Brooklyn brick repair cost is one of the first questions homeowners ask when they notice cracked mortar, spalling brick, or wall damage starting to spread. In Brooklyn, the price can vary a lot depending on what is damaged, how high the repair area is, and how long the problem has been left alone. If you want to understand Brooklyn brick repair cost, it helps to know what drives the price before getting estimates.
A good point to raise. And the truth is, brick repair Brooklyn prices come in as many different forms as the brick itself, it depends on what’s wrong, where it’s broken and how long no one has been taking care of it.
The following is a quick summary of the process.
Why Brooklyn Brick Repair Costs What It Does
Before a Brooklyn Brick Repair Contractor even examines any damage, there are a few factors that affect the price of any brick repair job.
Building age: The average Brooklyn house is 50-100 years old. Living in older buildings does demand more preparation than modern construction and the use of lime based mortars to match materials. This requires more time and is more expensive than normal repairs.
Cost of access and height: Normally, work on the ground floor is a lot cheaper than the same work three floors up. Depending on the building height and the duration of the work, scaffolding will cost $800 to $2,500 additional for any project larger than a ladder in NYC.
Extent of damage: Early detected small cracks are $400-600 repairs. The same crack which you neglected to repair during the last two winters, when water was getting in, turns into a $5,000 to $8,000 structural repair. The cumulative effect of each of the various stages of neglect increases the ultimate expense.
Past poor repairs: Very common in Brooklyn. The soft historic brick had been repaired with a previous contractor with hard Portland cement mortar, leading to cracking and spalling around the repairs. If you removed the previous incorrect work before the new work is done, then you are incurring the cost of the original wrong work, which the repair should have never had.
Cost Breakdown by Repair Type
Brick pointing / re-pointing
Most common brick repair project in Brooklyn. Mortar that has been deteriorated has been cleaned and replaced with a mortar mix that is compatible.
- Small section under 25 sq ft: $400 to $1,500
- Repoint the entire façade of a typical rowhouse: $13,000 to $27,000
- Full building repoint (sides and rear): $15,000 to $38,000+
- Price per square foot in Brooklyn: $8 to $18
Spalling brick replacement
Faces that have flaked or popped off of individual bricks, typically due to incorrect previous mortar or freeze-thaw damage. Bricks that have been taken out and replaced with the same bricks.
- Minor repair, 5 to 15 bricks: $600 to $2,200
- Larger section replacement: $2,500 to $7,500
Crack repair
Cost is totally dependent on the crack type. Surface cracks in the mortar are simple. Stair-step or horizontal cracks, which represent structural movement, are much more expensive as they must be evaluated and may necessitate structural repair prior to cosmetic repair.
- Surface crack patching: $400 to $1,200
- Stair step crack repair and repointing: $900 to $4,000
- Structural crack repair: $4,000 to $15,000+
Lintel repair / replacement
Over time, steel lintels over windows and doors corrode and expand, causing cracking of the adjacent brickwork. Common on buildings in Brooklyn 50 years old or more.
- Single lintel replacement: $800 to $2,500
- Multiple lintels: $2,000 to $7,000+
Parapet and chimney repair
Masonry on any Brooklyn building that is both the highest, and the most exposed. Indicates signs of damage almost always first on older buildings and structures.
- Chimney repointing: $900 to $3,500
- Parapet repointing: $1,200 to $4,500
- Partial parapet rebuild: $2,500 to $8,000
- Full chimney rebuild: $6,000 to $18,000+
Stoops and steps repair
Most other masonry surfaces will deteriorate at a slower rate than high foot traffic, salt and repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
- Patching cracked steps on existing steps: $300-$900
- Partial step replacement: $800 to $2,500
- Full stoop rebuild: $4,500 to $12,000
The Real Cost of Waiting
The numbers are based on damage being dealt with when first encountered. Things change when you wait. The final Brooklyn brick repair cost often rises when older damage has already allowed water to move deeper into the wall.
A $700 repair in one New York winter turns to a $2,500 repair when water penetrates the cracks. If not saved by a second winter in which the same area was subject to freeze-thaw cycles, the same area can cost $6,000 to $8,000 to repair structurally.
The most costly brick repair is nearly always a not very costly repair 2-3 years prior.
Getting an Accurate Quote in Brooklyn is a Critical Step
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when comparing quotes:
Ensure scaffolding is provided. Some contractors give the masonry job price and then tack on the scaffolding at the end. Ask beforehand if it is all together.
For any Brooklyn building constructed prior to 1950, the mortar will be lime-based. A contractor who specifies standard Portland cement on an older building is a red flag and not cost-saving.
Ensure scope is documented. All sections are written before work begins, including what sections will be repaired, the materials to be used, the timeline and the total cost.
Two quotes cannot be compared unless they are for the same scope. Be sure to understand what each of them contains.
Why Brooklyn Homeowners Call Gushi Construction
Since 1993, Gushi Construction has been repairing bricks in Brooklyn. More than 30 years of experience in the most challenging building stock in the borough in pointing, cracking repair, spalling correction, replacement of lintels, parapet works and whole façade restoration.
Free estimates with no obligation. Carefully prepared written quotes that have complete scope. Seven days a week, licensed, insured.
Estimates for brick repair for Brooklyn buildings are free of charge. The damage it prevents can cost much more.
Since 1993, Gushi Construction has been providing trustworthy masonry services in Brooklyn, NY. Call them at (718) 259-7503 or visit gushiconstruction.com to get a free estimate.
