Philadelphia · free referral service, not a mason
Brick pointing & masonry repair in Philadelphia
Crumbling mortar, a damp party wall, spalled brick on the front of a rowhome? Tell us about the wall and we’ll pass it to an independent Philadelphia mason for a free quote. Our guides explain mortar, permits and historic review in plain English, with every source linked.
- Free to use
- Independent local contractors
- Lime-mortar and historic work
Free · no obligation
Tell us about the wall
Philly Brick Pointing is a free referral service, not a masonry contractor. We pass your request to an independent Philadelphia contractor, who quotes and does the work.
What we help with
Brick pointing & repointing
Front facades, rear walls and side walls: raking out failed mortar and repacking the joints.
Historic repointing
Lime mortar, matched color and joint profile, and Historical Commission samples.
Spalled & cracked brick
Replacing damaged brick and fixing the cause, usually water.
Stone walls & foundations
Fieldstone and schist houses, stone foundations and brownstone trim.
Paint & stucco on brick
What to do about painted, stuccoed or Permastone-covered brick.
Bowing walls & star bolts
When a pointing job is really a structural one.
Philadelphia brick, in three facts
- Mortar should be the weak link. The National Park Service says new mortar must be softer and more permeable than the brick, so the joint, not the brick, takes the stress and lets water out.
- Old Philly brick is soft inside. The City’s Rowhouse Manual notes the outer face of local brick is the most durable part, and many 19th-century rowhouses have thin “butter joints” that should be raked out by hand, not sawn wider.
- Most pointing needs no building permit, but on a historic-register property it needs Historical Commission review, often with a sample panel checked in the field.
What repointing costs
Prices depend on the area of wall, its height, the mortar, and how much brick also needs replacing. These published ranges are a starting point:
| Item | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Repointing, per 100 sq ft of wall | $500–$2,500 | HomeGuide (national) |
| Repointing, per 100 sq ft of wall | $400–$2,500 (avg. about $1,450) | Angi (national) |
| Repointing, per sq ft | $3–$20 | HomeGuide (national) |
| Repointing, per sq ft, Philadelphia | $8–$25; most rowhome jobs $12–$18 | Natalini & Son (local contractor) |
| Full rowhome facade, Philadelphia | $6,000–$15,000+ | Natalini & Son (local contractor) |
| Whole 2,500 sq ft brick house | $5,000–$40,000 | HomeGuide (national) |
Work above about 8 feet usually costs more because of scaffolding: HomeGuide and Angi both put the premium at 20–40%. Full cost guide.
Permits & historic review
- Usually no building permit. L&I lists “pointing masonry” among the projects that often don’t need a building permit, as long as the property is not on the Philadelphia historic register.
- Historical Commission review if the house is on the register. The City says project reviews are required for “masonry cleaning, painting, pointing, repair, replacement, alteration, or removal.” Review is free, and staff often approve applications without sending them to the full Commission.
- A Streets Department permit for scaffolding on the sidewalk. Scaffolding, shelter platforms and dumpsters in the public right-of-way need a street closure permit. Applicants must hold a Contractor License or Commercial Activity License and apply at least 10 business days ahead.
- A licensed contractor. Ask for the firm’s Philadelphia Contractor License, or its Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration if it only works on existing one- and two-family homes.
How the referral works
- You describe the wall in the short form: ZIP, which wall, and what you see.
- We pass it to one independent contractor who does masonry work in your part of the city.
- They contact you, look at the wall, and give you a quote. Hiring them is up to you.
Philly Brick Pointing is a free referral service, not a masonry contractor. We pass your request to an independent Philadelphia contractor, who quotes and does the work. The contractor, not us, sets prices and is responsible for the work, permits, licensing and insurance. We may receive a fee from contractors we refer. Full disclosure.
Sources
- National Park Service, Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (PDF)
- City of Philadelphia: Philadelphia Rowhouse Manual (PDF)
- City of Philadelphia: Get a building permit (L&I)
- Philadelphia Historical Commission: Get approval for work to a historic property
- Philadelphia Streets Department: Street closure permit for construction
- City of Philadelphia: Get a Contractor License
- HomeGuide: Repointing / tuckpointing cost
- Angi: How much does repointing brick cost?
- Natalini & Son Masonry (a Philadelphia-area contractor): Brick repointing cost in Philadelphia
Checked October 30, 2026. Rules, programs and prices change, so confirm with the source. Cost figures are published ranges, not quotes.