You can tuckpoint just the front of a building, and sometimes that is the right call. It works when the other walls are in sound condition and the new mortar is matched to the old. It is the wrong call when the side or rear walls have the same failing joints, because the City's code covers the whole exterior, not just the street face. Decide wall by wall, based on condition, and get the scope in writing.
Whether to tuckpoint just the front of a building or the whole building comes down to one question: what shape are the other walls in? If they are sound, a front-only job is a fair scope. If they are not, you are paying to make the street side look good while the rest keeps leaking.
Is it okay to tuckpoint only the front?
Yes, as a scope of work. There is no rule that says a contractor must do every wall in one job. Owners do it for good reasons: a limited budget this year, a front wall that is clearly worse, or a plan to phase the building over a few seasons.
Where it goes wrong is when "front only" is chosen because it is the part people see. Chicago's exterior maintenance code does not care which wall faces the street. It requires the exterior of a structure to be maintained in good repair, and it lists masonry joints that are not weather resistant or water tight as an unsafe condition (City of Chicago). A failing joint on the back wall is the same problem as a failing joint on the front.
When does a front-only job make sense?
- The other walls were checked and are sound. Not glanced at. Checked, with the key-scrape test and a close look at the joints. Our guide to signs your brick needs tuckpointing shows what to look for.
- The other walls were done recently and are in good shape. The front is the last piece.
- The front is clearly the worst and you are phasing the building. You have a written plan for the other walls, not a vague intention.
- A limited repair is all you need right now. A partial repair can be a spot job: a section or two of failed joints, not the whole elevation.
When is front-only the wrong call?
- The sides and rear have the same joint failures. You will end up paying for scaffolding and a permit a second time.
- Water is the cause. If a failed roof edge, a leaking gutter or a bad sill is sending water down a wall, repointing the front does nothing about it. See what the signs of water in the wall look like.
- You are selling, refinancing or have a City notice. An inspector or a buyer's inspector may look at the whole exterior, not just the front.
- The front is only part of a failing system. If the front is failing because the brick behind the joints is spalling, the scope is bigger than joints.
What changes when you do part of a wall?
The problem with partial work is the line where new meets old. Three things decide whether it looks and performs right.
The mortar has to match in strength, not just in color. New mortar should be softer and more vapor-permeable than the brick, and no harder than the original mortar (NPS Preservation Brief 2). The National Park Service calls the assumption that harder is better a common error (NPS). If the new section is much harder than the surrounding old mortar, the old joints and the brick next to the line take the stress. We cover that in the tuckpointing mistakes that cost Chicago owners twice.
The look has to match. Color and texture come mostly from the sand, plus the tooling and joint profile, and a test panel (about 3 feet by 3 feet for brick) sets the standard (NPS). Ask to see the panel against the existing wall before the crew starts. Even then, fresh mortar next to weathered mortar looks different at first.
The stopping point has to be a real one. A clean break at a corner, a window line or a change of material reads as deliberate. A stop in the middle of a wall shows a patch. Ask where the job ends and why.
Does a front-only job change the permit?
No. Tuckpointing is on the City's Express Permit list as routine masonry maintenance and repair (City of Chicago), and the work still needs a permit and a licensed mason contractor (City of Chicago). The one masonry exemption is in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet of brick, stone or concrete on residential buildings up to four stories (City of Chicago). That is for swapping a few bricks, not for repointing, and the front of a two-flat is far more than that. Confirm with the Department of Buildings if you think your job is small enough to qualify.
If the scaffold, a dumpster or material will sit on the sidewalk, parkway or alley, that is a separate permit from the Chicago Department of Transportation (City of Chicago). On a building built to the lot line, the front wall nearly always means the public way, so ask who is pulling that permit.
We do not quote prices in a blog post, but we can tell you what moves them. Each additional wall adds area. Height changes the scaffolding. Doing walls in separate visits means paying for setup more than once. Joint depth and condition matter more than the look of the wall. Ask for the quote to be broken out by elevation, so you can see what each wall costs to do now versus later. More on this in what moves tuckpointing cost.
What should you get in writing for a partial job?
- Which elevations are in and out. Name the walls: front, north side, rear, and so on.
- How far the job goes on each wall. Full height and width, or specific sections, with photos or a marked-up sketch.
- The mortar. What type, why it suits your brick, and whether it will be matched to the existing joints.
- A test panel before the crew starts the wall.
- Who pulls the permits, building and public way.
- A note on the walls you are not doing. If the crew sees failing joints elsewhere, you want to know now, in writing, so you can plan for it.
Our tuckpointing crew will tell you straight whether front-only fits your building. The Chicago tuckpointing guide covers the rest of the process.
Common questions
Yes, if the other walls are sound. The scope is up to you and your contractor. The code covers the whole exterior, so failing joints on the other walls are still your responsibility to maintain.
At first, usually yes. Color and texture depend mostly on the sand, the tooling and the joint profile. Ask for a test panel against the existing wall before work starts, and expect some difference until the new mortar weathers.
Yes. Tuckpointing is on the City's Express Permit list, and the small masonry exemption is for in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet, not for repointing. Confirm with the Department of Buildings for your building.
Often it is, when several walls are failing, because the setup, scaffolding and permits are shared. If only the front is failing, a phased plan can make sense. A written scope by wall helps you compare the two.
Sources
- National Park Service: Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (PDF)
- City of Chicago: Code Modernization Ordinance, including Title 14X Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings (PDF)
- City of Chicago: Express Permit Program: Masonry Work
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: What Types of Work Do Not Require a Building Permit?
- 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.