Published June 8, 2026 • By Black Ridge Contracting
Beaverdale is one of the most recognizable neighborhoods in Des Moines, and a big part of that is the brick. Drive down Beaver Avenue or any of the side streets off Urbandale Avenue and you'll see hundreds of small Tudor-influenced cottages, almost all built between 1920 and 1945, almost all clad in the same warm red and tan brick. Locals call them Beaverdale bricks. It's a real architectural category now, even if it never started out as one.
If you own one of these homes, you already know the upside. The character is unmatched in Central Iowa, the lots are walkable, and the resale market is steady. You probably also know the trade-off. These houses are 80 to 100 years old. Things are starting to wear out. Here is what we tell every Beaverdale homeowner who calls us about a renovation.
What Makes a Beaverdale Brick Different From Other Old Iowa Homes
A typical Beaverdale brick is 1.5 stories, about 1,100 to 1,600 square feet, with a steeply pitched front gable, original double-hung wood windows, and brick veneer over wood framing. The interior usually has plaster walls, hardwood floors under the carpet, and a stone or coal fireplace that has been converted to gas at some point.
What this means for a renovation is that nothing about the construction matches modern assumptions. The framing is true-dimension lumber. The mortar is lime-based, not portland cement. The wiring is probably knob-and-tube unless someone already updated it. The plumbing has cast iron drains and copper supply lines on the lucky homes, galvanized on the others. None of this is bad. It just means a contractor who hasn't worked on pre-war Iowa homes will hit surprises.
The Roof Is Usually the First Thing That Needs Attention
Most Beaverdale homes are on their third or fourth roof by now. The steep front gable that gives the house its character also sheds water hard onto a small section of fascia and the gutters below it. If those gutters are undersized or the downspouts are buried, water backs up into the soffit and rots out the framing behind the brick.
Signs your Beaverdale roof needs attention: granules in the gutters, visible cupping or curling on the south-facing slope, dark streaks below the chimney, or any visible sag along the ridge line. We've seen homes where the original cedar shake is still in place under three layers of asphalt. That's a tear-off and full deck inspection job, not a quick re-shingle.
See our roofing services for a breakdown of what's involved in a full replacement on a historic Iowa home.
Mortar, Spalling, and the Brick Itself
The brick on a Beaverdale home is rarely the problem. The mortar between the brick is almost always the problem. Original lime-based mortar is softer than modern portland cement on purpose. It moves with the brick as the building expands and contracts through Iowa's freeze-thaw cycles. After 80 to 100 years, it gets too soft and starts crumbling at the joints.
Two things to watch for:
- Mortar joints you can dig out with a screwdriver. This is normal at this age and means the home needs tuckpointing. Cost runs $4,000 to $10,000 for the full exterior depending on access and condition.
- Brick faces that are flaking or spalling. This happens when water gets into the brick through bad mortar and freezes. Once a brick face spalls, that brick has to be replaced. Matching original Beaverdale brick is hard but not impossible. We source replacements from salvage yards and reclaim brick suppliers in the metro.
A critical mistake here: never tuckpoint a Beaverdale brick with modern portland cement. It's too hard for the original brick and will accelerate spalling. Lime-based or natural cement mortar matched to the original is the right call.
Original Wood Windows: Restore or Replace
This is the most contentious renovation decision on a Beaverdale home. The original double-hung wood windows are part of what makes the house look right. They're also drafty, single-pane, and 80 years old.
Our honest recommendation: if the original window frames are sound, restore them and add interior storm windows. You preserve the original look, the wavy original glass, and the proportions. Energy efficiency comes from the storms, not from replacement.
If the sills are rotted, sashes are split, or the frames are out of square, replacement is the right call. Use wood or wood-clad windows sized to the original openings. Vinyl replacement windows on a Beaverdale brick will tank both the curb appeal and the resale value.
Foundation and Basement Issues Specific to These Homes
Most Beaverdale homes have a stone or early concrete block foundation. Common issues we see:
- Cracked or bowed walls from decades of soil pressure and hydrostatic load. Carbon fiber straps or steel I-beams are the standard fix.
- Water intrusion at the cold joint where the foundation meets the basement floor. Interior drain tile and a sump pump system runs $5,000 to $9,000.
- Original coal chutes still cut into the foundation wall. These should be sealed if they haven't been already, because they leak water and let pests in.
If you're thinking about finishing a Beaverdale basement, all of these issues need to be resolved before any drywall goes up. Finishing over moisture problems guarantees rework inside three years.
Realistic Cost Ranges for Beaverdale Renovations
Numbers vary, but here is what we've seen across recent Beaverdale projects:
- Roof replacement: $9,000 to $15,000 depending on tear-off layers and deck repair
- Full exterior tuckpointing: $4,000 to $10,000
- Interior storm window package: $200 to $400 per window installed
- Full kitchen remodel: $35,000 to $70,000 for a respectful update
- Bathroom remodel: $15,000 to $35,000
- Foundation waterproofing system: $5,000 to $9,000
- Whole-home renovation: $150,000 to $300,000 depending on condition and scope
The biggest cost driver on these homes is almost always the unknown. We always recommend a pre-purchase or pre-renovation walkthrough where we can give a real number after looking at the roof deck, the foundation joints, and the electrical panel. A 30 minute walkthrough saves five-figure surprises later.
Finding a Contractor Who Understands These Homes
Most general contractors in Central Iowa do not regularly work on pre-war brick. The framing, mortar, and original mechanicals require methods that don't show up in newer construction. When you interview contractors for a Beaverdale renovation, ask three questions:
- How many Beaverdale or pre-1945 brick homes have you worked on in the last two years?
- What kind of mortar do you use for tuckpointing on lime-mortar walls?
- Will you give me a written scope and a written estimate before any work starts?
If any of those answers feel vague, keep looking. The right contractor will have specific homes they can point to and will be confident talking about the original materials.
At Black Ridge Contracting we've worked on Beaverdale and similar pre-war Des Moines homes since 2020. We respect what makes these houses worth keeping, and we don't push modern shortcuts that hurt their character or their resale value. See our remodeling services or call us at (515) 219-4654 to schedule a walkthrough.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Beaverdale brick is a style of Tudor-influenced brick cottage built in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa, primarily between 1920 and 1945. They are typically 1.5 stories, feature a steeply pitched front gable, original wood double-hung windows, and brick veneer over wood framing.
Renovation costs vary widely by scope. A roof replacement runs $9,000 to $15,000. Tuckpointing the entire exterior is $4,000 to $10,000. A full kitchen remodel respecting the original character is $35,000 to $70,000. Whole-home renovations often land between $150,000 and $300,000 depending on condition and scope.
Beaverdale is not currently a designated historic district under Des Moines city ordinance, so most renovations do not require historic preservation review. The neighborhood character is strongly protected through community norms and homeowner expectations. Maintaining the original brick, window proportions, and roofline tends to preserve resale value better than modernizing aggressively.
The most common issue is deteriorated mortar joints combined with original roofing material that has aged past its service life. After 80 to 100 years of Iowa freeze-thaw cycles, the original lime mortar softens and original wood window frames develop rot at the sills. Addressing both before water infiltration causes interior damage is the single most important maintenance investment for a Beaverdale home.