How Much to Charge for Tuckpointing Per Square Foot
Tuckpointing typically runs $8–$18 per square foot of wall face at ground level and $15–$30+ per square foot above the first story where scaffold or a lift is required, with spot repointing at $10–$25 per linear foot of joint. Brick replacement runs $15–$40 per unit, historic mortar matching adds a test-batch line, and most masons hold a job minimum of $1,000–$2,500 to cover setup and mobilization.
Rates by access and condition
- Ground level repointing — $8–$18 per square foot
- Above first story (scaffold/lift) — $15–$30+ per square foot
- Spot repointing — $10–$25 per linear foot of joint
- Brick replacement — $15–$40 per unit
- Job minimum — $1,000–$2,500
What drives the number
- Height and access — the single biggest factor
- Joint condition — sound joints grind faster than crumbling ones
- Brick hardness — soft historic brick means slower, gentler work
- Mortar matching — colour, texture, and mix for older buildings
- Joint profile — concave, weathered, or a struck historic profile
- Protection required — windows, landscaping, adjacent surfaces
Price the scaffold honestly
Erecting and striking scaffold on a two-story wall can eat a full day at each end. That’s two days gone before you’ve even pointed a single joint, and it’s the same whether you’re repointing forty square feet or four hundred.
Quote it as its own line so the customer understands why that small high-up repair isn’t cheap.
The depth spec is your differentiator
Nobody can see grinding depth once the joint’s filled. Print yours — two to two and a half times the joint width — and it becomes the exact question the customer ends up asking the cheaper bidder.
Same idea as base depth in hardscaping: a spec is a fact, not a sales pitch.
Don’t quote historic work at modern rates
Soft brick, lime mortar, matched color, and careful hand tools are a different trade altogether from repointing a 1990s veneer. Quote it that way or turn it down — using a hard modern mix on a hundred-year-old building causes visible damage within a few seasons, and your name’s the one attached to it.
Sell phased work
A whole-building repoint is often more than a homeowner budgeted for. Quoting by elevation lets them tackle the weather-facing wall now and the rest next year, which turns a lost bid into a customer you’re working with for years.
Frequently asked questions
Why does height change the rate so much?
Because access becomes most of the job. Scaffold erection and striking, or a lift rental with its delivery, is a fixed cost that dwarfs a small repair area — and working from a plank is simply slower than working from the ground, on every square foot.
How deep should joints be ground?
Roughly two to two and a half times the joint width, and stating your depth is how you explain a higher price. Surface-scratched joints look identical on day one and fail in a few freeze cycles — the customer can't see the difference, so tell them.
Should I charge more for historic buildings?
Yes. Soft old brick needs a lime-based mix matched to the original, which means test batches, sometimes analysis, and slower careful work. Using hard modern mortar on soft brick destroys it — pricing the correct approach is not an upsell, it's the job.
What's a fair job minimum?
$1,000–$2,500 depending on market and access. Mobilization, setup, protection, and cleanup barely change with a small repair area, and a minimum is what keeps a half-day chimney job from paying for itself and nothing else.