How Much Do Masonry Contractors Charge in Chicago? What Drives the Bill

How much do masonry contractors charge in Chicago? It depends on the wall, and any honest answer starts there. We are not going to print a per-brick or per-square-foot number, because a number without your wall in front of it would be a guess, and a bad one. What we can do is show you what moves a brick repair bill up and down, so you can read a quote and spot what is missing from the cheap one.

Why can't anyone quote brick repair over the phone?

Because the same sentence ("the wall needs repair") describes jobs that have almost nothing in common. A few bricks replaced at a first-floor corner, a full elevation of failing joints on a three-flat, a bulging section that has to come down and go back up, and a parapet rebuilt from the roof line are all "brick repair." The price follows the scope, and the scope is rarely visible from the sidewalk.

A real quote follows a walk of the building, front, sides, rear, gangway and roof edge, and a look at what is behind the first layer of damage. Treat a number given before that walk as a placeholder, not a price.

What actually drives the cost of brick repair?

These are the factors that move a masonry bill, roughly in order of how much they matter on Chicago buildings.

Scope: how much wall, and what kind of repair

The biggest driver is how much brick is involved and what is being done to it. Repointing joints, replacing individual bricks, rebuilding a section, rebuilding a parapet and replacing a lintel are different trades inside the same trade. Masonry is hand work, and the repair types differ a lot in how many hours they take. Tuckpointing has its own cost article: see what moves the price of tuckpointing.

Access: scaffolding, lifts and the public way

Reaching the wall is often a bigger line item than people expect. A first-floor patch needs a ladder. A third-floor elevation or a parapet needs scaffolding or a lift, and the setup, rental and takedown are part of the job. If scaffolding, a dumpster or material sits on the sidewalk, alley or parkway, that is the public way, and it needs its own permit from CDOT, separate from the building permit (City of Chicago). A building on a narrow lot with a gangway and an alley, or one with a tree and power lines at the front, is more work to set up than an open front yard.

Hidden damage behind the first layer

Brick problems are often a symptom of a water path. When a mason opens a bad section, the cause sometimes shows itself: a steel lintel that has rusted and pushed the brick, flashing that was never installed or has failed, or a wall that has moved. The Brick Industry Association says through-wall flashing belongs at the base of walls, at sills, above openings, and at parapets and chimneys (BIA), and that steel lintels need continuous flashing and periodic maintenance to avoid corrosion (BIA). If your wall is missing that, fixing the brick without fixing the water is paying twice. This is why a good quote has a line for what happens if the wall is worse than it looks. See replacing lintels for one example.

Matching: brick, mortar and joint

Old Chicago brick does not always have a modern twin. Matching color, size and texture can mean sourcing reclaimed brick, and the mortar matters just as much. Repointing mortar on soft old brick should be softer and more vapor-permeable than the brick, and no harder than the original mortar (National Park Service). That is a materials and skill choice, and it is not the cheapest option. A contractor who skips it can quote lower and leave you with failing faces in a few winters.

Preparation: how the old mortar and brick come out

The National Park Service says old mortar should be removed to a depth of about two to two and a half times the joint width, and hand chisels are the traditional method, with power grinders only in skilled hands on horizontal joints (National Park Service). Careful removal is slower than aggressive grinding, and it is the reason one bid is higher than another.

Safety and dust controls

Federal rules for grinding mortar require a grinder with a shroud and dust collection, plus respirators for the crew (OSHA). Chicago adds its own dust and lead-safety rules, and the City notes that masonry grinding can require a separate air quality permit (City of Chicago). A contractor who follows those rules has equipment and time in the price. One who does not will bid lower, and you may inherit the risk.

How much of the price is permits and licensing?

Less than owners fear, but the question matters because of what it tells you about the contractor. A permit is required before most repair work, with a limited list of exemptions. The main masonry one is in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet on residential buildings up to four stories (City of Chicago). The Express Permit Program's masonry category covers rebuilding a parapet up to 2,500 square feet and replacing a lintel up to 6 feet, among other things (City of Chicago). Bigger work, such as rebuilding all layers of an exterior wall, is not eligible for Express and goes through a different review (City of Chicago). For the full permit picture, see do you need a permit to repair brick.

The point for cost: a masonry permit requires a City-licensed mason contractor, unless the owner qualifies as owner-contractor (City of Chicago). The license requires a person who passed the City's mason exam, and only employees, not 1099 workers, work under it (mason contractor license). A licensed crew costs more to run than an unlicensed one, and that is part of any honest price gap.

How do you compare quotes without comparing prices?

Put quotes side by side and compare what each includes, not just the total.

In Illinois, home repair over $1,000 on a residence of one to six units requires a written contract or work order stating the total cost (State of Illinois). Chimneys, porches and similar work are listed examples of covered work (State of Illinois). The contractor must also give you the state's consumer rights pamphlet before you sign, and on contracts over $1,000 you sign a Consumer Rights Acknowledgment Form (State of Illinois). If a contractor will not put the scope in writing, take that as an answer.

Where can you save money, and where shouldn't you?

You can save by fixing problems small and early. A few failing joints or one loose brick cost less to address than a wall that has let water in for years. Bundling work when scaffolding is already up also helps, because access is a fixed cost you only want to pay once. Ask your contractor whether adjacent elevations or the parapet make sense to do now.

You should not save on mortar, flashing or the permit. Those are the three places a cheaper job usually fails first. For help deciding what to repair now and what can wait, see our Chicago brick and masonry repair guide, and when you want a written, itemized quote for your building, our masonry crew will walk it with you, free of charge.

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.