Masonry Contractor in The Acreage - Walls, Pavers and Brick Built for Big Lots

Any permit for your job comes from Palm Beach County's Building Division, since the county is your local government out here. The county says flood protection measures may need a building permit, and it asks owners to call the Building Division at 561-233-5374 or email floodzone@pbc.gov before making any improvements. When your job needs a permit, we pull it with the county and set up the inspections.

If the work falls in a regulated trade, yes, because by law a person has to be certified to contract in it, and the county's contractor board covers about 50 trade categories. A contractor with a state license also has to enroll it with the county to apply for permits on unincorporated land, though since July 1, 2025 some county trade scopes fall under state law and no longer need the county's Certificate of Competency. The county business tax receipt is a separate thing, and the Tax Collector says it doesn't regulate a business or vouch for its work, so ask about the license too. We're licensed and insured.

Most homes here fall under the Florida Building Code, Residential, as Palm Beach County amends it for unincorporated land. That covers detached one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three stories above grade with their own way out, plus the accessory structures on those lots up to the same height. The county's list of its currently adopted standards includes its amendments to the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition, dated 12/31/2023.

Ask the county, because its staff can give unincorporated residents a substantial improvement determination and technical help before a major renovation. The county reports that more than 16,000 parcels will see their Base Flood Elevation, the flood height a building is measured against, go up by a foot or more, and some homes may end up with a lowest floor below it. If you're planning something big that ties into the house, I'd check that before we draw anything up, and for drainage trouble the county can also give property protection advice or a site visit through its Flood Zone Request Line.

Water is usually the cause, because rain that sits along the edges or runs underneath softens the base until the pavers settle. A coastal West Palm Beach weather station east of here averages about 62 inches of rain a year, with June and August the wettest months, so drainage has to be planned before a single paver goes down. We dig out the soft base, rebuild and pack it, and slope the surface so water runs off, and when we can we'd rather do base work in drier months like February.

The price comes down to the size of the job, the material you pick and how much prep the ground needs, and I give you a written figure after I've seen your property. Brick and natural stone usually cost more than block or pavers, and tearing out old work or rebuilding a soft base adds labor before the new work even starts. If you're torn between materials, I'll price both so you can compare them side by side.