Masonry and Contractor FAQ

How much does a masonry project cost?

Every job is priced after the owner sees it, because two walls that look alike from the street can need very different work. As a guide, a small brick repair usually runs $650 to $1,950. Chimney rebuilds run $5,850 to $19,500: the low end is a partial rebuild of the top of the stack, the high end a full rebuild. A standalone chimney cap is $320 to $840. Per-foot ranges for tuckpointing, stone, retaining walls and patios are on our pricing page, and the online estimator gives you a first number before anyone comes out.

How do your estimates work?

Estimates are free. The owner, Adriel Moore, comes to the property, looks at the masonry himself and prices the job. You get a written estimate with each repair on its own line and the materials and mortar spelled out, so you can see what you are paying for. Photos sent ahead of the visit help: a shot of the whole wall or chimney and a close-up of the worst spot tell us what ladders and samples to bring. Call 513-202-3598 or use the estimate form.

How long does a typical project take?

It depends on what we find once the old mortar comes out, and on the weather. Typical durations, not promises: small brick and chimney repairs take one to three working days; a partial chimney rebuild, three to seven; a full chimney rebuild, one to two weeks; tuckpointing a full wall of a house, one to three weeks. Masonry jobs usually run with a small crew of two masons.

Do you do general contracting?

Yes. Masonry is the specialty, and we also work as a general contractor: we run the job and bring in licensed trade partners where the work needs them. Beside brick, stone and chimneys, we do concrete (steps, patios, overlays and slabs), stucco repair, siding, gutters, soffits and fascia, roof repairs, remodeling including kitchens and baths, storm-damage repairs and code-violation repairs. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC are always done by licensed trade partners that we schedule and coordinate. The general contracting page explains how we run a multi-trade job.

What area do you serve?

Cincinnati and a 50-mile radius around it, which takes in southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana. In Ohio: Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, Brown and Clinton counties. In Kentucky: Kenton, Boone, Campbell, Grant, Pendleton, Gallatin and Bracken counties. In Indiana: Dearborn, Franklin and Ohio counties. Inside the city that runs from Over-the-Rhine and Mount Adams to Hyde Park, Oakley and Clifton; across the river, Covington, Newport and Florence; to the west, Lawrenceburg. If you sit near the edge of that circle, call and ask. Every town we list is on the service areas page.

Do you have an office I can visit?

No. Swiss Masonry is a service-area business with no storefront or showroom, so there is nowhere to drop in. We come to you: the owner meets you at the property, looks at the work with you and sends the estimate in writing. Reach us at 513-202-3598 or business@swissmasonry.org.

Are you licensed and insured?

Ohio and Kentucky do not issue a state license for masonry or general contracting. We carry insurance, pull the permits each city requires, and put every job in a written contract. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work goes to licensed trade partners who pull their own permits. A certificate of insurance is available on request, so property managers and landlords who need one for their files can ask for it before the job starts.

What warranty do you give?

A one-year workmanship warranty, in writing, on the work described in the proposal you sign. Manufacturer coverage on materials passes through to you. The full terms are on our terms page; if anything on your proposal is unclear, ask us to walk you through it before you sign.

Do I need a permit for masonry work?

Often not for repairs, often yes for structural work, and it depends on where the property sits. Under the Residential Code of Ohio, minor repairs to a house need no application to the building department, as long as they do not cut away part of a wall or a load-bearing support. A retaining wall no taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, is exempt from approval unless it holds back an added load such as a driveway or sloped ground. Taller walls tied to the house, and work that cuts into load-bearing masonry, generally need approval where a city, township or county building department enforces the code. Kentucky and Indiana have their own state codes and local departments, so we check with the department for your address.

Historic districts add a second layer. In Cincinnati, exterior work on a property in a local historic district such as Over-the-Rhine needs a certificate of appropriateness, even when the work needs no building permit. Covington requires one before exterior changes in its historic preservation overlays, which include MainStrasse and Licking Riverside. We apply for the permits and approvals the job needs before work starts.

What’s the difference between tuckpointing and repointing?

Repointing is the repair: cutting out failed mortar and packing in new. Strictly, tuckpointing is a decorative finish, a thin raised line of lime putty or mortar run over flush joints, as the National Park Service notes in Preservation Brief 2. Most people use the two words for the same job, and that is fine. What matters is the method: we rake joints out by hand to about two and a half times the joint width, refill them in lifts, and tool them to match the existing profile. More in our tuckpointing vs. repointing article and on the tuckpointing page.

What mortar do you use?

For most brick work, Type N portland cement-lime mortar mixed to ASTM C270. We do not use masonry cement, and we do not put hard, portland-rich Type S on soft old brick. On brick laid before about 1920 and on soft stone we use lime-rich Type N or Type O, picked from a sample panel. The principle is set out in NPS Preservation Brief 2: new mortar has to be softer and more vapor permeable than the brick, so the joint takes the wear and the brick does not.

Can you match historic mortar?

Yes. We have a sample of the old mortar analyzed for its binder, sand gradation and color, then build a small trial repair that you approve before production work starts. Matching the sand does most of the work on color and texture, because sand is the largest part of the mix. Where bricks or stones are too far gone, we set reclaimed, matched units. This is the method in NPS Preservation Brief 2, and it is how we approach older buildings in Over-the-Rhine, Mount Adams, Covington and the river towns. See historic masonry restoration.

Do you work through winter?

Yes, with care. Once the temperature drops below 40°F, the masonry specification we build to (TMS 602) calls for special cold-weather procedures, such as heating the sand and water for the mortar and protecting new masonry while it cures. We use tented enclosures and heated blankets on structural work through Cincinnati winters. Routine tuckpointing we usually schedule between April and November, when mortar can cure without help.

Is my chimney safe? How do I know when it needs repair?

Look for crumbling mortar joints, brick faces flaking off (spalling), a cracked crown on top, rust stains on the flue liner, water stains on the ceiling or wall beside the chimney, or white salt bloom on the brick. Each one means water is getting in, and every freeze-thaw cycle makes it worse, so have it looked at before winter. A chimney that leans is different: keep people clear of it and call. We inspect chimneys on site and tell you whether it needs a new crown, repointing or a rebuild. See chimney repair and five signs your chimney needs repair.

Should I install a chimney cap?

Usually, yes. A stainless steel or copper cap keeps rain, animals and leaves out of the flue, which helps the flue and the crown last longer. We install caps on their own ($320 to $840 typical) or as part of a crown repair or rebuild. A cap does not replace the crown, though. The crown is the concrete slab that sheds water off the top course of brick; ours are reinforced cast concrete with an overhang, a drip groove and a bond break at the flue liner.

Brick, stone or veneer: what should I choose?

It comes down to the structure under it and the budget. Full-depth brick and natural stone carry their own weight and last as long as the joints are kept pointed and water is kept off the top. Natural stone costs more to buy and to lay. Adhered stone veneer is thin and light, goes over a prepared wall and costs less than full stone, but it depends entirely on the water barrier, lath and flashing behind it. We look at what the wall can carry and spec the right product. See stone work and brick repair.

Do you work on insurance repairs?

Yes, on the repair side. We write line-item repair estimates that a carrier’s adjuster can follow, and we work alongside the property owner, the adjuster and the owner’s general contractor when there is one. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer, and we make no promises about what a claim will pay. See storm damage repair.

I got a code-violation notice. Can you help?

Yes. Send us the notice. We scope and price the repairs your notice lists, handle the permits and any historic-board approvals the work needs, and put it in a written estimate you can show the city. We do this for homeowners, landlords and property managers on brick garages, chimneys, walls, porches and steps. See code-violation repairs.