Crumbling joints, stones working loose or a slope you want held back? We build and repair stone walls that drain and hold their shape.
Stone masonry in El Paso covers building stone walls, dry-laid or set in mortar, building retaining walls that hold back a slope, and repointing the worn joints in older stone walls. Done right, the wall drains the water behind it and lets moisture leave the stone, so it holds up instead of slowly coming apart.
Most calls start with something you can point at, like mortar crumbling out of the joints, a few stones working loose or a slope in the yard you want held back. I look at that, then at what caused it, because new mortar on a wall with a water problem won't last. If the joints you're worried about are brick instead, that's brick pointing.
Price mostly follows the wall's height and length, the stone, and how much drainage or old mortar there is to deal with. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether your wall needs a permit or an engineer's design, and when a permit's needed we handle the paperwork and keep you posted. My written estimate gives you the figure for your wall.
Call (915) 265-1230 or use the form, and tell us the wall type, its height and whether your property is designated historic, with photos if you have them. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I come out myself, look at the wall or the slope with you and point at what I think is causing the trouble. You get a written estimate for the work, so you're not guessing at the cost while you decide.
Our crew builds or repairs the wall, and I check on it as it goes. Repointing is slow, precise and noisy work, and on a tall wall scaffolding may stay up across the face for a while.
When the work is done, we walk the wall together and I show you the new joints and where the water drains. We don't call it done until you've seen it.
Every stone wall we build has a plan for where the water goes. Behind the wall that usually means gravel backfill, or a drainage blanket and a drain pipe, so water runs down and away instead of sitting against the stone. We work out that plan before the first stone goes in, because it's a lot harder to add once the wall is up.
On repairs we use a mortar that lets the stone breathe and dry out, because mortar that traps moisture in a wall ends up damaging the masonry around it. Before we repoint, I find out why the old mortar broke down and fix that first. Otherwise the new joints go the same way as the old ones.
What our stone masonry work covers:
If the stones are sound and the wall stands straight, repointing the worn joints is usually the better call, because it keeps the wall you already have and costs less than starting over. When a wall leans, bulges or keeps dropping stones, the problem is usually water or a weak base, and new mortar won't fix either, so I'd rebuild that section with drainage behind it. Cracks in the house itself are a foundation repair question instead.
Height drives most of it, because a taller wall needs more stone, more digging and more structure, and a dry-laid wall may need a base as wide as the wall is tall. The type of stone, how much drainage goes behind the wall and how easy it is to get material into your yard all count. On repairs, cost follows how many joints need cutting out by hand and whether the cause has to be fixed first.
I learned stone, brick and block beside a mason who'd spent decades at it, and we've run Cornerstone El Paso Concrete & Masonry since 2023. Before we start, I walk you through what's wrong and why, because I want you to understand your house well enough to make a good call, even if you don't hire us.
On site, our crew keeps the work tidy, protects your plants and walkways and cleans up before we leave. I'd rather fix what caused the problem than patch the part you can see, and if something changes once a wall is open, I'll stop and explain it before we go on. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
A small mortar problem caught early usually stays a small repair, so call (915) 265-1230 and I'll come take a look.
Tell us about the wall and add a photo if you can. We reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your home, with no pressure to book.
Stone veneer installation in El Paso usually costs about $2,000 to $7,900 per project, and that's the typical range around town, not our price. A freestanding or retaining stone wall is priced on its own height, length, stone and drainage, so the written estimate I leave after looking at your job is where your real figure comes from.
You may, because the City of El Paso requires a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure, and the city's One Stop Shop takes those applications. Before work starts I check which office covers your address, since that changes from one city to the next. The city also registers contractors for rock walls and retaining walls, which calls for general liability insurance with the city named on the certificate, and we're licensed and fully insured.
Most retaining walls fail because water or soil moisture builds up behind them, which is why every wall should drain that water down and away. That's the reason each wall we build starts with the drainage plan I described above, and on a wall that's already leaning, the first thing I look for is where the water's going.
Often it does, because the higher the slope a wall holds back, the more structural stability it needs, and complex structural walls call for an experienced engineer. An engineered design weighs the slope, the soil, the wall material, the work space and the height together. If I think your wall is past that point, I'll tell you at the estimate, before anyone spends money on stone.
The safest way is to cut the old mortar out by hand with chisels and mash hammers, which takes more labor but in most cases poses the least risk to old masonry and gives the best result. The joints then get a mortar that lets the stone dry out, as I covered above. If your house is older, check the city's Historic Areas search to see whether your property is designated historic, and let me know when you call.
That's usually efflorescence, a white bloom that occasionally shows up in the first few months after repointing and usually weathers away on its own. If it hangs on, dry brushing and then wet brushing with stiff natural or nylon bristles is the safest way to clean it, and muriatic acid shouldn't go on the wall.
We're based in El Paso and build and repair stone walls on both sides of the state line, including Sunland Park and Socorro. Pick your area below, or call if you don't see it.
