Masonry Contractor in Toronto
Brick arches, piers and pillars, matched brick repairs, stone work and rear addition foundations on Toronto homes, many of them over a century old. Our own crew does the work, start to finish.
Recent masonry in Toronto
On an older Toronto home we rebuilt a segmental brick arch over a window. The old bricks were laid out and numbered on a plywood template, then relaid in reclaimed brick so the arch matches the rest of the wall. On other Toronto jobs we have rebuilt brick gate pillars under their original stone caps, rebuilt a brick pier and toothed it into the old brickwork, set new cut stone sills, and tied new brick into additions so the seam does not show.
We also build foundations in Toronto. For a rear addition behind a brick house we dug out the lot, poured the footings, laid the block walls and poured the slab, and we have waterproofed new foundations and poured walls in winter under protection.
Outside, we have set precast coping on new stone walls and laid rear paver patios on narrow city lots.
Toronto jobs
Photos from brick, stone and foundation jobs in Toronto.
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Our main services in Toronto
Our three main masonry services, and how they apply to Toronto homes.
Historic Restoration
Toronto has a large stock of Victorian and Edwardian brick houses. Their arches, piers, soft brick and lime mortar need reclaimed material and a careful hand.
Brickwork & Repointing
Repointing worn joints, replacing spalled brick, infill and new openings, and brick on additions, matched so the repair does not show.
Masonry & Stonework
Stone walls, coping and caps, steps and pillars. On tight city lots, a lot of the stone has to be moved and set carefully by hand or by small machine.
Also in Toronto
Turnkey foundations for rear additions, foundations & block work, patios and walkways, and interior finishes.
Building in Toronto
Much of Toronto's older housing is brick, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s with soft brick and lime mortar. Over a century, hard cement repairs, leaking gutters and settling have taken their toll, so arches drop, piers lean and brick faces flake. Repairs on these houses go best with reclaimed brick and mortar that suits the old brick.
Lots are narrow, and the houses often sit close to their neighbours, so access, staging and protecting the house next door are part of planning every job. Rear additions mean digging a foundation right against the old one.
Structural work, like a new foundation or an addition, needs a permit from Toronto Building. Properties designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, or inside one of the City's heritage conservation districts, need heritage approval before their heritage features change. Frost still reaches more than a metre down, so footings are set below it.
- HousingVictorian and Edwardian brick with soft brick and lime mortar
- LotsNarrow lots, tight access, neighbours close by
- PermitsToronto Building for structural work, heritage approval for designated properties
- FrostFootings set below more than a metre of frost
How it works and what it costs
Every price comes after a site visit and is written down before we start. Small jobs get a free visit. Larger ones carry a small consultation fee that comes off the final bill.
Visit
We come out to your Toronto home, look at the job and what is behind it, and talk through options.
Written price
You get a written price. It depends on the material, how much is coming out, height and access, and what the work sits on.
Build
Our own crew does the work, with permits and heritage approvals sorted first where they apply.
Handover
We walk the finished work with you, leave the site clean and back the job with a written warranty.
Toronto masonry questions
Should old Toronto brick be repointed with lime mortar?
Usually, yes. Many older Toronto houses were built with soft brick laid in lime-based mortar. Repointing them with hard cement mortar makes the joints stronger than the brick, so frost and moisture work on the brick faces instead and they start to flake. We match the mortar to the brick, which on most older homes means a lime-rich mix.
Can you rebuild a sagging brick arch over a window?
Yes. We support the opening, take the arch down carefully, keep the bricks, and rebuild it on a form with each brick laid out first. Where bricks are too damaged to reuse, we replace them with reclaimed brick of the same age and colour so the arch matches the wall.
Do I need a permit for masonry work in Toronto?
Like-for-like repairs, such as repointing or replacing damaged brick, usually do not need one. Structural work, like a new foundation, an addition or a new opening in a load-bearing wall, needs a permit from Toronto Building. Designated heritage properties and homes in a heritage conservation district need heritage approval before their heritage features change.
Do you build foundations for rear additions in Toronto?
Yes. We dig out, pour the footings, build the block walls, waterproof, lay drainage and pour the slab, and hand the foundation over ready for framing. On narrow Toronto lots the new foundation often sits right against the old one, so we plan the dig and support carefully.
What masonry work do you do in Toronto?
Brick arches, piers and pillars, matched brick repair and repointing, cut stone sills and coping, stone walls, rear addition foundations, and patios and walkways.
Nearby:We also work in Scarborough, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa.
Masonry work in Toronto?
Tell us about the house and the job. We will come out, look at what is going on, and give you a straight answer and a written price.