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Serving Des Moines, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 724-6905
A brick wall is only as good as the footing underneath it. In Des Moines, that means digging below the frost line - or the wall will lean and crack within a few winters.
Brick wall installation in Des Moines starts with a concrete footing dug below the frost line - typically around 42 inches here - followed by brick laying course by course with proper mortar joints. Most residential walls take one to five days of active work, though the full timeline from first call to finished wall is two to four weeks when permit processing and scheduling are included.
The bricks you see are the easy part. What determines whether a wall stands straight after 10 Iowa winters or starts to lean after two is the concrete footing underneath it. Des Moines sits on clay-heavy soil that moves with moisture, and the ground freezes hard every winter. A footing that does not go deep enough will be pushed out of position by frost heave - and once a wall starts to lean, it does not correct itself. Every brick wall we install in Des Moines is built with this in mind from the first shovel into the ground.
If you have existing brick on your home that needs attention alongside a new wall installation, our brick repair service can address existing damage while we are on site, so you do not have to coordinate two separate contractor visits.
If a wall that used to stand straight now looks like it is tilting even slightly, the footing underneath has shifted. In Des Moines, this often happens after a wet spring followed by a dry summer when clay soils expand and contract dramatically. A leaning wall will not fix itself and becomes a safety hazard, especially around children or pets.
That chalky white residue is called efflorescence, and it means water is moving through the brick and carrying minerals to the surface. It is especially common in Des Moines after winter when snowmelt and freeze-thaw cycles push moisture through masonry. On its own it is mostly cosmetic, but if it keeps returning, water is getting in somewhere it should not - and that can damage the wall from the inside out.
Run a finger along the mortar joints. If pieces flake off easily or you can see gaps where mortar used to be, the wall is losing structural integrity. This is one of the most common issues in Des Moines homes built before 1960, where original mortar has simply reached the end of its lifespan. Catching it before water intrusion starts is much less expensive than rebuilding.
Sometimes the need is new rather than a sign of damage. If you are redesigning your yard, adding a patio, or want to separate your property with something more permanent than wood fencing, a brick wall holds up to Iowa weather far better. Wood warps, rots, and can blow over in the severe spring thunderstorms the Des Moines area sees every year.
We build brick walls for privacy, decoration, garden borders, and property boundaries across the Des Moines metro. Every project includes a site visit to assess footing requirements, soil conditions, and whether a permit is needed before we give you a written quote. For homeowners in older Des Moines neighborhoods, we take the time to find brick that matches your home's existing color and texture - a mismatched wall can look out of place for decades. If you have existing masonry that needs repair alongside the new installation, our brick repair crew can address both in the same visit so nothing gets missed.
For yards with a significant slope or soil that needs to be held back behind the wall, we also build stone masonry retaining structures that can handle greater lateral soil pressure than a standard decorative brick wall. We assess this during the initial visit and include the right recommendation in your written scope.
Ideal for homeowners who want a permanent, low-maintenance alternative to wood fencing that holds up to Iowa weather year after year.
Best for homeowners looking to define planting areas, raised beds, or outdoor living spaces with a clean, durable brick edge.
Suits homeowners who want to add a focal point to a patio, courtyard, or entry area with brick that matches the character of their home.
Des Moines winters are hard on anything built in the ground. The frost line in central Iowa is typically around 42 inches deep, meaning the ground freezes nearly four feet down during a hard winter. Any footing that does not reach below that depth will be pushed upward by frost heave - and once a wall starts to tilt, the mortar joints crack, water gets in, and the damage compounds. This is one of the most common reasons we are called to rebuild walls in Des Moines that were built by contractors who did not account for local frost depth. The Brick Industry Association technical guidelines and Iowa Division of Labor licensing requirements both inform the standards we hold ourselves to on every job.
We work throughout Des Moines and the surrounding metro, including a lot of projects in Ankeny and West Des Moines where newer developments are adding landscape walls as part of backyard and patio upgrades. In older Des Moines neighborhoods like Beaverdale and the Merle Hay area, we often match new walls to the existing brick bungalow character of the homes - the right brick choice makes a new wall look like it has always been there.
We get back to you within 1 business day to schedule a free on-site visit. No commitment needed. We ask basic questions about the wall location, approximate size, and what you want it to do so we can come prepared with the right information.
We walk the site, assess soil and slope, check for any permit requirements, and discuss brick options that match your home. Within a few days you receive a written quote breaking out footing work, brick and mortar materials, labor, and permit fees - so there are no surprises at the end of the project.
If a permit is required, we submit the application to the City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center before work starts. Processing typically takes a few business days to two weeks. Spring and fall slots book fast, so this step can sometimes be the longest part of the process - another reason to reach out early.
We excavate and pour the footing first, then wait for it to cure before laying brick. Depending on wall size, brick laying takes one to five days. Before we leave, we walk the finished wall with you, answer questions about mortar joint care, and let you know what to watch for in the first season.
Free on-site estimate. Written quote before any work starts. Permits handled for you.
(515) 724-6905Des Moines frost depth is around 42 inches, and every footing we pour goes below it. This is the single most common reason brick walls fail in central Iowa - a contractor who did not dig deep enough. We do not skip this step regardless of how small the wall looks above ground.
Des Moines has a large stock of 1930s and 1940s brick bungalows, and a wall that does not match the house looks out of place for decades. We take the time to find brick that complements your home's existing color and texture - and we show you real samples before anything is ordered. Matching brick to a Beaverdale bungalow is something we have done many times.
The City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center requires permits for most freestanding walls above a certain height. We handle the application, coordinate the inspection, and give you documentation at the end. You do not have to make a single call to the permit office or wonder whether the job is code-compliant.
Polk County clay soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, putting stress on any wall foundation over time. We size and reinforce footings with local soil behavior in mind and can add drainage measures near the wall base when the site calls for it. Contractors who treat every city like every other city cause problems here that they do not see coming.
Every brick wall we build in Des Moines starts with an honest site assessment and ends with a footing receipt and permit documentation you can keep. If anything unexpected comes up during excavation - a buried obstacle, a utility line closer than expected - we call you before spending another dollar.
Repair cracked, spalling, or damaged brick on an existing wall or structure while we are on site for a new installation.
Learn moreBuild retaining or accent walls in natural stone for a more organic look where brick character does not fit the design.
Learn moreSpring slots fill fast - reach out now to lock in your project date and beat the busy season rush.