Masonry Contractor in Margate, FL - Block, Brick and Pavers Built for Wet Ground
Elite Deerfield Beach Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor based in Deerfield Beach that repairs and builds block walls, brick, stone, pavers and walkways for homes and condos in Margate, starting with the cause of the damage.
Our masonry work in Margate
Margate is mostly homes, and that's where most of our calls there come from. We see single-story block houses, townhomes and condo communities, many backing onto a lake or canal, with paver driveways out front and pool decks out back. It's a short drive from our base in Deerfield Beach, and we do the same work next door in Coconut Creek and Tamarac. What we find is usually cracked stucco over block, sunken pavers and garden walls that have started to lean, and I like to take a close look at each one before anyone picks up a trowel.
What moves the price is mostly the size of the job, the material and what we find under the old work, and the schedule usually turns on permits and dry weather. For your own figure, I come out, look at the job myself and write the estimate. Most houses here are concrete block, so a crack usually says something about the footing or the water around it, and that's what we chase down first.
What we build and fix in Margate
When a crack runs through a Margate block house, we find out whether the footing moved or water is washing out the soil before repairing anything.
Few Margate houses have chimneys, so the ones that do often go years unchecked. We rebuild loose brick and cracked crowns, the concrete cap on top.
Summer rain finds every open mortar joint. Tuckpointing, grinding out the worn mortar and packing in fresh, keeps that water out of brick walls and planters.
Brick around Margate entries, columns and planters takes a beating from sprinklers and rain. We cut out flaking or cracked bricks and set matching ones in their place.
Paver driveways here sink where water sits after storms. We dig out to firm ground, rebuild and compact the base, then relay the pavers so they sit level.
On lake and canal lots, we build retaining walls to hold a bank or raised bed, with drainage behind them so trapped water doesn't push them over.
Older Margate homes and condo buildings often have masonry that's tired all over. We find what's failing first, then repair it to match what's still sound.
In Margate a fireplace is mostly for looks and the odd cool night, so we build ones that suit the room, indoors or on a covered patio.
Thin stone set over block dresses up the flat stucco fronts and columns on many Margate homes, and we detail the edges so rain can drain out.
Block privacy walls are common between Margate yards. We set them on a proper footing, fill and reinforce the cores, and stucco them to match the house.
For a room addition or a raised slab, we lay the foundation block walls that lift the floor above the wet yards you get here every summer.
Most Margate backyards get used year round, so we build outdoor kitchens on block bases with stone or brick faces that hold up to sun and summer storms.
A Margate walk that holds puddles is a slip waiting to happen, so we slope new paver and concrete walks to send rain onto the lawn.
Brick garden walls and entry features suit a lot of Margate homes and courtyards, and we set each one on a footing sized for its height.
Natural stone around Margate pools and patios gets wet feet and full sun, so we set coral stone, limestone or flagstone on a solid bed.
If a key scrapes sand from your brick joints, the mortar's spent. We refill them with fresh mortar matched to the old color before rain gets in.
What Margate's wet ground asks of masonry
I come out to every job and write the estimate myself, and our crew, led by an experienced mason, does the work while I check in as it goes.
The cause, found first
I'd rather spend extra time finding why a wall cracked than send our crew to patch the wrong thing.
Work planned for low ground
Margate's low ground and heavy rainy season raise flood risk, so we plan each base and drain around standing water.
Permits and HOA forms handled
We pull permits, line up inspections and tell you early if the city needs your signature or HOA forms.
Covered on every job
We're licensed and fully insured on every job, and our promise to you is satisfaction guaranteed.
Know your own masonry
I'll show you what failed and why, so you can spot the same trouble on your own walls later.
Margate masonry questions we hear
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Margate, FL?
Many masonry jobs do, because the city's Building Official issues permits for work that builds, alters, repairs or removes a structure, and structural work, which the city says includes fences and railings, needs one no matter what it costs. State law now has the city exempt some non-structural single-family work under $7,500 outside flood hazard areas, but only as one whole project, never split up to stay under, and it takes a written request to the Building Department with the contract and a $75 fee per exemption. If you're unsure, the city's Chief Inspector can tell you, and the city lays out its permit requirements and permit exemptions online.
Who can apply for a building permit in Margate?
The city takes permit applications only from applicants qualified under Florida's contractor licensing law, or from holders of a certificate of competency approved by the Broward County Central Examination Board. Broward County also requires a business tax receipt for businesses working in the county, and some cities in the county ask to see it before they issue a permit. For any permit over $2,500 in construction value, the city also requires a notice of commencement.
How much does masonry work cost in Margate, FL?
It comes down to the size of the job, how much old or failed work comes out first, the material you choose and whether a permit and inspections are part of it. Repointing a brick wall usually costs far less than rebuilding a block wall on a new footing, and stone or brick faces cost more than block finished in stucco. Soft, wet ground that needs a deeper base adds labor too, which is why I give you your number on site once I've seen the cause.
How long does a masonry project take in Margate?
Small repairs like repointing or resetting pavers usually move fastest, while a new wall or foundation work takes longer because it waits on the permit, inspections and dry days. The Fort Lauderdale station's 1991-2020 normals make June and September the wettest months, so summer jobs need room in the schedule. Once a permit is issued, it expires if work doesn't start within 180 days or stops for 90 days, so we line up the start before the permit goes in.
What causes cracks in block walls and pavers in Margate?
Water, most of the time, either softening and washing out the soil under a footing or base, or reaching the steel inside an older block wall until it rusts and swells. A hairline crack in stucco is often just the surface, but a crack that's wider at one end, a wall that leans or pavers that keep sinking usually mean something underneath moved. That's the part I like to take a close look at, so we fix the cause and not just the crack you can see.
How do I check the flood map for my Margate address?
Call the city at 954-972-0828 about flood maps and to find out whether an Elevation Certificate is on file for your address. A lower-risk map isn't a pass, since the city notes nearly 25 percent of flood insurance claims come from moderate to low-risk properties. It matters for masonry too, because the small-project permit exemption above only covers homes outside flood hazard areas.
Not on the list? Just ask
Choose another city we serve, or call (754) 253-5630 if yours isn't named here, because we work across the cities around Deerfield Beach.
Ask for your Margate masonry estimate
Call (754) 253-5630 or use the form, since a crack caught early is usually a smaller fix than one left through another rainy season.