Preferred Masonry & Excavation

Preferred Masonry & Excavation We service clients throughout beautiful Fairfield County, CT

Preferred Masonry and Excavation is a Ridgefield based, family owned and operated company specializing in stone masonry, chimnney repairs, excavation, hydraulic pond dredging and more.

This was a failing chimney in Redding, CT we discovered by coincidence. I was referred to this client by another contrac...
12/03/2025

This was a failing chimney in Redding, CT we discovered by coincidence. I was referred to this client by another contractor for some driveway repairs. When I was done taking measurements for a quote I asked the homeowner if he’d like me to look at anything else while I was there. He had just purchased the home and asked if I could inspect the chimney for him. We walked around the back of the house and from 30’ away I knew he had a big problem. This chimney was very dangerous. Another contractor had installed a faux stone veneer over plywood and roofing felt. A few of the lowest stones had already come off and a couple of stones, not pictured, had come down on the other side. His home inspection completed before this purchase caught none of this!
Once we demo’d the facade we discovered, unsurprisingly, there was major water and ant damage to the structure as well as water reaching the homes framing. After replacing all damaged framing, plywood and treating for ants we applied a waterproofing sealer and installed proper flashing which was missing completely. Then after installing wire lath, we coated the chimney with 2 coats of stucco. In the spring, we will come back to apply a masonry stain for color and a clear penetrating sealer to protect it for many years to come.

Just wrapped up a project down in Katonah, NY! This 350 sq. ft. walkway was long overdue for some serious TLC. After 30 ...
11/21/2025

Just wrapped up a project down in Katonah, NY! This 350 sq. ft. walkway was long overdue for some serious TLC. After 30 years of touch-ups and minor repairs, it was time for a full restoration.
We used dustless grinders and chisels to remove the old mortar between the bricks, then reset about 40 sq. ft. of brick on the steps and walkway. Once everything was solid, we regrouted the joints with Type N restoration-grade mortar and an acrylic fortifier to ensure a long-lasting repair without compromising the brick.
Because this is an older walkway, we custom-blended the mortar to achieve a low compressive strength—around 800 psi. If we had used standard “bag mortar” from a big box store, the brick faces would have started to spall in just a short time.
There’s a lot more knowledge and experience that goes into restoring masonry the right way than most people realize. Hire the BEST, not just the CHEAPEST!

We were back in Chappaqua, NY for the last phase of the footing drain and sump pump work. We dug a trench from the deep ...
11/21/2025

We were back in Chappaqua, NY for the last phase of the footing drain and sump pump work. We dug a trench from the deep sump we installed previously to drain 3” pvc into (2) 180 HD Cultec rechargers with an over flow drain to the backyard. These will allow the water being pumped from the footings and sump pumps to slowly percolate through the soil instead of onto the neighbors property. Once we got everything backfilled we finished the rough grade on the front yard to get it ready for the landscapers to put in their lawn.

We started another beautiful fieldstone retaining wall in Ridgefield, CT. This wall is about 36” wide at the bottom ensu...
09/26/2025

We started another beautiful fieldstone retaining wall in Ridgefield, CT. This wall is about 36” wide at the bottom ensuring it will be standing for many generations to come. All the stone is being harvested right on the property like it’s been done here for hundreds of years.

This was another diffficult to manage hillside in Ridgefield, CT. Fortunately, there was no shortage of boulders on this...
09/26/2025

This was another diffficult to manage hillside in Ridgefield, CT. Fortunately, there was no shortage of boulders on this property to create a terraced, walkable and organic retaining wall for the homeowner to plant heavily and elevate the beauty of their property.

This is another project we completed recently in Ridgefield, CT. We picked up on this new construction where the home b...
09/26/2025

This is another project we completed recently in Ridgefield, CT. We picked up on this new construction where the home builder left off. The homeowner was constantly dealing with silt and debris clogging the drain in the lower patio area, flooding the basement. The hillside was also difficult to maintain and the patio was just not an inviting place to be and really only accessible through the basement. After discovering beautiful bedrock surrounding the lower patio we were really able to open up the space, creating a warm and inviting place to unwind. Two additional ways to access the area from the backyard calls you in. The homeowner’s family owns a railing business so they will finish that themselves to make the upper already a safe place for their children.

Lat week we finally got the approval to backfill the foundation in Chappaqua, NY. Unfortunately, there was no where we c...
09/26/2025

Lat week we finally got the approval to backfill the foundation in Chappaqua, NY. Unfortunately, there was no where we could run the footing drains to ‘daylight’ without being on a neighboring property so we had to run them into a 24” by 10’ deep sump and 2 pumps will handle the job of moving the water to a stormwater recharge system that we will install soon. Of course this is not ideal but because of stormwater restrictions this was the only way to make it work.

This project in Ridgefield, CT is coming along nicely. We demo’d the existing garage, removed the original slab and foot...
09/26/2025

This project in Ridgefield, CT is coming along nicely. We demo’d the existing garage, removed the original slab and footings to make way for a two story addition. You couldn’t put a shovel 3” into the ground without hitting ledge so we ended up hammering and removing about 75 tons of rock. Next week we should be ready to pour the slab and complete the finish grade. Nothing better than working in our hometown!

Here’s a patio and walkway in Ridgefield, CT we completed recently. The size is approximately 500 sq feet. We used a nat...
06/13/2025

Here’s a patio and walkway in Ridgefield, CT we completed recently. The size is approximately 500 sq feet. We used a natural cleft slate stamp with dark shadow and tumbled stone acid stain for a natural look. Then we added a high gloss sealer to enrich the colors.

This chimney in Ridgefield,CT was having water issues. The top of the chimney was allowing water into the masonry. This ...
06/13/2025

This chimney in Ridgefield,CT was having water issues. The top of the chimney was allowing water into the masonry. This caused it to crack from the freeze/thaw cycle with our New England winters. We recommended removing the damaged section of chimney and rebuilding it, complete with a stone cap to protect this chimney for decades to come. The homeowner loved the work we did and asked if we could give the chimney on the opposite side of the house the same treatment.

Land clearing project in Ridgefield, ctWe created a terrace on this hillside to give this homeowner a more level and usa...
05/20/2025

Land clearing project in Ridgefield, ct

We created a terrace on this hillside to give this homeowner a more level and usable space.

Concrete stamp project in Stamford, CtJust finished the slab and bluestone stamp on this 1800 sq ft patio. It will still...
05/20/2025

Concrete stamp project in Stamford, Ct

Just finished the slab and bluestone stamp on this 1800 sq ft patio. It will still get an acid stain and sealer for a natural bluestone look.

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Ridgefield, CT
06877

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 5pm
Tuesday 7am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm

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