Face brick is the brick chosen to be seen, usually on the front of the building. Common brick is the plainer brick behind it and on walls that face the side and rear. You can often tell by comparing the front to the gangway wall: color, texture and joints tend to differ. It matters because the mortar for repairs has to be softer than the brick it holds, so a mason has to know what is in the wall before choosing it.
Chicago common brick vs face brick comes down to what each brick was meant to do. Face brick is chosen to be seen, and common brick is the plainer brick behind it. On many Chicago buildings the front is one and the sides and rear are the other. This page shows how to tell them apart on your own walls, and why it matters before anyone repairs a joint.
We are describing what owners commonly see. We are not giving you a history of Chicago brickmaking or specific brick sizes, because we cannot source them here. For the material itself, see Chicago common brick: what it is and why it's soft. For every building type, see our Chicago building types guide.
How can you tell common brick from face brick?
Stand at the front of the building, then look at the side wall through the gangway and at the rear wall from the yard or alley. Compare them.
- Color. Face brick on the front tends to look more even from brick to brick. Common brick on the side and rear often varies more, with a mix of tones.
- Surface and edges. Face brick usually looks cleaner and more finished. Common brick looks plainer, and the surface and edges are often rougher.
- Joints. The front wall often has neater, tighter joints. Side and rear joints are often wider and plainer.
- Where it sits. If the front looks different from the side, the front is probably the face and the side is probably common. A building can also have a different front material over a common brick wall behind it.
- Thickness of the wall. A mason can sometimes see how the wall is built at an opening, a damaged spot or a repair. If an outer layer is a different brick from what is behind it, that is worth knowing before work starts. The City's permit page for masonry uses the word "wythe" for one layer of a wall (City of Chicago).
None of this is a test. The only way to be sure about a specific wall is to have someone who works on brick every day look at it up close. If a seller, an inspector or a listing tells you what your brick is, ask how they know.
On many Chicago buildings the front wall and the side walls do not match, and the owner finds out when a repair on the gangway wall is blended with the front, or when new brick is installed and sticks out. The wall tells you, if you look at it before you order materials. This is a typical pattern, not a particular building.
Why does it matter which brick you have?
Because the repair mortar has to suit the brick. The National Park Service says repointing mortar must be softer and more vapor permeable than the masonry units and no harder than the historic mortar, and that the joint is the sacrificial element: the mortar should relieve stress, not the brick (NPS Preservation Brief 2). Assuming a harder mortar is better is called a common error, and a mortar stronger than the masonry can crack and spall the brick in ways that are hard to repair (NPS Preservation Brief 2).
When mortar lets less moisture through than the brick does, moisture and salts move out through the brick, and the face can pop off (NPS Preservation Brief 2). The same brief points to lime rich mixes for historic masonry and to removing old mortar to a depth of two to two and a half times the joint width (NPS Preservation Brief 2). That is preservation guidance, not a City mandate.
So the question for your contractor is not only "can you tuckpoint this?" It is "what mortar are you using, and why is it right for this brick?" A mason who looks at the front and the side wall and gives you two different answers is paying attention. For what a failing wall looks like, see warning signs a brick two-flat is failing.
What does this mean for repairs and permits?
Different brick on different walls can mean different mortar on different elevations, and sometimes different cost drivers: how much brick has to be replaced, how well replacement brick can be matched, and how much of the wall is involved.
On the permit side, the City's Express Permit program lists tuckpointing and routine masonry repair as eligible work, along with replacing the outer wythe of a masonry wall, and it excludes rebuilding all wythes of an exterior wall (masonry permits, limits). Masonry work in Chicago requires a City licensed mason contractor (City of Chicago). Confirm current rules with the Department of Buildings.
Akats is a family-operated Chicago contractor, licensed and insured in Illinois. Masonry and tuckpointing are done in-house. See our services and ask for a free estimate. We will look at every wall, not just the front, and tell you what we are matching and why.
Common questions
Face brick is chosen to be seen, usually on the front of a building. Common brick is the plainer brick behind it and on walls that face the side and rear. For repairs, the difference matters because mortar has to be softer than the brick it holds.
Often you can tell the front from the side by color, surface and joints, but it is not proof. A mason who works on brick every day can look at the wall up close and tell you what is there. Ask anyone who names your brick how they know.
Yes. Repair mortar has to be softer and more vapor permeable than the brick and no harder than the original mortar, so the mason has to know the brick before choosing it. A hard mortar on soft brick can damage the brick. See why Chicago common brick is soft.
Sources
- National Park Service: Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (PDF)
- City of Chicago: Express Permit Program: Masonry Work
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Mason Contractor License
Facts last checked: October 7, 2026.
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.