Chicago Brick and Masonry Repair: An Owner's Guide

Chicago masonry repair comes down to three questions: where is water getting into the wall, which parts of the wall have already failed, and what does the City require before anyone starts. Most brick problems are water problems. Fix the water path and the right masonry repair, in the right order, and a brick building can keep standing for a very long time. Skip a step and you pay for the same wall twice.

This guide covers the whole topic from the owner's chair: why brick fails here, how to spot it early, what each repair really is, what permits and licenses apply, and how to hire without getting burned. Each section links to a deeper article when you want the detail.

If you only read one part, read this:

1. Look up. The costly failures start at the roofline: parapets, copings, chimneys and the joints around them.
2. Match the repair to the failure. Open mortar joints need tuckpointing. Cracked or flaking brick needs replacing. Rusted steel over a window needs a new lintel.
3. Check the permit before the scaffold goes up. The City treats most masonry repair as permit work, with one narrow exception.
4. Hire a licensed mason contractor and get the scope in writing.

What counts as masonry repair on a Chicago building?

Masonry is brick, stone, terra cotta and concrete block laid up with mortar. On a typical Chicago two-flat, three-flat, greystone or courtyard building, "masonry repair" covers a short list of jobs:

• Tuckpointing (repointing): grinding out failed mortar and packing in new mortar. The Brick Industry Association notes that pointing, repointing and tuckpointing are used interchangeably in the trade (Brick Industry Association). See our tuckpointing guide.
• Brick replacement: cutting out cracked, spalled or missing bricks and laying new or salvaged ones in their place. See replacing spalled bricks.
• Lintel work: replacing the steel or stone beam over a window or door. See lintel replacement in Chicago.
• Parapet and coping work: rebuilding the short wall above the roof or replacing the cap on top of it. See parapet wall repair.
• Chimney repair: crown, flue and brick above the roofline. See chimney repair: repair or rebuild.
• Foundation and basement wall repair in brick or stone. See foundation wall repair.
• Cleaning and efflorescence removal, which looks like cosmetic work but should be done carefully. See how to clean Chicago brick.

Some of this is small. Some of it is structural. The point of the next sections is to tell you which is which.

Why does Chicago brick fail?

Water is the cause behind most of it. Brick and mortar are porous, and a wall that can't shed or release water will eventually come apart.

Freeze-thaw. Chicago's winters send water into the face of the wall, and then freeze it. The National Weather Service normals show about 121 days a year with a low at or below 32 F, and about 43 days when the high stays at or below 32 F (NWS Chicago normals). That leaves roughly 78 days a year on average that start below freezing and warm up above it. That figure is a derived estimate, not an engineering cycle count, but it explains why the same wall that looks fine in October can have loose faces by April. We go deeper in how freeze-thaw damages Chicago brick.

Mortar that fights the brick. Mortar is supposed to be the weak, sacrificial part of the wall. The National Park Service says repointing mortar must be softer and more vapor-permeable than the brick, and that assuming harder mortar is better is a common error (NPS Preservation Brief 2). When mortar is less permeable than soft brick, moisture and dissolved salts leave through the brick instead, and salt crystallizing inside the brick can make its face spall or flake off (NPS). That is how a "good" repair with the wrong mortar destroys the brick next to it.

Missing or failed flashing and caps. Flashing collects water that gets behind the outer brick and sends it back out. The Brick Industry Association lists the places it belongs, including the tops of walls, parapets, chimneys and the heads of openings (BIA Technical Note 7). Copings and caps sit in the most exposed spot on the building. BIA notes that brick caps, with their many mortar joints, may be a poor choice compared with concrete, stone or metal (BIA Technical Note 36A).

Rusting steel. Many openings in older masonry sit on steel lintels. BIA says continuous flashing and weepholes belong at the lintel, and that in harsh climates unprotected steel needs periodic maintenance to avoid corrosion (BIA Technical Note 31B). We cover the symptom in rust stains under a window.

Roof and gutter water. A failed roof edge, a clogged downspout or a bad parapet flashing soaks the wall from the top down. On many buildings the roof contractor and the mason need to look at the same problem together.

What are the warning signs of failing masonry?

You can learn a lot from the sidewalk. Walk the whole building, front, sides, rear and alley side, and look for these:

• Mortar that crumbles when you scrape it with a key, or joints you can see daylight in.
• Bricks with flaking, peeling or missing faces (spalling). See what spalling looks like and whether spalling is dangerous.
• Stair-step cracks following the mortar joints. See stair step cracks: when to worry.
• A wall that bulges or leans. See what to do about a bulging brick wall.
• Rust stains or cracks over windows and doors.
• A white powder on the surface (efflorescence). BIA says it usually isn't harmful by itself, but that a bloom appearing after the wall is more than a year old usually points to water getting in or poor drainage (BIA Technical Note 23A). See is efflorescence bad for brick.
• Loose, tilting or cracked copings, parapets or chimney caps.
• Interior water stains, peeling paint or damp plaster on walls below a brick surface.

Treat any piece of brick or stone that can fall as urgent, because it can land on a person. In July 2016, bricks fell from a two-family home in North Lawndale and injured two passersby (ABC7 Chicago). Read what failed when bricks fall from a Chicago building for the pattern behind these events.

Our free brick facade self-inspection checklist walks you through every wall of the building in the order we would check it.

What does each repair involve, and how do you choose?

Tuckpointing: when the joints have failed

Tuckpointing is the right repair when the brick is sound and the mortar between it is cracked, recessed or gone. The mortar is ground out and replaced. Done well, it is the cheapest way to stop water at its source. Done badly, it ruins the wall.

The details matter:

• Depth. The National Park Service says old mortar should be removed to a depth of 2 to 2.5 times the joint width, which for most brick means about 1/2 to 1 inch, so the new mortar bonds and doesn't pop out (NPS Preservation Brief 2).
• Mortar match. New mortar should be as soft or softer than the brick, and no harder than the old mortar (NPS). On older Chicago brick, that usually means a lime-rich mix, not straight portland cement. The City doesn't prescribe a mortar type, so this is preservation guidance and good practice, not a code mandate.
• Weather. NPS says wall temperatures between 40 and 95 F keep mortar water from freezing or evaporating too fast, and warns against antifreeze admixtures (NPS). In cold weather, the Brick Industry Association summary of the masonry standard calls anything below 40 F "cold" and sets protection steps below 32 F and again below 20 F (BIA Technical Note 1). This is why a good mason doesn't tuckpoint in a hard freeze.
• Dust. Grinding mortar throws silica dust. Federal rules for handheld grinders used on mortar require a shrouded grinder with dust collection and a respirator, and they don't allow dry sweeping that could expose workers (OSHA 1926.1153). Ask any mason how they control dust.

Brick replacement: when the brick itself has failed

If the face of the brick is gone, replacing mortar alone won't help. The failed bricks are cut out and new or salvaged brick goes in, with matching mortar. Whether you can replace brick without a permit is a narrow question, covered below. The related question people ask most is whether you can fix spalling brick without replacing it and whether you can paint or seal over spalling brick. Short version: sealing or painting over a wall that is still wet from behind traps the water. The National Park Service cautions that water-repellent coatings are appropriate only after a building is made watertight and dried (NPS Preservation Brief 1, written about early American brick), so fix the source first.

Lintels: when the steel has rusted

When a steel lintel corrodes, it can crack the brick above it and lose its ability to carry the wall. The fix is a new lintel, installed with flashing and weepholes. This is structural work, and size matters for the permit (see below).

Parapets, copings and chimneys: the roofline

These are the most exposed parts of a masonry building and the most dangerous when they fail. A parapet that leans, a coping that has lifted, or a chimney that moves when you push on it needs attention before the next freeze. Depending on height and condition, the answer ranges from replacing a cap to rebuilding the wall. See parapet coping replacement, parapet walls over 48 inches, chimney crown repair and the leaning chimney question.

Full wall sections: when it's more than a patch

Bulging, widespread stair-step cracking or a large area of failed brick can mean the wall needs partial rebuilding, not patching. That is a design question, and it can bring in an architect or structural engineer. We explain how the City sorts these jobs in the next section.

Do you need a permit to repair brick in Chicago?

Almost always, yes, with one narrow exception, and the rules are specific.

The exception. For residential buildings up to four stories, and accessory buildings like garages, the City lists no permit for in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet of masonry (brick, stone or concrete) (Guide to Building Permits). In-kind means the same material in the same place. Structural repair doesn't qualify.

Tuckpointing. The City's Express Permit Program lists "routine maintenance and repair for masonry walls, such as tuckpointing" as eligible for its Masonry Work permit, up to 50,000 square feet. Replacing the outer wythe, replacing a lintel up to 6 feet and rebuilding a masonry parapet wall up to 2,500 square feet are also eligible (Guide to Building Permits). Tuckpointing isn't on the City's no-permit masonry list, so plan on a permit and a licensed mason contractor.

What Express doesn't cover. Constructing a new masonry structure, rebuilding all wythes of an exterior wall, replacing a lintel over 25 feet and rebuilding a parapet taller than 48 inches are not eligible for Express. Lintel replacement over 6 feet (up to 25 feet) and concrete repair over 100 square feet need drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer (Guide to Building Permits).

Parapets specifically. Rebuilding a masonry parapet up to 2,500 square feet can go through Express, but a parapet taller than 48 inches can't (Guide to Building Permits).

Other conditions. If your building is landmarked, the no-permit exemptions may not apply. Lead-safe work practices, asbestos notification and dust control apply regardless, and masonry grinding may need an air quality permit from the Department of Public Health (Guide to Building Permits). Scaffolding, dumpsters and materials in the street, alley or sidewalk need a separate permit from CDOT, the Chicago Department of Transportation (Guide to Building Permits). Emergency work to prevent imminent harm may be done first, with the permit application submitted the next business day (Guide to Building Permits).

Permits and fees change. Confirm the current rules with the Department of Buildings before you sign. Our full walkthrough is do you need a permit to repair brick in Chicago.

Who is allowed to do the work?

Chicago requires a licensed mason contractor for most masonry. The Express masonry permit calls for a mason contractor in Class A, B or C, with no Class C for brick and no Class B for concrete, unless the owner qualifies as owner-contractor (Guide to Building Permits).

The mason license is required for work in stone, concrete, terra cotta (including clay brick) or structural tile. The business must employ at least one person who passed the City mason exam, and employees, not 1099 workers, work under the license (Chicago mason license). There are exceptions: brick or concrete sidewalks, concrete paving, repairs that don't need a permit, and the owner of a primary residence that is single-family or a multifamily building of 3 stories or fewer and 6 or fewer units (one property per calendar year) (Chicago mason license exceptions).

Owner-as-contractor isn't a loophole. The Express pages require Form 401 and government ID showing you live at the property, and you take on responsibility for worker safety, inspections and code compliance (Guide to Building Permits). Most owners, and certainly most landlords with tenants, are better off hiring a licensed mason.

You can check any City-licensed contractor on the Department of Buildings Contractor License Lookup (Department of Buildings). Our own masonry crew works in-house, and Akats is licensed and insured in Illinois. See our masonry services page.

Does Chicago's facade ordinance apply to your building?

Probably not, and it's worth knowing why. The City runs an Exterior Wall Program for high-rise buildings, and the Department of Buildings rule defines a high-rise as a building more than 80 feet above grade (Department of Buildings). A typical two-flat or three-flat isn't in that program.

That doesn't mean your brick is nobody's business. All existing buildings, of any height, must be kept up under the City's exterior maintenance rules: "The exterior of a structure must be maintained in good repair, structurally sound, and sanitary." The unsafe conditions listed include masonry joints that aren't weather-tight and veneer, cornices, trim and facings that aren't properly anchored (Title 14X). An inspector can cite loose masonry, a parapet, a cornice or a lintel after a 311 complaint.

In one reported West Englewood case, City records cited an owner for failing to maintain exterior walls, keep a lintel in good repair and protect sidewalks, and the owner was being prosecuted in Cook County court (CBS Chicago). If a notice is already on your desk, start with our Chicago building violations guide.

What drives the cost of masonry repair?

We don't quote prices in articles, because the same wall can be a small job or a major one. Here is what moves the bill:

• How much wall. Square footage of joints or failed brick, not the number of floors.
• Height and access. Scaffolding, swing stage or lift work costs more than ground-level work, and scaffolding in the street or alley needs its own permit.
• Depth of the damage. Brick that is only flaking on the face is a different job than a wall that has lost its bond.
• Matching material. Old Chicago brick, stone and mortar color can take effort to match, and salvaged brick has to be sourced.
• Structural work. Lintels, parapet rebuilds and wall sections can need drawings from an architect or engineer, plus the permit that goes with them.
• The root cause. If the roof edge, flashing or downspout is feeding the problem, that gets fixed too, or the repair doesn't last.
• Season and conditions. Cold and wet weather limit what a mason can do (see above).
• Permit, fees and public way costs for the permit, plus any CDOT permit for scaffolding or dumpsters.

Read what drives brick repair cost in Chicago for how those factors show up on a real estimate.

How do you hire a masonry contractor in Chicago?

Ask for these before you sign:

1. License. Confirm the mason contractor license on the City lookup (Department of Buildings).
2. Insurance. Ask for the certificate, and confirm it covers masonry work at height.
3. A written scope. Illinois requires a signed written contract or work order for home repair work over $1,000 on a residence of 1 to 6 units, stating the total cost and the materials (Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act). The Act covers residences of 1 to 6 units and lists chimneys and porches among its examples (Illinois General Assembly).
4. Who pulls the permit. The permit should be in the licensed contractor's hands, and work should start after it issues. Permits expire if the first inspection isn't passed within 540 days of when work may begin (Guide to Building Permits).
5. Mortar and method. Ask what mortar they use on your brick and why, how deep they cut the joints, and how they control dust.
6. Photos. Ask for before and after photos of each wall, tied to the permit.

Be careful with anyone who offers to seal or paint the wall without finding the water source, or who says a permit isn't needed without checking it.

When should you call a mason?

Call before the next hard freeze if you see any of the following: mortar missing from many joints, a coping or parapet that moves, brick faces that are flaking off, stair-step cracks wider than a hairline, rust staining or cracking over openings, or a chimney that leans. Call right away, and keep people away from the area, if brick is loose enough to fall.

If you have a violation notice for masonry, our team handles the repair and the City paperwork. Call 312-339-9627 or ask for a free estimate, in English or Spanish. For help with the City side, see what a Chicago violation notice says.

If the masonry question is really about a permit on your specific job, the Department of Buildings has the final word. Confirm before work starts.

Common questions

This article explains general rules and common situations in Chicago. It is not legal advice, and City rules change. For a specific property, check with the Chicago Department of Buildings or a licensed professional.