Masonry Contractor in La Homa, TX - Brick and Block Repairs That Blend In

Yes, the Hidalgo County Planning Department grants a development permit for building any structure in La Homa, and it has to be approved before work begins. If you're not sure whether your project counts, I'll sort that out at the estimate, and when it does need one, we file it for you as part of the steps above.

Start with FEMA's flood map viewer, which is the best first stop for an official flood zone answer on your address. If the lot is in zone A, AE, AH or AO, the county floodplain administrator has to approve a floodplain development permit before the county clears the job, and that permit includes an elevation certificate comparing your planned finished floor height to the base flood elevation, the flood level the maps plan for. The county also wants a second elevation certificate on the finished floor before final clearance, so we check your zone before we price any foundation work.

The county asks for a call to the Planning Department 48 hours before a foundation is poured, so it can check the setbacks from your property lines and the finished floor height. Both have to match the subdivision plat, the recorded map of your lot, and any deed restrictions, and nothing can be built over an easement. We set up that inspection and lay the footing out from your property lines before we dig, because moving a string line is easy and moving poured concrete isn't.

Yes, the county requires a separate permit to install a septic tank, and state rules require a permit to build, alter, extend or repair one, with local programs allowed to be stricter. Emergency fixes like replacing a tank lid don't need a permit, but they have to be reported in writing to the permitting office within 72 hours of starting. We don't do septic work, so if your wall or patio would sit near the system, I'll want to know where it runs so we can plan around it.

I price each job at the estimate, and what moves the number most is whether we're repairing or building new, because new walls, kitchens and walks need a footing or base that repairs don't. Stone usually costs more than brick or block, and hand-matching old brick takes longer than laying new. There's one local cost worth avoiding too, because the county doubles the permit application fee if construction starts before approval, so we don't break ground until the permit's approved.

An approved county application can be canceled if work hasn't started within 6 months. It can also be canceled if the work is stopped or abandoned for a year at any point after it starts, so we set our start date close to the approval and keep the job moving.