Loading...
Serving Lake Charles, LA and surrounding areas. (337) 549-5482
Lake Charles Concrete & Masonry is a licensed masonry contractor serving Westlake homeowners with retaining wall construction, foundation repair, and brick repair. We have been working on homes along the Calcasieu River corridor since 2015 and know exactly what the clay soil, heavy rainfall, and Gulf Coast storm seasons do to properties in this city.
Westlake yards sit on clay soil that holds water for days after heavy rain, and slopes without a properly built wall lose ground to erosion every storm season. Our retaining wall construction includes drainage built into the design from the start, so water moves through and away rather than building pressure behind the wall.
Most Westlake homes are built on concrete slabs that sit directly on clay soil - soil that swells and shrinks with every wet and dry cycle. Post-storm saturation from the 2020 hurricanes left many slabs in this area with cracks that have continued widening as the ground has settled. We repair those cracks and address the soil movement underneath so the problem does not repeat.
Westlake has a significant stock of ranch-style homes with brick veneer, and that veneer has taken steady damage from Calcasieu Parish humidity and two major storms in 2020. Spalled faces and open mortar joints let water behind the brick and into the wood frame, which is a far more expensive problem than the masonry repair itself. We match the brick color and mortar type to your existing wall so repairs blend in.
In a climate with nearly 60 inches of rain and summers that push 95 degrees, mortar joints wear faster here than the national average suggests. Tuckpointing cuts out the soft, failed mortar and packs in fresh material before moisture works its way deeper into the wall - it is the most cost-effective way to extend the life of a brick wall in this climate.
Homeowners in Westlake who have replaced the same wood or vinyl fence section multiple times after storm seasons often find that a concrete block wall solves the problem permanently. Block walls built to Calcasieu Parish wind-load standards stay standing in the conditions that knock lighter fencing down, and they do not rot, warp, or need repainting.
Homes built in Westlake during the postwar and industrial-boom years - from the 1950s through the 1980s - often have softer, more porous brick that requires careful material matching. Using the wrong mortar on older brick causes more cracking than it fixes. We identify the mortar composition your home needs before any restoration work begins.
Westlake is a small city, but its property conditions are as demanding as anywhere in southwest Louisiana. The city sits on the same expansive clay soil that runs throughout Calcasieu Parish - soil that swells when saturated and contracts when it dries. With close to 60 inches of rain per year and long, hot summers, that cycle is relentless. Slab foundations crack and shift. Mortar joints in brick veneer open up. Retaining walls that were not built with serious drainage face steady pressure from waterlogged soil. A masonry contractor who does not know this soil will treat the surface symptom and miss the cause.
The 2020 hurricane season compounded all of that. Hurricanes Laura and Delta hit the Westlake and Lake Charles area within six weeks of each other in 2020, saturating soil that was already under stress from that summer. Homes across Westlake suffered structural damage that did not always announce itself at the surface - cracked slabs, shifted brick, failed mortar joints that let moisture into the wall cavity. Many of those repairs happened quickly and under pressure. If your home went through both storms and has not had a thorough masonry inspection since, the condition of your foundation, brick, and retaining walls is worth checking.
Our crew works throughout Westlake regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect masonry work here. Westlake sits just across the Calcasieu River from Lake Charles, and we pull permits and work under the same Calcasieu Parish rules on both sides of the river. The housing stock in Westlake skews heavily toward owner-occupied single-family homes built between the 1950s and 1980s - ranch-style construction on slab foundations, with brick veneer or vinyl siding on wood frame. These are the homes we know best, and the masonry problems we find on them follow predictable patterns once you have worked on enough of them here.
The city is shaped by the Calcasieu River to the east and the large industrial footprint of the Sasol chemical complex to the west. Most residential streets sit between those two landmarks, in neighborhoods that have a quiet, established character despite being right next to one of the largest industrial corridors in southwest Louisiana. Whether you are in a neighborhood close to the river or in a quieter street on the north end of town, the soil conditions and building stock are similar throughout.
We also serve homeowners in nearby Moss Bluff and across the river in Lake Charles. If your property is near the city limits or you are unsure whether we cover your specific address, give us a call - we likely work in your area.
When you reach out, we ask a few basic questions: what you need done, where on the property it is, and whether you have noticed any drainage or water issues in that area. This helps us prepare for the site visit. We reply within 1 business day.
We visit your Westlake property, inspect the site, and measure the work area. We check drainage conditions and soil at the base - both matter more here than national guides suggest. You receive a written, itemized estimate covering materials, labor, and any permit costs before any work begins.
If your project requires a Calcasieu Parish permit - which is standard for retaining walls and structural repairs - we handle the application and keep you updated on timing. You do not need to coordinate with the parish office. Once approved, we set a start date that works for you.
The crew completes the work, cleans the site, and walks you through the finished project before leaving. If a permit inspection is required, we coordinate that directly with the parish. We explain what normal settling looks like versus something worth calling about.
We serve Westlake homeowners with the same crew and standards as our Lake Charles work. Call us or submit a request and we will get back to you within 1 business day.
(337) 549-5482Westlake is a small city of roughly 4,600 residents in Calcasieu Parish, situated directly across the Calcasieu River from Lake Charles. The two cities function as a single community in most practical ways - residents shop, work, and get services in Lake Charles regularly - but Westlake has its own tight-knit residential character. Housing is almost entirely single-family and owner-occupied, with most of the stock built during the postwar and industrial-boom periods from the 1950s through the 1980s. These are modest but well-kept homes on suburban-style lots, and the owners here tend to take property maintenance seriously. The city of Westlake is defined by the river to the east, the industrial corridor to the west, and the residential neighborhoods in between.
The area was shaped by the petrochemical and energy industries that line the Calcasieu River, bringing workers and families here for decades. That industrial economy produced a stable community of long-term homeowners who have invested in their properties over many years. The 2020 hurricane season - when Laura and Delta struck within weeks of each other - tested a lot of those homes hard. Recovery was significant and ongoing. Westlake sits adjacent to Lake Charles to the east, and our crew also serves homeowners in Moss Bluff to the north. If you are anywhere in the Calcasieu River corridor, we work in your area.
Restore your foundation's strength and protect your home from structural damage.
Learn MoreBuild strong retaining walls that control erosion and shape your landscape.
Learn MoreAdd a custom masonry fireplace that becomes the heart of your living space.
Learn MoreTransform any surface with natural or manufactured stone veneer finishes.
Learn MoreConstruct solid concrete block walls for privacy, security, or structure.
Learn MoreInstall durable block foundations built to last for decades.
Learn MoreDesign and build elegant walkways that connect and enhance your property.
Learn MoreAdd lasting value and character with professionally installed brick walls.
Learn MoreCraft custom stonework that blends beauty with enduring structural integrity.
Learn MoreCall us or submit a request online - we serve the entire Westlake area and reply within 1 business day.