Masonry Contractor in Bradfordville, FL - Walls and Walks That Hold on Hilly Ground

Start by finding out whether your property is inside or outside the Tallahassee city limits, because that decides which office you deal with. On the city's residential permit page, "In" means inside the city limits and "Out" means outside, and for properties outside, you contact the Leon County Development Services Department at 850-606-1300. Inside the city limits, permits are required for alterations, and properties in the county's Bradfordville Sector Plan area also have land-use and zoning rules of their own. Where a job calls for a permit, we'll help you find the right office and take care of the paperwork for our part of the work.

No, the City of Tallahassee says it doesn't require or issue business or occupational licenses. County, state or federal agencies may still require one, so the city's answer isn't the whole picture. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to talk it over when I come out.

Leon County keeps paper copies of current and past flood maps and flood studies, and anyone can view them in person on the 2nd floor of the Renaissance Building at 435 North Macomb Street. For a specific parcel, the county's Environmental Services Division gives flood map information by phone at 606-1300, and Leon County's flood information page explains both. If your lot sits near one of the lakes or ponds, it's worth knowing before we plan a wall or any foundation work.

Inside the city limits, sub-trade permits are required alongside a residential building permit, and depending on the work they could include electrical, gas, plumbing or mechanical permits. That matters for an outdoor kitchen with a gas grill, a sink or outlets, since those trades are separate from the masonry. We build the masonry and leave clean openings, and we can go over which trades you'll need at the estimate.

The price comes down to the size of the job, the materials and how much the ground has to be dug out and built up before we can lay anything. A retaining wall on a steep slope needs more base and drainage than one on flat ground, and matching old brick or hand-fitting natural stone takes longer than new block. The schedule turns on the same things, plus whether a permit is involved, and the free on-site estimate is how you get a figure for your own job.

The best way is to start from a solid, level footing and give water a way out from behind the wall, because trapped water is what usually pushes a wall over. I measure the slope and watch where water runs across your yard before we settle the height and the drainage. If the wall will sit near a lake, a pond or a property line, check the permit question above before we dig.