A-Z Construction & Restoration
📍 Syracuse & Central NY
FALL SPECIAL: Free Foundation & Chimney Inspections
📞 Call Now: 315-488-5292
SERVING ONONDAGA COUNTY SINCE 1986
Brick Garage Lintel Repair in Syracuse, NY
A-Z Construction repairs cracked, sagging, and deteriorated brick garage lintels in Syracuse and Onondaga County — reinforcing the structural span above your garage opening, restoring load transfer, and stabilizing the surrounding masonry. Serving Central NY since 1986. Free written estimates. Call 315-488-5292.
Or call 315-488-5292
- 40 Years Serving Syracuse
- Family Owned & Operated
- NYS Licensed & Insured
WHAT IS A BRICK GARAGE LINTEL?
A lintel is the horizontal structural member, almost always consisting of a steel angle iron, in residential brick garages, that spans the opening above your garage door and carries the weight of the brickwork above it. Without a functioning lintel, the brick courses above the opening have nothing supporting them and will begin to crack, bulge, or collapse inward over time.
In Syracuse and Central New York, residential brick garages built between the 1940s and 1980s typically used bare steel angle iron as the lintel. That steel was never galvanized or coated, which means four decades of Syracuse winters have been slowly rusting it from the inside out — hidden behind the brick face until cracks appear.
SIGNS YOUR BRICK GARAGE LINTEL NEEDS REPAIR
CRACKS ABOVE THE GARAGE DOOR
Horizontal or stair-step cracks in the brickwork directly above the opening are the most common indicator. The lintel is corroding and expanding, splitting the mortar joints as it goes. This crack will widen every winter.RUST STAINS RUNNING DOWN THE BRICK FACE
Brown or orange streaks on the brick below or beside the lintel are steel corrosion leaching out through the mortar. The steel is actively rusting and expanding behind your brick — that expansion is what causes cracking.BOWING OR SAGGING BRICKWORK
If the brick courses above your garage door appear to be pushing outward or sagging downward, the lintel has lost its ability to hold the load. This is a structural condition that needs immediate attention.GARAGE DOOR BINDS OR WON’T CLOSE EVENLY
When the lintel sags, the opening shifts shape. A garage door that suddenly develops alignment problems especially after a hard winter may be reacting to lintel movement above it.CRUMBLING OR MISSING MORTAR JOINTS
Deteriorated mortar in the courses directly above the opening allows water to reach the steel lintel faster, accelerating rust and freeze-thaw damage. What starts as a repointing job can become a full lintel replacement if left too long.WATER INFILTRATION NEAR THE GARAGE OPENING
Moisture seeping through the brick above the door is often lintel flashing that has failed or was never installed. Missing flashing means water is running directly onto the steel and into the mortar joints every time it rains.
Seeing any of these signs? Call 315-488-5292 for a free on-site assessment.
OUR BRICK GARAGE LINTEL REPAIR PROCESS
FREE ONSITE INSPECTION & WRITTEN ESTIMATE
We assess the visible cracking, probe the mortar joints, check for lintel movement, and evaluate the condition of the brick above the opening. You receive a written estimate before we touch anything. No surprise charges.
CAREFUL REMOVAL OF AFFECTED BRICK COURSES
We remove as few of the brick courses above the opening as necessary to fully expose the lintel. Bricks in good condition are set aside and reused where possible to preserve your garage’s original appearance.
LINTEL REPAIR OR FULL REPLACEMENT
If the steel is structurally sound but surface-corroded, we clean it, treat it with rust inhibitor, and coat it for protection. If the lintel has deteriorated beyond repair, is structurally compromised, buckled, or severely pitted, we remove it and install a new galvanized steel angle iron sized for your opening.
LINTEL FLASHING INSTALLATION
New flashing is installed at the base of the lintel to redirect water away from the steel and out through weep holes in the mortar joint below. This is the step most contractors skip and the reason lintels rust prematurely. We don’t skip it.
BRICK RESET & TUCKPOINTING
Brick courses are relaid in the original pattern using mortar matched to the existing joints in color and hardness. All exposed joints are tuckpointed. We leave your garage looking like the repair never happened.
REPAIR OR REPLACE: WHICH DO YOU NEED?
✓ Repair is the right call when:
- The steel has surface rust but hasn’t buckled or lost structural section.
- Cracking in the brick is limited to a few courses above the opening.
- The garage door still operates and the lintel hasn’t visibly moved.
- Mortar deterioration is present but the brick is sound.
In these cases, we clean and coat the lintel, repoint the mortar, install flashing if absent, and reset any displaced brick.
Typical cost: $600 – $1,400
✗ Replacement makes more sense when:
- The steel has lost significant section to corrosion.
- Is buckled, or is no longer capable of carrying the load.
- Brickwork shows signs of active movement, sagging, bowing, or rotation.
- The original lintel was undersized for the span.
- Multiple freeze-thaw seasons have widened cracks beyond repointing.
Full replacement gives you a galvanized lintel with a 50+ year service life.
Typical cost: $1,500 – $3,500
How Much Does Brick Garage Lintel Repair Cost in Syracuse?
Minor Repair
$600 – $1,000
Surface rust treatment, repointing, flashing only
Standard Repair
$1,000 – $1,800
Partial brick removal, lintel treatment, flashing, reset
Full Replacement
$1,800 – $3,500
New galvanized lintel, full brick reset, tuckpointing
Garage door lintel repair in the Syracuse area typically runs between $600 and $3,500, depending on the severity of the corrosion, how many brick courses need to be removed, whether the lintel requires replacement, and whether brick matching is needed. A two-car garage opening costs more than a single-car opening simply because the span and the lintel is wider and heavier.
Factors that push costs higher: severely corroded steel that needs full replacement, limited access (tight driveway, landscaping), brick that is no longer available and must be sourced or closely matched, and lintels where the original installation was undersized and needs to be upgraded. We will identify all of these during the free inspection so there are no surprises.
Frequently asked questions about garage door lintel repair
Frequently asked by Syracuse and Onondaga County property and homeowners.
How long does brick garage lintel repair take?
How long does brick garage lintel repair take?
Is a cracked lintel a structural emergency?
Is a cracked lintel a structural emergency?
It depends on the severity. Small cracks in mortar joints with no visible movement in the brick are a repair-soon situation, not a call-today emergency. Visible bowing, sagging, or displaced brick above the opening, or a garage door that suddenly can’t close, indicates active structural movement and should be evaluated promptly. If you’re in doubt, a free inspection will give you a definitive answer.
Can a brick garage lintel be repaired rather than replaced?
Can a brick garage lintel be repaired rather than replaced?
Will the repaired brick match the rest of my garage?
Will the repaired brick match the rest of my garage?
Do you install lintel flashing as part of the repair?
Do you install lintel flashing as part of the repair?
Yes, always, and if it was missing before, we install it as part of every lintel repair. Flashing is a thin metal layer that sits at the base of the lintel and directs water that gets behind the brick face outward through weep holes, away from the steel. Without it, water runs directly onto the steel every rain event. This is the single most important step for preventing premature lintel failure after repair.
Do you offer a warranty on garage lintel repairs?
Do you offer a warranty on garage lintel repairs?
My garage needs lintel work. Should I have my chimney inspected at the same time?
My garage needs lintel work. Should I have my chimney inspected at the same time?
If your home was built before 1990 and your garage lintel is showing signs of corrosion or cracking, your chimney has been exposed to the same decades of Syracuse freeze-thaw cycles and road salt air. It is worth having both assessed in a single visit. A-Z Construction repairs and rebuilds chimneys throughout Onondaga County. If you would like a chimney inspection alongside your lintel estimate, just mention it when you call. Learn more about our chimney repair and rebuild services.
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DON'T LET A CRACKED LINTEL BECOME A STRUCTURAL FAILURE
The longer a failing lintel goes without repair, the more brick it takes with it — and the more the job costs. A-Z Construction masonry contractors in Syracuse has been fixing this exact problem in Syracuse-area garages as well as garage floor repair since 1986. Call or request a free written estimate and we will get out to you this week.
Call 315-488-5292 Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm, or fill out the form and we’ll be in touch the same day.
Serving Syracuse, Camillus, DeWitt, Manlius, Fayetteville, Liverpool, Cicero, North Syracuse, Baldwinsville, Skaneateles, and all of Onondaga County.