Average Masonry Crew Size (and Why It Matters)

If you’re evaluating masonry contractors for a restoration or repair job, crew size might not be the first thing on your mind. Totally fair, but it’s honestly more important than you probably realize and it’s a great question to ask during initial conversations. The number of people on a masonry crew directly impacts your project’s timeline, the quality of workmanship, and whether the contractor can actually handle the scope. 

TL;DR: A typical masonry crew ranges from a few people on small residential jobs to a dozen or more on large commercial projects. Crew size affects how fast the work gets done and the level of attention to detail. Make sure the contractor you hire has enough skilled hands for your project but not a team that’s way too large and one that’s hard for them to manage.

What's the Typical Size of a Masonry Crew?

On average, a typically masonry crew isn’t huge. Usually about 3 to 6 people for most residential projects. For example, a small brick repair job might have a masonry team of one experienced mason, an apprentice, and a laborer mixing mortar. A mid-sized project (like a whole façade repointing on a three-story building) could involve 5-6 crew members, often led by a foreman. Every crew typically includes a mix of skill levels: seasoned masons to do the precise work and laborers to handle hauling, mixing, and site prep.

We’ve run jobs in Greater Boston where just a few people could handle a simple chimney repair, and we’ve been on big commercial sites where 10+ people were on the scaffolding at once. The key is that the crew size is matched to the work. There’s no one-size-fits-all number, but most local masonry crews are leaner than you might expect. You want enough hands to be efficient, but not so many that they trip over each other.

How Does Crew Size Affect Project Timelines?

Crew size can be the difference between finishing a project in two weeks versus two months. It’s pretty simple on the surface: more crew members means more work gets done at the same time. If you have a big wall to rebuild, five masons can lay more bricks in a day than two masons… obviously! A larger crew also lets specialists focus on their tasks. One group can demo the old wall while others start cutting and laying new brick, all at the same time.

Teamwork speeds things up and keeps the project on schedule, especially important given Boston’s short warm season for exterior work (but we work year-round anyway, so it doesn’t phase the JMS crew!).

All that said, there’s also a point of diminishing returns. When a masonry crew grows too large for the site or the job’s complexity, efficiency can actually suffer. The ideal crew size hits a sweet spot: enough people that you’re never waiting on manpower, but not so many that coordination becomes a headache.

Another thing to consider is scheduling and reliability: a smaller contractor with a tiny crew might juggle multiple jobs, meaning they’re only at your site a couple of days a week. A company with a bigger team (or multiple crews like we have) can dedicate more consistent man-hours to your project. When you discuss timelines with a contractor, it’s important to ask how many people will be working on your job and how that will be scheduled.

What's the Difference Between Residential and Commercial Masonry Crews?

Residential and commercial projects often differ in scope, and the crew sizes usually reflect that. For a residential project (like fixing a homeowner’s front steps or repointing a two-family home), you’re generally looking at a smaller crew. Many residential masonry contractors operate with 2-4 person crews. These are tight-knit teams, sometimes including the owner or lead mason working alongside a helper or two. Smaller crews can be more personal. If that’s what you’re looking for, great. The mason doing your brickwork might be the business owner themselves, ensuring a high level of care. The upside is you know exactly who’s on your property. The downside? If it’s just a couple of guys, that project might stretch out longer, and if one gets sick, work pauses.

Commercial masonry projects, on the other hand, tend to require larger crews and more coordination. When you’re restoring a 10-story building facade or doing a big masonry restoration on a historic church, a three-man crew won’t cut it. Commercial jobs often involve multiple specialists: think foremen, licensed riggers for scaffolding, safety supervisors, and a whole squad of masons and laborers. It’s not unusual for a commercial masonry crew to have 8, 12, or even more people on site for a big job. They might break into sub-crews tackling different sections of the building simultaneously. The larger team size helps meet tighter deadlines and manage extensive work areas.

Another key difference: equipment and logistics. Commercial crews frequently use heavy equipment (boom lifts, forklifts, mixers) that require certified operators, which effectively adds to the crew. Residential crews are more likely to be mixing mortar in a wheelbarrow and working off portable ladders or small scaffolds. So, when evaluating contractors, consider the nature of your project. A single-family home doesn’t need a dozen people stomping around, and a large commercial property shouldn’t rely on one pickup truck’s worth of guys. 

Does a Bigger Crew Mean Better Quality?

Intuitively, you might think more masons = better quality because there are more eyes on the work. In practice, quality in masonry comes down to skill, experience, and supervision, not just headcount. I’ll be straight with you: I would take a small crew of 3 highly skilled masons over a crew of 10 where half are green laborers any day. Masonry is a craft. If too many people are involved and not all are properly trained, mistakes can slip through. More hands on the wall can mean more inconsistency unless there’s strong oversight. On a delicate historic job, an oversized crew might even hurt quality because it’s easier to lose control of details like mortar joints consistency or brick alignment when everyone assumes “someone else will catch it.”

On the flip side, an understaffed crew can also compromise quality, but in a different way. If a job needs four people and you’ve only got two, those two might rush or cut corners to try to stay on schedule. They’re also likely to get fatigued, and that’s when sloppy work happens (uneven joints, improper curing, forgotten cleaning of excess mortar, you name it).

There’s also something to be said for having dedicated roles: a larger crew lets one person focus on mixing perfect mortar batches all day, for example, which means the masons laying brick get consistent mortar. In a tiny crew, the mason might be constantly stopping to mix mud, and that stop-start can impact the flow and quality of the work.

In my 25+ years, I’ve found that crew experience matters more than crew size. A well-balanced team (whether it’s 3 people or 10) that communicates and knows their stuff will deliver solid quality. A big crew of random hires who barely know each other can sometimes be a recipe for headaches if not properly managed. So no, bigger doesn’t automatically mean better. The goal is to have the right crew: the proper number of skilled people who can pay attention to detail and work together smoothly.

How Do You Know If a Contractor Has The Right Crew Size for Your Project?

Here are a few tips from someone who’s seen hundreds of projects:

• Ask upfront: In the initial conversation, ask “How many people do you plan to have on my job, and what are their roles?” A reputable, experienced contractor should be able to outline their crew composition. If they say it’s just a couple of guys for a complex project, that’s cause for concern. Conversely, if they boast about a huge crew for a small repair, ask why all those people are necessary.

• Check past projects: Size and scope of past work will tell you a lot. If you’re hiring for a commercial building repointing, does the contractor have experience with projects of similar scale? If yes, they likely have the masonry team (or multiple teams) to handle it. You can browse JMS Masonry’s portfolio for examples of different project sizes we’ve handled - notice how the crew might scale up for a big apartment building versus a townhouse. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and specifically inquire if the contractor’s crew size felt adequate on those past jobs!

• Evaluate their schedule: A contractor might have the ability to field a big crew, but are those folks available when you need them? Find out if they’re juggling many projects at once. If their core crew is tied up elsewhere, you don’t want to be stuck waiting or be the afterthought project. The right contractor will be honest about their availability and whether they might bring in additional trusted workers to meet your deadline.

• Look for transparency: Trustworthy masonry contractors will be straight about their capacity. They might say, “We’ll start with a four-man crew and can add a couple more if needed to stay on track.” That kind of candid planning is a green flag. What you want to avoid is the contractor who promises the moon to win the bid (“Sure, we can do your large building in two weeks!”) but shows up with a tiny crew and lots of excuses.

In the end, crew size is about balance. You want to work with an experienced masonry contractor who can put the right number of skilled people on your project from day one. It’s one of those practical details that separates a smooth, on-schedule job from a stressful one.

Our Opinion

Every building and project in Boston is a little different. After decades in the field, I can tell you that getting the crew size right is one of those behind-the-scenes factors that hugely determines a project’s success. The average property owner might not think to ask about it, but now you know better. Take it from a guy who’s been restoring brick and stone in this city for a long time: don’t hesitate to consult with a restoration specialist if you’re unsure about what your job requires. We’re always happy to talk it through. 

At the end of the day, the goal is a quality job done on time, with no surprises. And that starts with having the right team on the job. Give us a call if you want to talk through your project. We’re here to help, whether your masonry needs are big or small.