Boulevard houses
Brick-and-stone houses fronting Logan, Palmer and Kedzie Boulevards. Larger, often three storeys with stone stoops, limestone window heads and parapet caps.
Service area · 60647
Masonry contractor in Logan Square, Chicago.
Logan Square (ZIP 60647) is built on 1900s common-brick worker cottages, two-flats and three-flats — fronted by the boulevard houses on Logan, Palmer and Kedzie Boulevards, which sit inside the Chicago Boulevards landmark district. Common-brick repointing, boulevard-house matched-mortar work and Milwaukee Avenue storefront lintel jobs are the dominant scopes here.
- Licensed
- Bonded
- Insured
- License TGC-098-734
- Est. 2014
- Boulevards landmark
Approximate boundaries: Diversey (north) · Bloomingdale (south) · Western Ave (east) · Pulaski Rd (west). Centred on the rotary where Logan, Kedzie and Milwaukee meet. Open in OpenStreetMap.
What we run on Logan Square walls.
Weighted toward common-brick repointing and boulevard-house matched-mortar work.
01 · Walls
Tuckpointing
Two-flat and worker-cottage common-brick repointing on Type-N mortar — the steady residential scope across Logan Square.
02 · WallsBrick repair
Spalled common brick on south- and west-facing walls, porch step rebuilds and stair-stringer repointing on worker cottages.
03 · RestorationMasonry restoration
Boulevard houses on Logan, Palmer and Kedzie — matched stone trim, mortar by sample, Commission-coordinated work.
04 · CommercialCommercial & facade
Milwaukee Avenue mixed-use brick — storefront lintels, second-floor tuckpointing, parapet rebuilds around the rotary.
05 · HardscapeBrick pavers
Worker-cottage back-yard patios, two-flat side-yard walkways, retaining walls along Bloomingdale Trail grade changes.
ReferenceCost ranges
Per-service ranges including boulevard-house matched-stone pricing and Milwaukee mid-rise swing-stage costs.
Logan Square is built around the boulevards.
Three layers — boulevard houses, common-brick residential, and Milwaukee Avenue commercial. The trade changes block by block.
Common-brick worker cottages & two-flats
1900s–1920s walk-ups and cottages on the side streets — Drake, Sawyer, Spaulding. Front porches with brick stairs and stair-stringer repair are common.
Milwaukee Ave mixed-use
Storefront commercial brick from the 1910s–1930s through the rotary and beyond. Lintel replacement and upper-floor repointing run on swing-stage.
Typical work we run on these walls
- Boulevard house repointing with matched stone trim.
- Common-brick worker-cottage tuckpointing.
- Brick porch step and stair-stringer rebuild.
- Spalled brick replacement on south- and west-exposed walls.
- Milwaukee Avenue storefront lintel replacement.
- Parapet rebuild on the rotary mid-rise blocks.
- Two-flat parapet cap repair and flashing.
- Retaining walls along grade changes near the 606.
Boulevards, the rotary and Milwaukee Avenue.
Logan Square is organised around the boulevard system. Logan and Palmer run east–west, Kedzie runs north–south, and they meet at the rotary by the Illinois Centennial Monument. Milwaukee Avenue cuts diagonally through the square, carrying the commercial strip. Residential side streets fan out from there with worker cottages and two-flats.
Streets we read often
- Logan Boulevard — boulevard houses, Landmarks Commission scope.
- Palmer Boulevard — boulevard houses, stone trim work.
- Kedzie Boulevard — north–south boulevard, also landmark-fronting.
- Milwaukee Ave — diagonal commercial strip, lintel and parapet work.
- California / Western — Milwaukee crossings, mixed-use brick.
- Drake / Sawyer / Spaulding — worker-cottage side streets.
Anchors in the area
The Illinois Centennial Monument at the rotary, the Logan Theatre, the Comfort Station at Milwaukee & Logan, the Logan Square Auditorium, and the weekly farmers' market sit inside the area. The Bloomingdale Trail (the 606) cuts along the southern edge and shapes a lot of the rear-yard hardscape work we run here.
What the city asks for in Logan Square.
The Chicago Boulevards System is the local landmark angle.
The Chicago Boulevards System — the historic parkway network that runs through Logan Square — is designated a Chicago Landmark district. Buildings whose primary facade fronts Logan, Palmer or Kedzie Boulevard fall inside that district. Most side-street addresses one block off the boulevards are outside landmark control.
- Boulevard-fronting buildings — Landmarks Commission review for facade work. Test panels on a hidden bay before full work, matched stone trim, matched mortar by sample.
- Side-street residential — standard masonry permits; most residential tuckpointing requires no permit at all.
- Milwaukee mid-rise — taller buildings around the rotary fall under Chicago Facade Ordinance scope; engineer letter and permit are part of the work.
- Boulevards History — the Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District covers multiple boulevard segments across the city; in Logan Square it shapes most of the higher-end masonry work.
We confirm landmark status by parcel before the visit and tell you what the permit path looks like on the on-site walk.
What the work looks like.
Logan Square masonry questions.
What's the typical Logan Square building stock?
Logan Square (60647) is built on 1900s–1920s common-brick worker cottages, two-flats and three-flats with porches and parapet caps. The defining feature is the Chicago Boulevards System — the blocks fronting Logan, Palmer and Kedzie Boulevards carry larger boulevard houses with stone and brick detail. Mixed-use brick lines Milwaukee Avenue and the rotary at the Illinois Centennial Monument.
Is Logan Square inside a landmark district?
Parts of it. The Chicago Boulevards System — including Logan Boulevard, Palmer Boulevard and Kedzie Boulevard frontages — is designated a Chicago Landmark district, so facade work on boulevard-fronting buildings goes through Landmarks Commission review. Most addresses one block off the boulevards are outside landmark control. We confirm by parcel before the visit.
Do you handle boulevard houses on Logan or Palmer Boulevard?
Yes — boulevard houses are some of the largest residential masonry work we do in Logan Square. Typical scope is matched-mortar repointing on brick and limestone trim, stone stoop rebuilds, and parapet work on the taller boulevard mansions. We coordinate Landmarks Commission submissions for the addresses inside the Boulevards landmark district.
What causes common-brick spalling on Logan Square two-flats?
Most spalling on Logan Square two-flats traces to a failed mortar joint or a clogged downspout that lets water saturate the brick. Freeze-thaw cycles then pop the face shell. The repair always starts with the cause — flashing, downspout, lintel — before any brick is replaced. Otherwise the next bad winter takes the same brick off the wall again.
Do you work on the Milwaukee Avenue commercial strip?
Yes. The Milwaukee Avenue strip through Logan Square — including the blocks around the rotary and the Centennial Monument — runs on mixed-use commercial brick from the 1910s–1930s. We handle storefront lintel replacement, second- and third-floor tuckpointing on swing-stage or scaffold, and parapet rebuilds for taller buildings under the Facade Ordinance.
How much does masonry cost in Logan Square?
Common-brick two-flat and worker-cottage tuckpointing in Logan Square runs $8–$22 per sq ft. Boulevard-house repointing with matched mortar and stone trim runs $14–$28 per sq ft because of the slower work and Landmarks Commission coordination. Milwaukee Avenue mid-rise commercial tuckpointing on swing-stage runs $20–$45 per sq ft.
Other Chicago neighborhoods we cover.
Bucktown
60647 · neighbourShares the 60647 ZIP but the angle is industrial-loft conversions and the 606 — not the boulevards.
Wicker Park
60622Painted-Lady Victorians, Pierce Avenue mansions and the Damen-Milwaukee-North six-corners.
Lincoln Park
60614 · primaryGreystones, brick rowhouses, limestone-band restoration.
Lakeview
60657Three-flats, Wrigleyville and East Lakeview Sheridan condo facades.
Lincoln Square
60625German-era brick and bungalow belt.
Old Town
60610Old Town Triangle landmark district, preservation-grade by default.
All areas →
North Side · ChicagoService-area index with all seven neighborhoods.
Logan Square · free estimate
Walk us through your Logan Square wall.
Boulevard house, worker cottage or Milwaukee storefront — one on-site visit, one written scope, one crew on the job.