Overview: Masonry Services
Masonry contractors lay and repair anything set in mortar: brick, block, natural stone and the cast veneer that copies it. On a Canadian house that usually means a brick front, a chimney stack, the front steps and the parging over an exposed foundation. Most of their year goes to repairs, and most repairs are really about mortar.
Frost writes the rules here. Water soaks into a joint, freezes, and pries it open a little more each winter. That's why the mortar should be the weak link. The National Research Council's guidance on older masonry favours a softer, more permeable repointing mix that takes the damage so the brick doesn't. A hard cement mix flips that around, and old brick pays with its face.
Timing counts too. The same guidance says to repoint well before or well after freezing weather. A crew that wants to start in November should talk about tarps and heat. One that tells you to wait for spring is probably giving you straight advice.
Our listings show what each masonry contractor states on its own website. Pick your province, then your city, to find the bricklayers and stonemasons who take on work where you live.
What does masonry work cost in Canada?
Compare the repair area, material match and access. Small repairs often carry a mobilisation charge that area rates do not show.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Brick repointing | C$12–C$30per repaired wall sq ft | Accessible wall; mortar removal depth and compatible replacement mortar specified.Confirm the measured wall area, joint removal depth and access. A small-repair minimum or scaffolding can outweigh the unit rate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Joint preparation; Repointing and cleanup Budget separately or confirm: Scaffolding; Brick replacement |
| Damaged brick replacement | C$25–C$50per brick replaced | Individual nonstructural brick replacement in an accessible wall; ordinary matching brick supplied.Ask for the complete small-job price: mobilisation and access can make a few bricks cost more than quantity × unit rate.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Removal of the damaged brick; Replacement brick, mortar and installation Budget separately or confirm: Structural support or wall rebuilding; Special salvage brick and difficult access |
| Chimney masonry repair | C$500–C$2,500per assessed repair | Minor above-roof crown repair or local repointing; access and cap scope stated.Have the quote identify crown repair or repointing and any scaffold charge; a new cap is not assumed.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified local crown or mortar-joint repair; Cleanup Budget separately or confirm: New chimney cap, flue lining or full rebuild; Unlisted roof or access work |
| Manufactured stone veneer installation | C$30–C$60per finished wall sq ft | Adhered manufactured veneer on prepared suitable backing, with specified drainage and flashings.Confirm the prepared backing, drainage, flashings, corner pieces and access equipment. Repairs to the supporting wall need a separate price.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Veneer and mortar system; Installation Budget separately or confirm: Structural rebuilding; Major substrate repairs |
| Window lintel replacement | C$1,500–C$4,500per assessed opening | One residential window opening; span, storey, temporary support and local brick reinstatement agreed.Price the complete opening and access arrangement; wider spans or severe surrounding damage need a separate assessment.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified lintel and installation; Agreed local brick reinstatement Budget separately or confirm: Garage-door spans or extensive wall rebuilding; Engineering, permits and special brick sourcing unless stated |
| Foundation parging application | C$8–C$15per exposed wall sq ft | Standard cementitious parging on an accessible, sound above-grade foundation; ordinary surface preparation.Ask whether old coating must be fully removed. Parging does not replace a separately specified waterproofing or structural repair.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Parging mix and application; Ordinary cleaning and bonding preparation Budget separately or confirm: Extensive stripping of failed old coating; Structural crack repair, excavation or waterproofing |
What changes the price
- Defect depth, mortar compatibility, brick or stone availability and matching.
- Height, scaffolding, temporary support and occupied-site access.
- Water entry, freeze-thaw damage, concealed defects and weather protection.
Ask before accepting a quote
- What caused the damage, and does this price address the cause as well as the visible repair?
- Are scaffolding, protection, disposal and matching materials included?
- How will hidden damage or additional brick replacement be priced?
Match the repair method
- Compare repointing depth and mortar specification, not only price per square foot.
- Ask for access costs as a separate line when comparing a small repair with a larger package.
Canadian context
For exposed masonry, ask how the repair specification and curing arrangements suit local freeze-thaw and seasonal conditions.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is repointing and when is it needed?
It's cutting out worn mortar and packing fresh mortar into the joints. You need it when mortar crumbles under a key, when joints have worn back behind the brick face, or when damp shows inside an outside wall. Ask what tools the crew uses. The National Research Council warns that power saws and grinders chew up brick edges on thin or vertical joints, where hand chisels are safer.
Do I need heritage approval to repoint an old house?
In Ontario, only if the property is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, on its own or as part of a heritage conservation district. On a property designated on its own, work that affects its heritage attributes needs the municipality's written consent before it starts. Routine maintenance usually doesn't. In a district, exterior work needs a heritage permit unless the district plan exempts it as minor. The designation by-law or district plan spells out what's covered, so call your municipality's heritage planner before the scaffold goes up.
What usually goes wrong with a chimney?
Water gets in at the top. A cracked crown lets meltwater into the stack, where it freezes inside the brick, and the courses above the roofline start shedding their faces. The flashing where the stack meets the shingles is the other leak, and ice damming makes it worse. A leaning stack or a stepped crack is a rebuild, not a pointing job. Book roof work for the warm months.
Why is white powder showing on the brickwork?
Efflorescence. Water moving through the wall carries salts out and leaves them as a white bloom when it dries. Brush it off dry and skip the pressure washer. It'll come back until the wet stops, so look for an eavestrough that overflows, a downspout emptying at the wall, or snow shovelled against the brick all winter. Road and walkway salt splashed onto the lower courses adds its own crust.
What holds a brick or stone veneer on the wall?
Metal ties anchor the veneer to the framing or block behind it, across an air gap that's meant to drain. The small openings along the bottom course let that water out. Once they're packed with mortar, caulk or ice, water sits in the cavity, the ties rust and frost goes to work low on the wall. Bulging brick, or a wall pulling away at the top, means the ties are failing.
How do I know a lintel has failed?
Look above windows and doors. A joint opening along the top of the frame, cracks climbing from the upper corners, or bricks sagging in the middle all point to a steel lintel rusting inside the wall. Rust swells as it grows and lifts the masonry. Fresh pointing over those cracks won't last a winter. The lintel gets cleaned and treated or replaced, and the brick above it relaid.
