Guide
A mason handed you a contract to sign
A mason has handed you a contract, or only a one-line estimate, and you are not sure what should be in it. Read this before you sign. New York sets out what a home improvement contract must say, and masonry work needs a few lines on top of those.
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
The contract must be in writing
Under General Business Law section 771, a home improvement contract for work over five hundred dollars has to be a signed writing. A handshake or a text thread is not enough. Ask the mason for the writing before any work starts.
If you receive only an estimate, ask whether it is the contract. If it is not, ask for the contract in addition to it.
What the law says it must contain
The writing must state the work, the materials, the agreed price and the start and completion dates. Article 36-A applies when the total price, labor and materials together, is more than five hundred dollars.
It must also include a mechanic's lien notice, an escrow or bond notice for payments made before completion, and a dollar schedule when progress payments are used. Under section 771 your right to cancel runs through the third business day after you sign. Check each line against the document in front of you.
Insurance lines and local rules
A contract signed since April 23, 2022 must list any property or casualty policy that covers the job, plus the insurer's phone number and address. Read that line, and call the insurer if you want to confirm it.
The Department of State says the state issues no licenses to home improvement contractors, though some counties and municipalities do. Its examples are only some of them, so ask your county, town or village whether it has its own rules.
Masonry lines to add yourself
The law is general, and your wall is specific. Ask for these in the contract:
- The mortar type and, if you can get it, the proportions or the product.
- The joint depth and the tool that cuts the old mortar.
- The lintel material, and the flashing and weep holes over it, if the job involves a lintel.
- Which walls, which sides and how much of each are included.
- How the high parts are reached, and whether scaffolding is in the price.
What to ask about payments
Ask how much is due at signing, how much at each stage and how much at the end. The Department of State advises against large payments up front and suggests a payment schedule tied to finished work. It also recommends at least three written estimates.
Tie each payment to a stage of work you can see. If a mason asks for a large payment first, ask why, and ask for the reason in writing.
What if the work goes wrong
The mason you hire answers for the work, not us. Ask what they will do if joints fail after the first winter, who you call, and how quickly they reply. Get the answer in the contract, not on the phone.
Keep photographs from before, during and after. Keep every email and receipt. If a problem arises, those are your record.
Permits and the town
Rules on permits differ between a city, a town and a village, and they depend on the work. State regulation lets a municipality exempt some repairs from a permit, but an exemption never authorizes work that breaks the Codes. Whether yours exempts any is for your municipality to say.
Ask the mason who handles any permit, and check with your own municipality as well.
A contract and an estimate are not the same thing
An estimate is a guess at the price. A contract is an agreement that binds both sides and sets what happens if something changes. Many masons write both, and some give only the first.
If you get an estimate with a line at the bottom for a signature, read it as if it were the contract. Ask the mason what happens if the work grows, and ask for any change to be put in writing before it is done.
Change orders and surprises
Old walls hold surprises. A mason may open a joint and find a rusted lintel, or loose brick behind a face that looked solid. Ask how the mason will handle that, and who decides when the price changes.
A good answer is a written change order that you sign before the extra work starts. Ask for that sentence in the contract. It keeps both sides honest.
What to do if a mason will not put it in writing
If a mason will not write down the mortar type, the scope or the price, treat that as an answer. You asked a reasonable question, and a mason who works carefully has a reason to write the answer down.
Thank them, keep their quote for comparison, and move on to the next. You can send us a request at any point, and we help you get a repair priced by local masons.
A last read before you sign
Read the whole contract, including the small print. Ask what any line means that you do not follow. You can usually cancel up to the third business day after signing, so use the time to compare with other quotes.
Send your request and we help you get a repair priced by separate local masons, so you have more than one contract to compare.
Basis: New York General Business Law section 771 (nysenate.gov) New York State Department of State
Start with what the wall is telling you.