Masonry Contractor in Summit, NJ
Clifton-based, NJ HIC #13VH11720500. Ask for written warranty terms.
- 5.0 rating on Google
- NJ HIC #13VH11720500
- Free, no-obligation estimates
We at Four Seasons Roofing and Construction do brick and stone repair in Summit, NJ, mostly repointing and chimney work, in a Union County city on a ridge with many houses old enough to still have lime mortar in the joints. The look is free, the estimate is written and itemized, and new mortar is matched to the old.
- Mortar matched for hardness and color before repointing starts
- Written, itemized estimate before any work starts
- Licensed and insured, NJ HIC #13VH11720500
The Facts on Four Seasons Roofing and Construction in Summit
We at Four Seasons Roofing and Construction do masonry in Summit, the northernmost city in Union County, working out of a base at 38 Speer Ave in Clifton, New Jersey. We have held New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor registration #13VH11720500 since 2021. We also handle the roof around a chimney, and on roofs we install GAF and Owens Corning systems.
See every roofing service we offer · Request a free masonry estimate
Keep reading: The Discount and the Financing
Mortar washing out of a joint, or a chimney dropping brick onto the slate? Call (862) 318-3997 or fill in the form on this page, and a written masonry estimate comes back to you.
Summit still has 18th-century buildings standing, the Carter House on Butler Parkway went up in 1741, and after the railroad came through the town filled in with estate homes, so a lot of the brick and stone here is genuinely old. For masonry in Summit NJ that mostly means repointing joints that have let go, rebuilding brick and stone where it has spalled, and putting chimneys and front steps back together.
We match mortar color and joint profile so the repair blends into the wall, and that covers foundations, facades, stoops, and driveway walls.
Find the Water First
Before anyone grinds a joint we find where the water is coming from, usually a cap or a downspout, so you are not paying for the same repair again next spring.
Match Before We Build
We mix a sample first. You approve the color and the hardness, then the repointing starts.
Licensed and Local
Registered under NJ HIC #13VH11720500 and insured. We answer the phone, and the mason who looked at your wall is the one running the job.
The Discount and the Financing
Seniors and military get $500 off a masonry job, and 0% financing is available. The written number still comes before we start. The masonry service page covers the rest of how we work.
Who Signs Off on the Work in Summit
Permits here run through the Construction Division of the Summit building department, which enforces the state Uniform Construction Code. Summit only takes inspection requests in writing, online or by email, and the building inspector arrives inside an 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. window with no set time.
Most exterior permits there also want a land survey drawn to scale, so dig yours out if you have one, and we pull the permit and book the inspections. Confirm the permit requirements for the proposed work in Summit with the department.
We are registered with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs as a home improvement contractor, NJ HIC #13VH11720500. You can check that on the state licence verification portal before you hire us, or anyone else. We install GAF and Owens Corning roofing systems but are not enrolled in either manufacturer's contractor certification program.
Other Work We Do in Summit
Warning Signs on an Old Summit Wall
Most of the early signs you can check yourself: mortar that rakes out when you drag a key along the joint, stair-step cracking up a corner, white chalky staining after a heavy rain, an old patch in the wrong gray, a cap stone that rocks when you push it. Any one of those means water has a way in, and on the older brick and stone in Summit that damage tends to move faster than owners expect.
- Joints you can rake out by hand
- Stair-step cracking through the mortar
- White mineral bloom after rain
- Old repairs in the wrong color or texture
- Loose caps, coping, or a leaning section
Keep reading: The Smear-of-Gray Problem
The Smear-of-Gray Problem
A lot of what we get called to redo in Summit is gray cement somebody spread over failed joints. It never matches, and it is harder than the brick, so water sits in the wall. The proposed scope includes grinding that out and repointing with a matched mix.
Winter climate is the main cause of masonry wear in Summit: the 1991-2020 NOAA normals record snow and many freezing nights, and wet brick going into December can crack by March, which shapes when and how we recommend repairs.
Masons Who Know How Summit Brick Was Built
Our base sits at 38 Speer Ave in Clifton. The blocks near the Summit Downtown Historic District, the wooded lots around Brantwood Park, and the older streets up toward Tall Oaks each have their own masonry, from brick facades to foundation stone and front-step brickwork. Knowing how a wall was put together is how you work out what it needs to stay standing.
Summit's masonry covers a wide spread. Pre-Revolutionary stone and brick on the rare survivors from the 1700s, the kind built with soft lime mortar that modern cement would tear apart. Victorian-era estate homes from after the 1869 incorporation, with slate roofs, complex rooflines, and chimney stacks that demand careful work.
Stone foundations under the oldest housing stock soak up water every March, and each wall needs its own mortar mix.
Keep reading: What Decides Your Masonry Number
What Decides Your Masonry Number
Square footage and access set most of the number in Summit: a wall you can work from the ground is the cheap end, three stories of scaffold on an estate-era house costs more, and so does a stone match that takes some hunting.
Structural rebuilds get an engineer when they need one, and we do not quote from the curb: after the free look you get an itemized written figure. Ask for the written warranty coverage and term for the proposed work.
Masonry in a Freeze-Thaw Town
Up on the ridge Summit gets the whole North Jersey winter, with nor'easters most frequent from September through April, per the National Weather Service. Rain soaks into an open joint in the fall, freezes in January and pushes it wider, which is why brick here needs repointing every few decades.
Caught early, that is a small repair. On the estate-era brick and the slate-roofed Victorians near the Downtown Historic District, we repair with materials that match what is already in the wall.
The Work We Actually Do
- Repointing: failed mortar ground out, joints repacked with a mix matched on color, hardness and profile. Portland-heavy mortar on soft old brick moves the stress into the brick, and the faces spall.
- Brick replacement: spalled or cracked units cut out and matched brick set in their place on Summit walls.
- Stone work: loose fieldstone reset, foundations repointed, and garden or retaining walls rebuilt where they have bellied out.
- Chimney masonry: on Summit chimneys, a new crown, and if the top courses are loose we relay them and tie the brick back into the flashing.
- Crack repair, honestly sorted: hairline weather cracks get sealed. Stair-step cracks we look into first, because those usually mean something is moving.
Where the Roof and the Chimney Meet
Water at a chimney comes in through the flashing or through the masonry, and the stain on your ceiling looks the same either way. We do both trades, so the crown, the brick and the step flashing all get checked on one visit and the repair goes where the water actually gets in. When it turns out to be the roof side of the stack, that work goes to our Roof Repair in Summit and roofing in Summit.
Steps, Walkways, and Related Work
Front steps, walkways, veneer and brick chimneys are all covered on the brick and stone masonry hub. When the house needs more than brick, we also do Roof Replacement in Summit and Flat Roof Repair in Summit.
Why Masons Push You Toward Spring
Freeze damage mostly happens December through March, and fresh mortar cures best in mild spring weather rather than summer heat. So have the wall looked at in late winter and book the repointing for spring. A big repoint started in October either gets a rushed cure or stops when the cold comes.
The Gutter Nobody Connects to the Brick
Often a failed Summit wall has water being sent straight at it, a downspout emptying at the base or a grade that ponds against the foundation stone. Sometimes a cheap downspout extension is what keeps a new repoint in Summit from failing, and we will say so when that is the case.
Can you do just one wall? Yes. The weather face, usually whatever side catches the wind off the high ground out toward Broad Street, ages roughly twice as fast as the sheltered sides, so fixing the worst face first is a legitimate way to spread the budget.
Is repointing messy? Grinding joints throws dust, so we sheet the windows and landscaping around the Summit house and confirm the work schedule for the proposed scope.
My brick was painted years back. Trouble? It can be in Summit, because paint that holds moisture in the brick leads to faces popping in a hard frost, and whether to strip it depends on how hard the brick is, so we test a small patch first.
Retaining Walls That Started to Lean
On a ridge town like Summit a lot of properties are held up by retaining walls, and some are past what they were built for. When one leans or lets soil wash through the joints, the cause is usually water trapped behind it.
We rebuild with drainage, gravel backfill and a perforated pipe at the footing. A low garden wall in Summit is a straightforward rebuild, and anything over four feet holding real grade gets an engineer to look first, so you will know which kind you have before we move a stone.
Repointing or tuckpointing? Are they different? People use them for the same thing, but strictly repointing replaces failed mortar and tuckpointing is an old two-tone decorative finish, and most Summit walls need repointing.
How long until new mortar cures? It sets in a few days and takes about a month to reach real strength, so we try to give fresh joints a few weeks of mild weather.
Where We Lay Brick
We are based in Clifton at 38 Speer Ave and serve Summit and the towns around it, from New Jersey Route 24 down through the streets near Springfield Avenue and Morris Avenue.
Serving all of Summit: Roofing in Summit is the hub for every service we run here, including masonry. We also rebuild and repoint brick and stone for owners in nearby Millburn, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights.
Who Covers What on a Summit Job
| Part of the job | Backed by | For how long |
|---|---|---|
| Warranty for the proposed service | Ask for written coverage | Review the stated term |
| Product coverage | Check the selected manufacturer's document | Product-specific terms |
| Inspection and photo report | Four Seasons | Free, before any quote, no obligation |
| The estimate | Four Seasons | Written and itemized before work starts |
| Permit and inspection | Summit building department | We file it and schedule around the inspection |
BusinessRate TOP 3 · 2026 A Top 3 roofing contractor in Clifton, NJ, based on verified Google reviews. Read about our awards →
What Summit Customers Say on Google
5.0 average rating
Selected Google reviews. Read all reviews on Google below.
“ICommunication was Great. They were very polite and understanding. The price and work was accomplished as promised very happy.”
“Hired Four Season to fix my roof 1 year ago, and haven’t had a problem since. The owner Bes is amazing and really explained the job clearly and thoroughly. Very professional and very CLEAN! There was not a single nail left by the time they were done! I will be hiring them again for sure.”
“I recently had my roof redone, and this company did an absolutely fantastic job. During the tear-off, they discovered that the foundation of my roof was damaged and needed to be fully replaced, not just the shingles. The contractor immediately brought it to my attention, ordered the necessary materials on the spot, and incredibly, still managed to finish the entire job—new decking and shingles—in just one day.…”
Let Us Get Eyes on Your Summit Brick
Call us or book a free masonry inspection in Summit, and we pick up day or night. The mason who looks at the wall says whether it needs repointing or a rebuild, and the same mason does the work.
Call (862) 318-3997 Get a Free Masonry Estimate →
Can't tell if it's the chimney or the roof on your Summit house? We work on both, so one visit usually settles it.
How a Summit Job Actually Runs
You reach out
Call (862) 318-3997 or send the form. We only need the address and what you are seeing.
Free inspection
Four Seasons comes out to look at the masonry, and the inspection is free with no obligation to hire us.
We photograph what we find
You see photos of the problem, such as failing mortar joints or a stair-step crack.
Written itemized estimate
You get it in writing, itemized line by line, before work starts. Area, access and matching set the price.
The work
Mortar is matched for hardness and color before repointing starts.
Warranty coverage
Ask to review the written coverage.
Brick and Stone Questions Summit Owners Ask
How much does masonry repair cost in Summit?
In Summit the price depends mostly on how much wall there is and how hard it is to reach, and three stories of scaffold on an estate-era house costs more than a ground-level wall. The price comes in writing after a free look at the wall.
Why do bricks need to be repointed in Summit?
Water gets in through open joints or a failed cap and freezes over the winter, and on Summit's ridge the nor'easters, most frequent from September through April, keep that cycle going. The repair has to close where the water gets in, or the same spot fails again.
What type of mortar is best for repointing brick in Summit?
Match the mortar to the brick: the oldest brick in Summit was laid in lime, so that is what we repoint it with. A mortar harder than the brick sends frost stress into the brick until the faces flake off.
More Masonry Questions
Should I worry about efflorescence on brick in Summit?
On Summit brick, the powder is a salt deposit from moisture drying on the face, and it wipes off. The part to fix is the water source behind it, usually an open joint, a failed cap, or a downspout.
Does masonry require a license in Summit?
Our state registration as a home improvement contractor is NJ HIC #13VH11720500. Permits in Summit run through the Construction Division of the building department, which only takes inspection requests in writing, and most exterior permits also want a land survey drawn to scale.
Can damaged bricks be repaired in Summit?
Yes, spalled or cracked units can be cut out and matched brick set in. On the older Summit houses new brick is often the wrong size or color, so we track down reclaimed units.
Where We Work Around Summit
Our Google listing
Summit, NJ
Keep reading: How We Cut Out and Repoint
How We Cut Out and Repoint
1. Diagnose
Figure out why the masonry failed, not just where it shows.
2. Match
Match color and hardness together; hardness is the half that cannot be skipped.
3. Repoint
Grind out the dead joints, repack, and rebuild whole sections where the brick is gone.
4. Stop the Water
Fix the source feeding the wall so the damage does not just come back.
NJ Brick and Stone Masonry · Roofing Service Areas Across North Jersey · Roofing & Exterior Services in North Jersey
Driving Directions to Four Seasons From Around Summit
Summit borders seven towns: Millburn to the northeast, Springfield to the southeast, Mountainside to the south, Berkeley Heights and New Providence on the west side, and the two Chathams to the northwest. The three maps start in New Providence, Berkeley Heights and Millburn, and each button opens Google Maps directions to our base at 38 Speer Ave in Clifton.
From New Providence, NJ
Roads between New Providence and Summit: Springfield Avenue (CR 512); South Street (CR 647).
Straight-line distance between map points: about 2.6 miles, not a drive time.
From Berkeley Heights, NJ
Roads between Berkeley Heights and Summit: Springfield Avenue (CR 512); Maple Street.
Straight-line distance between map points: about 5.0 miles, not a drive time.
From Millburn, NJ
Roads between Millburn and Summit: Springfield Avenue; Millburn Avenue (CR 527).
Straight-line distance between map points: about 2.8 miles, not a drive time.
Get a free masonry estimate
We inspect first and photograph what we find, then give you an itemized number in writing. There is no obligation, and 0% financing is available.
- Free inspection before any quote
- Written estimate, itemized line by line
- Review the written warranty terms
Rather talk it through? (862) 318-3997