, because most of it is settled by choices you make with us up front.
The footing below ground
A garden wall sits on its own footing in undisturbed earth, brick or concrete, reinforced when the wall needs it. Walls that only hold themselves up sometimes get too little attention down there, so it's the first thing I talk through with you.
Thickness on a straight wall
Where the ground is the same height on both sides, a straight wall stands on its own thickness. It's designed to resist wind and knocks, so the thickness comes from the wall you want, not from what's cheapest to lay.
Work that faces weather twice
A garden wall is exposed on both faces and across the top, so any defect in the joints or the courses lets the wall start breaking down. That's why we lay it to the same standard as a house wall.
Brick color and texture
The brick sets the look of the whole wall, so it's worth holding a few samples up against your house in daylight before you choose. I'll bring what I know about how each one wears outdoors.
Brick wall questions we hear
How much does a brick wall cost in West Palm Beach?
Brick and masonry work in West Palm Beach usually costs about $9 to $28 per square foot, and that's a range for brick work in general, not garden walls alone. A pier and panel wall, with thin panels braced by brick piers, tends to be the economical choice. The estimate I write after seeing your yard gives you the figure for your own wall.
Can I use old or salvaged brick for a garden wall?
Only if it meets the SW grade, the rating for brick made to stand up to hard weather, and most used brick falls short because it was often fired unevenly. If you want an old brick look, I'll help you check that the brick will hold up before you buy it. When it won't, new brick made to look old is usually the safer bet.
What is the best way to build a brick wall on uneven ground?
A pier and panel wall is usually the first style to look at, because its panels and piers step along changing ground much more easily than a solid wall. We'll walk the slope with you and show you where the piers and steps would fall.
Does a brick garden wall need to be painted?
No, a clay brick wall doesn't need paint, because its color runs through the brick and lasts. Once outdoor masonry is painted, most paint authorities agree it needs repainting every three to five years, so leaving it bare saves you that chore. What will want attention years from now is the mortar, and brick pointing refills worn joints.
Do I need a permit to build a brick wall in West Palm Beach?
The city's Building Division decides that, since it reviews building permit applications and oversees inspections in West Palm Beach. Palm Beach County says only homeowners and qualified contractors can pull permits, so when your wall needs one, we handle the application and the inspections as your contractor.
What causes white powder on a new brick wall?
That white haze is usually efflorescence, salts carried out to the surface as moisture dries from the masonry. One maker's guide says it usually comes off with dry brushing, then flushing with plenty of clean water. If it keeps coming back, call us and I'll look at where the water is getting in.
Why West Palm Beach homeowners call BR West Palm Beach Masonry & Concrete for brick walls
You can count on a straight answer about your wall, our own masons doing the work, and a crew you'll be comfortable having around your home.
I write your estimate
I come out myself to look at the ground, the line of the wall and the brick you have in mind.
Our own masons build it
Our own crew lays every course of your wall, and I check on the work as it goes up.
In business since 2013
I learned on new houses across Palm Beach County before starting this business to work on homes people already live in.
Licensed and fully insured
Palm Beach County suggests asking to see a contractor's license and insurance, and we're glad to show you ours.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That's our promise on every wall we build, so call (561) 268-0285 when you're ready to talk through yours.
Talk through your brick wall with us
Call (561) 268-0285 with the wall's rough length, how much your yard slopes and any brick you hope to reuse, and we'll have what we need to plan the visit.
What happens after you call about a brick wall in West Palm Beach?
Every wall gets planned around your yard and the look you want, and you'll know what we'd build and why before anyone picks up a shovel.
You get in touch
Call (561) 268-0285 or send us a message saying where the wall would go, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
I see the yard
I walk the line of the wall with you, check how the ground slopes and look over any brick you're thinking of using.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that explains the footing, the wall style and the brick we'd use, and the reasons behind each choice.
We build and check
Once you're ready, we handle any permit the job needs, our masons build the wall with me checking on it, and we look it over together.