Cleaning & repointing
Gentle chemical cleaning, mortar matched by sample, joints tooled to original profile. The most conservative restoration scope.
Service · Restoration
Masonry restoration in Chicago — historic walls put back in service.
Masonry restoration brings a brick or stone building back to soundness and original appearance without losing the historic detail. 312 Masonry restores greystones, brick facades, limestone bands and original mortar profiles across Chicago — matched material, conservation-first scope, documented before-and-after. Licensed, bonded, insured. 48-hour on-site estimate.
- Licensed
- Bonded
- Insured
- License TGC-098-734
- Est. 2014
- 48-hour estimates
What is masonry restoration?
Masonry restoration spans cleaning, repointing, matched replacement and partial rebuild on brick, stone and limestone walls. It applies the conservation rule of doing the least intervention that solves the problem, and uses materials matched in age, strength and texture so the repair doesn't read as new against the original work.
- The original wall is the reference — match it, don't replace it.
- Soft historic brick takes soft mortar; hard mortar cracks the face shell.
- Cleaning is chemistry first, abrasion last — never pressure-wash a soft wall.
What a 312 Masonry restoration includes.
Conservation-first, documented at each step, slower on purpose so the wall doesn't read as new.
- Site documentation — photos, dimensions and mortar samples before any disturbance.
- Test panels first — cleaning method, mortar mix and replacement brick approved on a hidden bay before full work.
- Matched material sourcing — salvage brick, custom-blended mortar, quarry-matched limestone.
- Hand tools on delicate stock — chisels and grinders by feel, no high-pressure wash.
- Landmark / historic-district coordination — Chicago Landmarks Commission submissions when in scope.
- One conservation-first crew — no production-line tear-out, no subcontracted labour.
- Final documentation — photos, mix recipes, material sources, written close-out you can hand to the next owner.
Types of restoration we handle in Chicago.
Partial rebuild & replacement
Spalled sections, deteriorated parapets, limestone bands and window sills — taken down in measured bays, rebuilt with matched material.
Full facade restoration
Multi-trade scope across an entire elevation — engineer coordination, swing-stage access, brick, stone, mortar, sealant and flashing.
Four steps from call to documented close-out.
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Call or write
Send a few photos — facade, problem area, any historic documents you have. Same-day reply during business hours.
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48-hour visit & sampling
Crew lead pulls mortar samples, photographs the wall and identifies areas needing test panels.
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Test panels & written scope
Cleaning method, mortar mix and replacement material proven on a hidden bay. Scope and budget locked once test panels are approved.
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Build & document
Wall work proceeds in measured bays; photos, mix recipes and material sources logged for the final close-out.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Chicago?
Restoration cleaning runs $4–$12 per square foot. Cleaning combined with gentle repointing runs $14–$32 per sq ft. Partial rebuild with matched-brick replacement runs $40–$120 per sq ft. Full facade restoration on landmark or pre-1900 stock runs $100–$250+ per sq ft.
| Scope | Range |
|---|---|
| Wall cleaning (chemical / mild abrasive) | $4–$12 per sq ft |
| Cleaning + gentle repointing | $14–$32 per sq ft |
| Partial rebuild + matched replacement | $40–$120 per sq ft |
| Full facade restoration | $100–$250+ per sq ft |
| Test panels (start-of-job) | $1,500–$6,000 |
Range. Final cost confirmed after a 48-hour on-site visit, mortar sampling and approved test panels.
What moves the number up or down
- Age of stock — pre-1900 work needs softer mix and slower labour.
- Material sourcing — quarry-matched limestone is the slowest line item.
- Landmark / historic-district review and submission.
- Access — ladder vs. scaffold vs. swing-stage on multi-story facades.
- Number of test panels approved before full work.
What the work looks like.
Where we restore in Chicago.
Lincoln Park
60614 · Primary service areaGreystones, brownstones, limestone bands — most restoration work happens here.
Lakeview
60657Mid-rise condo facades, brick courtyards and historic two-flats.
Logan Square
60647Worker cottages and three-flats with original common brick.
Lincoln Square
60625German-era brick. Restoration-grade work on original facades.
Old Town
60610Pre-Fire and Victorian brick. Landmark-district review common.
Bucktown
60647Workers' brick and adapted commercial. Conservation-grade approach.
Wicker Park
60622Three-flats and converted commercial brick. Period detail preserved.
All areas →
North Side · ChicagoLandmark and historic-district requests reviewed across the wider North Side.
Restoration questions we get every week.
What is masonry restoration?
Masonry restoration is the trade of returning a brick or stone building to soundness and original appearance without losing its historic detail. It spans cleaning, repointing, matched replacement and partial rebuild, applies the rule of least intervention and uses materials matched in age, strength and texture so the repair doesn't read as new against original work.
How is restoration different from regular brick repair?
Brick repair is the working trade of replacing damaged units and joints. Restoration is the conservation discipline above it: test panels before full work, the softest cleaning method that works, matched mortar and brick by sample, and documentation of the original wall before anything is disturbed. Restoration costs more per square foot because the labour is slower and more careful.
How do you match historic Chicago brick and mortar?
Brick is matched by size, colour family, texture and absorption against the original wall, sourced from salvage yards, original mills or custom blends. Mortar is matched by lab sample where the budget allows or by a tested mix recipe on site — usually a soft Type-N or lime-rich blend for pre-1920 stock. Test panels confirm both before full work.
How much does masonry restoration cost in Chicago?
Restoration cleaning runs $4–$12 per sq ft. Cleaning combined with gentle repointing runs $14–$32 per sq ft. Partial rebuild with matched-brick replacement runs $40–$120 per sq ft. Full facade restoration on landmark or pre-1900 stock runs $100–$250+ per sq ft.
Do you work on landmark or historic-district buildings?
Yes. Old Town, parts of Lincoln Park, the Pullman district and a number of individual landmarks fall under Chicago Landmarks Commission review. 312 Masonry coordinates with the Commission, prepares submission photos and test panels, and uses preservation-grade methods appropriate for the building.
How long does a typical restoration project take?
A residential greystone partial-rebuild typically runs three to eight weeks on site. A full facade restoration on a multi-story commercial building runs three to nine months with engineer coordination, swing-stage setup and city paperwork. Test panels add one to two weeks at the start but save weeks of rework later.
Often paired with restoration.
Walls
Tuckpointing
Mortar joints repointed with matched mix — the most common restoration line item on a Chicago greystone.
WallsBrick repair
Spalled, broken or displaced brick toothed in with matched units — paired with restoration on most jobs.
CommercialCommercial & facade
Full-facade restoration on multi-story buildings with engineer coordination and Facade Ordinance scope.
Free estimate
Get a restoration scope within 48 hours.
One on-site visit, mortar samples, written scope with photos and the path to test panels.