Home › Brick Veneer Installation
Our team installs brick veneers in Omaha, NE to give homes the look of full brick without the weight. We handle siding, accent walls, and full facades with thin brick veneer systems. Improve curb appeal with low maintenance brick cladding that stands up to the elements.
Legendary Masonry Omaha provides professional brick veneers throughout Omaha, NE, Nebraska and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call 402-402-5307 or request your free quote.
Brick veneer options that fit Omaha homes and budgets
When people in Omaha talk about brick veneers, they often mean two different things: thin brick tiles applied over a wall, and full-depth brick veneer walls that sit in front of a wood or concrete structure. Legendary Masonry Omaha installs both, and the right choice depends on your home, your budget, and how much weight your structure can safely handle.
For interior accent walls or tight spaces, we usually use thin brick veneers that are about half an inch to one inch thick. These can go over drywall, cement board, or prepared masonry. They give you the look of an old brick wall without adding a lot of weight. For exterior siding, we more often recommend a full brick veneer system, which uses bricks about the same size as structural brick but supported on the foundation and tied back to the framing. This creates a real brick facade with a proper air gap and drainage.
You also have choices in color, texture, and pattern. In Omaha neighborhoods, we see a lot of classic reds and earth tones that match existing homes in areas like Dundee and Benson, but we also install modern charcoal and whitewashed veneers on newer builds in West Omaha and Elkhorn. Patterns can be simple running bond, or something with more character like herringbone for porch walls and entryways. We often bring sample boards to your site so you can see how the brick will look next to your existing siding, windows, and roof.
On every project, Legendary Masonry Omaha starts with the end goal: are you trying to match original brick from the 1920s, dress up an older garage, or finish a new basement bar? The answer shapes everything, from the thickness of the brick to the type of mortar color and joint style we use. That planning upfront is what keeps the veneer looking intentional instead of like an afterthought.
How we install brick veneers the right way
A solid brick veneer installation starts long before the first brick is set. Our crew begins with a site visit to check framing, foundation exposure, and existing finishes. For exterior work, we look at how water currently sheds off your walls, where downspouts land, and how close grade levels are to your siding. In Omaha, where snow and freeze-thaw cycles are part of life, these details matter a lot.
If we are installing a full brick veneer on the outside, we first confirm there is proper support at the bottom. This can be a brick ledge on your foundation or a steel angle iron attached to the structure. We then install a weather-resistive barrier, flashing at windows, doors, and base courses, and weeps that let moisture escape from behind the veneer. Next, we place metal brick ties to connect the veneer to the framing. Only after this backing system is correct do we start laying brick.
For thin brick veneers over framed walls, we usually go with cement board or a properly prepared masonry substrate. We install metal lath where needed, apply a scratch coat of mortar, and allow it to cure. After that, we set each thin brick into mortar, keeping consistent spacing for joints. Once the bricks are in, we come back and point the joints with mortar, then tool them to the profile you like (tooled concave for a traditional look, raked for more shadow and texture).
Throughout the job, Legendary Masonry Omaha checks plumb, level, and bond lines so the veneer does not creep out of alignment. We protect adjacent surfaces, keep mortar joints compact and full, and clean as we go. On final cleanup, we remove excess mortar smears and use cleaning solutions that are safe for your specific brick, not a one-size-fits-all acid wash that can burn the surface.
Weather, timing, and what Omaha homeowners should expect
Masonry is sensitive to temperature and moisture, so timing matters in Omaha. In the heart of winter, mortar can freeze before it cures, which weakens the bond. In summer, wind and heat can dry the mortar too fast. Legendary Masonry Omaha plans brick veneer installations around these conditions so you get a long-lasting result.
For outdoor veneers, we usually recommend scheduling main work from early spring through late fall. If we work during colder stretches, we use cold-weather masonry practices, such as warming materials, protecting walls with insulated blankets, and sometimes tenting and heating smaller areas. During hot, dry spells, we might lightly dampen the substrate and bricks so they do not suck moisture out of the mortar too quickly.
You should also expect some short-term disruption around the work area. For full exterior veneers, we may need temporary access across lawns or driveways to move brick, mortar, and scaffolding. We walk you through where materials will be staged, how we will protect landscaping, and how we will keep walkways usable as much as possible. For interior thin brick veneers, we set up dust control, protect floors, and coordinate with you on when rooms will be off-limits.
Most single wall projects, like a front porch face or a garage wall, take a few days once we start laying brick. Whole-house veneers can take several weeks, especially if we are tying into existing brick or working around multiple roof lines and window details. We keep you updated on progress and weather-related delays, so you know what is happening and when your project should wrap up.
Cost factors and how to avoid surprises
Brick veneer pricing in Omaha depends on more than just square footage. Legendary Masonry Omaha looks at access, structural support, brick type, and detail work before giving you a number. This approach takes a bit more time upfront, but it keeps the final cost from creeping up with add-ons you did not plan for.
Material choice is a big driver. Full-size face brick, specialty colors, or hand-made textures typically cost more than standard machine-made brick. Thin brick veneers can reduce structural demands and sometimes labor, but the substrate preparation can be more involved. Mortar color can also add cost if we use factory-tinted mixes instead of standard gray.
Labor varies based on layout and detailing. Straight, open walls with few windows are quicker to veneer than walls with lots of corners, arches, or recessed panels. Tying into existing brick so the bond pattern and joints line up takes more planning and slower, careful work. If we need to correct wavy framing or deteriorated sheathing first, that also adds time and materials.
We encourage Omaha homeowners to ask for a clear breakdown that separates substrate prep, brick, labor, and extras like sills, soldier courses, and caps. Legendary Masonry Omaha provides that detail so you can see where every dollar is going. We also flag potential hidden issues we might find, such as rotten sheathing behind old siding or inadequate foundation ledges, and explain what those fixes would likely cost before we ever touch your walls.
Insurance and permits rarely come into play for simple veneers, but for major exterior changes or structural support additions, we can coordinate with local building departments and, if needed, your insurer. This is especially important when upgrading from failing siding to brick veneer as part of a storm repair or claim.
Common brick veneer issues and how we prevent them
Not all brick veneers in Omaha age well. Many of the repairs Legendary Masonry Omaha handles come from skipped steps during the original installation. We use those past problems as a checklist to avoid the same trouble on new projects.
One common failure is trapped moisture. Without a proper air gap, flashing, and weep system behind a full brick veneer, water that gets in has nowhere to go. Over time, this leads to peeling paint inside, efflorescence (white salt deposits) on the brick, and sometimes mold in wall cavities. We always build in a drainage plane and weeps, and we carefully flash window heads, sills, and base courses so water is guided out and away.
Another issue is cracking due to movement. Omaha homes see expansion and contraction from our temperature swings and soil movement. If veneers are not tied correctly to the structure, or if control joints are skipped, cracks may appear along corners, over windows, or at transitions between brick and other materials. We use code-compliant ties, plan expansion joints where needed, and coordinate with siding and trim details so everything can move slightly without tearing itself apart.
Improper mortar selection also causes trouble. Using a mortar that is too hard for the brick can make the brick itself crack and spall. Using one that is too soft can lead to rapid joint erosion. We look at your chosen brick and match a mortar type and joint style that will handle Nebraska winters and still allow the wall to breathe.
Finally, cleaning and sealing are often mishandled. Strong acids or pressure washers too close to the surface can scar brick and burn mortar joints. Legendary Masonry Omaha uses manufacturer-approved cleaners and the lightest effective methods. We only suggest sealers when they make sense, such as in high-splash areas or on certain porous thin brick products, and we use breathable products so moisture does not get locked inside your walls.
