Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Historic Masonry Contractor

I've been doing this for over 25 years now, starting as a laborer in London before I ever picked up a trowel professionally, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that historic buildings don't forgive guesswork. Get the mortar wrong, get the technique wrong, or hire a crew that's never worked on anything older than a 1990s subdivision, and you can do some serious damage that takes years to undo and a lot more money to fix than it would've cost to just do it right the first time. 

Before you sign a contract with anyone, you need to know they actually understand the difference between slapping up modern brick and preserving something that's been standing for a hundred years or more. JMS Masonry & Restoration provides historic masonry services to Greater Boston and surrounding communities including Cambridge, Brookline, and Newton, and I want to walk you through the questions I'd ask if I were in your shoes.

TL;DR: Hiring the right historic masonry contractor comes down to asking about their experience, how they handle materials, and how they approach preservation before any work starts.

Ask About Experience With Buildings Of Your Era

Construction methods have changed a lot over the decades, and a contractor who's comfortable with brick veneer from the 90s might have zero clue what to do with the load-bearing masonry you'll find in a building from the 1800s. Ask how many projects they've done on structures from a similar era to yours, and don't be shy about asking to see photos. If someone's really done historic work, they'll be able to talk specifics about the techniques used back then, not just give you a generic answer about "masonry being masonry.” Stay far away from that if you’re looking for historic masonry restoration.

Ask How They Approach Mortar Matching

A lot of older buildings were built with lime-based mortar, which is softer and breathes a lot better than the Portland cement mixes everyone uses today. Use the wrong mortar and you can trap moisture right inside the wall, which speeds up deterioration instead of stopping it.

Why Lime Mortar Matters

Older masonry was built to flex and breathe a little, and lime mortar lets moisture escape naturally instead of trapping it behind the brick face. Swap it out for a rigid modern mix and you're setting the wall up to crack or spall down the road.

What To Ask The Historic Masonry Contractor Directly

Ask them straight up whether they test the existing mortar before starting and how they'll match both the strength and the look of the original stuff. If they can't answer that clearly, that's a red flag.

Ask About Familiarity With Local Historic District Requirements

A lot of Boston neighborhoods fall under historic district rules, and those rules can dictate what you're even allowed to change on the outside of your building. A contractor who's worked in these districts before will know the approval process inside and out, which saves you a lot of headaches and delays.

Ask What Their Process Looks Like Before Work Begins

Anyone who takes historic work seriously is going to walk the property first, document what they're seeing, and explain it to you before they touch a single brick. That's a world away from a rushed estimate based on a quick drive-by look.

Site Assessment Before Any Contract

Ask what kind of assessment they actually do up front and how they'll keep you in the loop. We follow this approach on every historic restoration project we take on, because that diagnosis stage is usually what tells you whether you need repointing or something a lot more involved.

Communication Throughout The Project

A good contractor should also tell you how they plan to update you as work progresses, not just show up, do the job, and disappear. Ask how often you'll hear from them and who your main point of contact will be.

Ask About Warranty And Long-Term Monitoring

Good historic masonry work should hold up for decades, not just until the invoice clears. Ask if the contractor offers a warranty and whether they'll actually check back in after the job's done. Our team monitors completed jobs for the duration of the warranty period, because I'd rather catch a small issue early than have someone call me three years later with a big one.

Ask For References From Similar Historic Projects

If a contractor's confident in their historic work, they shouldn't have a problem connecting you with past clients who had similar projects done. Ask for references tied specifically to historic or older buildings, not just their general client list, since the skills involved are pretty different from your standard residential or commercial job.

Why Hiring A Reputable Historic Masonry Contractor Like JMS Masonry Matters

Greater Boston has one of the biggest concentrations of historic brick and stone buildings anywhere in the country, and keeping that character intact means finding contractors who actually respect the original materials and methods instead of cutting corners. 

JMS Masonry & Restoration offers historic masonry repair in Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, and more. I've built this business on more than 25 years of hands-on trade experience, starting with my training at Langs of London Trade School. 

According to the National Park Service's Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, preserving historic materials whenever possible should guide any rehabilitation project, and that's exactly why these questions matter before you let anyone touch a historic structure.

If you're planning a historic masonry project in the Boston area, give us a call. We’re always happy to answer any questions you have. Reach us at 781-435-0498 or fill out our contact form to get started.