Guide
Your house is older than 1978 and the brick is painted
You want the mortar joints on painted brick redone, and the house went up before 1978. A federal rule may apply to the paid contractor who does it. This guide explains what the rule says, how it affects grinding, and the questions to put to each mason before you book.
Tell us what you see on the wall
We help you get the repair priced by separate local masonry contractors, and tell you what to ask them first.
Three things to say before you hear a price
Say them on the phone or at the wall. The answers show how a mason works.
Which mortar type goes in, and why?
A good answer names a mix softer than your brick.
How deep will you cut the old joints?
Too shallow, and the new mortar pops out.
What is the lintel made of, and is it flashed?
Rusting steel lifts brick; flashing keeps water off it.
$100 off your first job
Book your first repair through us and take $100 off.
The $100 comes out of our fee; the mason's price stays the same.
Each customer gets one credit per property.
Book the first repair by December 31, 2026, to use it.
Say you hold the credit as you book; we confirm it before work starts.
The Soft Joint promise
- Asking us is free, and asking never ties you to anything.
- We never charge you for the introduction.
- Your $100 credit is honored exactly as our Terms say.
- If an introduction goes wrong, we help you sort it out.
The masonry work is between you and the mason you hire.
Masonry Contractors Syracuse, (315) 640-3590
What the rule covers
The Environmental Protection Agency runs a Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. It applies to people paid to disturb painted surfaces in homes built before 1978. In New York, EPA runs the program directly.
Painted brick counts as a painted surface. If your house is older than 1978 and the brick or its trim has paint on it, ask each mason whether the rule applies to their work, and what they will do about it.
Why 1978 is the cutoff
The rule is written around that year. EPA estimates that about 75 percent of American homes built before 1978 still hold some lead-based paint.
If you do not know when your house was built, find out. Your town or village office, or your deed, may tell you. Tell the masons the year when you first speak, since it changes how they plan the job.
Who the rule is for
The rule says the paid firm must be set up and trained for lead-safe work, with lead-safe work practices. It is aimed at the contractor, not at you as a homeowner.
Ask each mason to show you proof of that training before you sign. Do not accept a verbal yes. We are a broker, not a contractor, so none of this training is ours to claim.
- Brick
- Joint
- Face
- Moisture
- The mix
The small-job exception
The rule treats small jobs differently. Exterior work that disturbs no more than 20 square feet of painted surface can count as minor repair, as long as it avoids the prohibited methods and window replacement.
Ask the mason to measure what they expect to disturb, and to say which side of that line the job falls on.
Grinding and painted brick
The rule bars high-speed grinding of painted surfaces on a regulated job, unless the tool has a shroud and a HEPA vacuum that catches dust where it is made. Open-flame burning is barred as well.
This matters for repointing, since mortar is often cut out with a grinder. Ask which tool the mason will use, how dust will be caught, and how they will clean up. Put the plan in the contract.
Softer mortar and lead-safe work go together
Ask the mason whether hand tools are an option on your wall.
Then ask the mortar question as well: which type goes in and why. You are asking for two protections at once, one for your brick and one for the work site.
What painted brick adds to the job
A mason repointing painted brick has to decide what to do about the paint along each joint, and that choice drives the dust.
Ask each mason how they plan to handle the paint at the joints, whether any will be stripped, and how much surface they expect to disturb. Their answer shows how closely they have looked at your wall.
What to do before the work starts
Move toys, furniture and anything else away from the wall. Ask the mason how they will cover the ground and the plants, and how they will keep dust out of your windows and your neighbors' yards.
You can also take dated photographs of the wall before the job starts. If you later have a question about the work, you will have a record of what was there.
If the mason says the rule does not apply
Some jobs fall under the small-job line. If a mason says that yours does, ask them to explain how they measured, and to put it in writing.
If you are unsure, you can ask EPA or New York State for guidance on your job. Do not rely on our word for it, since we are not the contractor and cannot rule on your job.
Questions to put to each mason
- Does the lead rule apply to this job, and why?
- Can you show me proof of your lead-safe training?
- Which tool cuts the joints on painted brick?
- How will you catch and clean up dust?
- Which mortar type goes in, and why?
You are not looking for a speech. You are looking for plain answers that match what the rule says, and that you can read in the quote.
Why the answers belong in the contract
New York requires a signed written contract for home improvement work over five hundred dollars, and it has to describe the work and the materials. Lead-safe work practices belong in that description if the rule applies to your job.
Ask the mason to name the practices, the tools and the cleanup in the contract. If you ever need to point to what was promised, the writing is what counts.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not scrape or sand the paint yourself before the mason arrives. You would be making dust with no plan to catch it.
Do not let a mason tell you that the age of your house makes no difference. Do not hire on price alone, either. A low quote that leaves out dust control or the mortar type has left out the hard parts.
Your checklist before you book
- Tell each mason the year your house was built.
- Ask whether the lead rule applies to the job.
- Ask for proof of the firm's lead-safe training.
- Ask which tool cuts the joints and how dust is caught.
- Ask which mortar type goes in, and why.
Send your request, and we help you get it priced by local masons. Put all five questions to each one.
Basis: US EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (last updated June 17, 2026) 40 CFR 745.83 (Cornell LII)
Start with what the wall is telling you.