Masonry · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to masonry
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any mason in Middle Tennessee, including us.
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By Michael Blair, owner, Nashville's Masonry · who we are
Warning signs
How to know you need us
Recognize one? Have it looked at before it grows.
- Mortar joints that crumble or can be raked out with a screwdriver
- Stair-step cracking through the mortar joints of a brick wall
- Brick faces spalling — popping off in flakes, usually after winters
- A chimney crown cracked, or the chimney leaning away from the house
- White efflorescence staining, which indicates water moving through the masonry
- A sagging or rusted steel lintel above a window or a garage opening
Your options
More than one right answer.
Repointing, rebuilding a section or replacing the whole thing: the right call depends on whether the brick or the mortar is failing. Here is the range, without the upsell.
Repointing
Raking out failed mortar and replacing it with the correct specification. The core of masonry maintenance.
Brick or stone repair
Replacing spalled or damaged units and matching them in, rather than patching the face with filler.
Chimney rebuild
Above the roof line, or from the shoulder up, with a new crown and correct flashing.
New masonry
Steps, retaining walls, outdoor fireplaces, columns and veneer, built on a footing that will hold them.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
Masonry is priced by the square foot of wall, the course of chimney or the face foot of stone, and scaffolding can be its own line. A mason has to see the wall to count those; here is what changes them.
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Scope and access
Repointing a chimney above the roof line needs staging and costs far more per square foot than the same work at ground level.
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Matching existing work
Sourcing brick and coloring mortar to match an older wall is skilled work and is much of what you pay for on a repair.
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Mortar specification
Historic soft brick needs a lime-based mortar. Using modern hard Portland mortar on it will destroy the brick, and getting this right matters more than anything else.
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Structural versus cosmetic
A cracked veneer is a different job from a failing lintel or a shifting foundation wall, and the diagnosis decides the price.
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Material
Brick, block, natural stone and manufactured stone differ substantially in both material cost and installation time.
Estimates are free, written and without obligation. Anything found only after starting is priced up front.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Inspection
Close up, not from the ground, because mortar condition and lintel corrosion cannot be judged at a distance.
Mortar matching
Color and specification matched to the existing work, with a sample panel on larger jobs.
The work
Repointing is measured in days by area. A chimney rebuild is typically several days including the crown.
Cure and clean-down
Mortar needs to cure before cleaning, and the wrong cleaner on new work will burn the joints.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
Shortcuts that cheapen the quote and cost you later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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Portland mortar on soft historic brick
The most expensive mistake in masonry, and it is irreversible.
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Sealing brick to stop water
Masonry is designed to breathe. A sealer traps moisture inside and accelerates spalling.
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Face-patching spalled brick
Filler on a spalled face falls out within a season. The unit needs replacing.
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Repointing over a structural problem
If the wall is moving, new mortar cracks in the same place. Find out why first.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any mason.
Including us. If a mason cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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What mortar will you use, and why?
Matched to the masonry: lime mortar on old brick, portland on modern. The wrong mortar destroys a wall slowly, and the answer should be specific.
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Will you cut out and repoint, or skim over the joints?
Cut out to depth and repoint. A skim coat over failed joints is caulk with a better name, and it fails in a year.
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Is the chimney a structure to you, or a stack of brick?
The good answer talks about the crown, the flashing and the liner, not only the visible brick. Most chimney leaks are not the brick.
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Does the retaining wall have drainage behind it?
Gravel and a drain, in the quote. A block wall with no way for the water to get out is a wall that leans within a few winters.
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Are you licensed for the job value, and insured for scaffold work?
A Tennessee contractor’s license where the value requires it, and liability insurance for a crew on scaffolding. Ask for the certificate.
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What is the workmanship warranty on the joints?
Written, with a term, covering cracked or washed-out joints from the work. Brick is judged by the joint, and a mason should stand behind it.
FAQ
Choosing a mason in Nashville
How do I choose a mason in Nashville?
Every mason on our crews carries liability insurance on file with us and works under the Tennessee contractor’s license the job value requires; the ones working on historic brick have done lime-mortar work on houses we can name. Ask the six questions below of anyone, including us.
Should I get more than one quote for masonry?
Yes — and compare the scope, not the total. Masonry in Nashville is priced by the job — tuckpointing by the square foot of wall, a chimney rebuild by the course, a stone wall by the face foot — and the scaffolding and the access are their own lines on a two-story house.
Is the cheapest masonry quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically; a low number is information. It is irreversible and it spalls the brick; a mason who does not ask how old the house is has not thought about it.
Do I need a permit for masonry in Nashville?
Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permits structural masonry, chimney rebuilds above the roofline in some jurisdictions, and retaining walls over a set height; a repointing job needs none.
How far in advance should I book masonry?
A masonry estimate in Nashville is usually within a week or two; the work waits for weather above freezing and is scheduled in the quote.
Free estimate
Brick or stone that needs a mason?
Tell Nashville's Masonry what the wall, chimney or steps are doing, and our mason prices the job on paper at no charge, with no obligation attached.