Guide
Two masons priced your wall and the totals do not match
You asked two masons about the same wall, and one quote is much higher. Before you pick the lower one, find out what each one covers. Labor, height and how much of the wall is included drive the cost. This guide shows how to line the quotes up.
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
Handwork is what you pay for
Preservation Brief 2 says repointing is expensive and slow because of the handwork. Each joint is cut out and refilled by hand, so the price follows hours more than it follows the bag of mortar.
Ask each mason how many people will work, and for how many days. Hours are the number you can compare.
Height changes the way the work is done
A higher wall is harder to reach. Federal rules require fall protection for anyone working on a scaffold more than 10 feet up, which is why high wall and chimney work needs setup.
A two-story wall brings ladders, a lift or scaffolding. Ask each mason how they will reach the high parts and who pays to set up and take down.
Scaffolding stays up
Preservation Brief 2 says repointing the whole wall can make more sense when access is hard and scaffolding is expensive. Time on the scaffold is a cost, so it shows up in your quote even if it is not a separate line.
Ask the mason whether scaffolding is in the price or on top of it. Ask how long they expect it to stay.
Scattered spots cost more than a solid run
The Brief also says that one foot of pointing in five spots costs more than five connected feet. Every move means a new setup and new cleanup.
So a quote for a few scattered repairs can come out higher per foot than a quote for a whole wall. Ask each mason to price both ways, and to say where the break is.
Partial or whole wall
Guidance favors repairing only the areas that need it. It adds that once a quarter to a half of a wall needs work, redoing it all may cost less than patching. It may also be wiser where access is hard and scaffolding is expensive.
Ask each mason to mark the sections they would do and to say why. A quote that says only repoint house is hard to compare with one that lists elevations.
Season and weather
NPS Preservation Brief 2 says mortar needs mild wall temperatures so it does not freeze or dry out too fast. Masons work around the weather, so the date of your job can affect the schedule.
Ask each mason when they would do your wall and whether the date changes the number. Book early in the season if you can.
Why a low quote may leave things out
A low quote can mean less of the wall, a shallower cut or a faster tool. Each of those saves hours. Each can also change how long the work lasts.
Ask each mason to write down the mortar type, the joint depth, the tool and the area. If one quote leaves a line blank, ask them to fill it in before you compare.
What you can do to shape the job
You can change how the job is shaped. Keep the area clear around the wall, so the crew can work without moving things. Fix a leaking gutter first, so the work does not have to be redone.
You can also ask about phasing. The parts you can reach from a ladder need less setup than the high parts, so some owners do the low walls first and the chimney later. Ask each mason whether that makes sense on your house.
A shortcut now can cost more later
A hard mix, a shallow cut or a rushed finish can save hours today. They can also turn a joint job into a brick job, and brick is much harder to replace than mortar.
That is why the mortar question comes before the price question. A quote for the wrong mix is not a bargain, whatever the total says.
What this guide cannot tell you
No figure on this page is a price. A number that fits a wall in one town can miss by a wide margin on yours, because height, access and extent differ. The only way to learn what your wall costs is to ask masons who have seen it.
Send your request with photos, and tell us which sides of the house are in question. The more you share, the easier it is for a mason to say what is in the price.
A checklist for comparing quotes
- Which walls and which sides are included?
- Which mortar type goes in?
- How deep are the joints cut, and with what tool?
- How will the high parts be reached?
- Is scaffolding in the price?
- What happens if the new joints fail after the first winter?
Send your request, and we help you get the repair priced by separate local masons. You see the answers side by side.
Basis: NPS Technical Preservation Services, Preservation Brief 2 29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1), Scaffolds (osha.gov)
Start with what the wall is telling you.