North Arlington is a compact borough at the southern edge of Bergen County, bordering Lyndhurst and Kearny, with the Passaic River on its western side. Much of the town sits on higher ground above the river, so many residential blocks have a noticeable grade. Housing is dense and mostly older: brick and frame one-families, two-families with stacked porches, and rows of homes set close together on narrow lots.
The tall brick stoop
Because many houses sit above street level, the front stoop here is often tall: a run of brick steps with a landing at the door and a railing down both sides. Decades of freeze and thaw, road salt and settling take a toll. Treads crack, the top landing pulls away from the house, and the bottom steps sink.
When a rebuild is needed, we take the stoop down to the footing, pour new concrete below frost depth, build a block core and lay brick to match the house. Thick bluestone treads and new railings finish it off. Our concrete steps page explains each step of the process.
Front walls on sloping lots
Where the yard drops to the sidewalk, a short wall usually holds it back. Brick, stone and block front walls lean as soil pressure and frost work on them. We rebuild with a drainage layer behind the wall so water does not keep pushing it out. Larger slopes may call for engineered retaining walls.
Repointing and general repair
Older brick fronts, chimneys and porch columns need repointing every few decades. We also handle masonry construction and repair such as rebuilding brick pillars, patching block and replacing broken sills.
Working on a crowded block
- Street parking is tight, so we plan deliveries and dumpsters ahead of time.
- Sidewalk replacement in front of the house often goes hand in hand with a new stoop.
- Two-family owners should agree on the design if the steps serve both units.
- The borough may need to review steps and walls before work starts.
Next door
We also serve Lyndhurst, Rutherford and the rest of Bergen County. Request a free estimate for your stoop, wall or brick.
