Mortar joints or damaged bricks? Start with the finding.

What does repointing address?

Repointing addresses deteriorated mortar joints between masonry units. It is different from replacing a damaged brick. A proposal should identify the affected joints or area rather than leaving you with the broad phrase “repair chimney.”

The Brick Industry Association’s maintenance guidance treats mortar-joint repair and brick replacement as separate procedures. It also calls for assessing whether the extent of mortar deterioration warrants repair and for investigating the source of moisture before attempting work to correct water penetration.

Source: Brick Industry Association Technical Note 46, Maintenance of Brick Masonry (PDF), December 2017; checked October 26, 2026. It is general masonry guidance, not a chimney-specific repair specification.

Ask which condition the provider actually found

For a New York homeowner reviewing a proposal, useful questions are: Is the concern in the mortar, the brick, another component or more than one area? Where is it located? Which photograph or report section shows the finding? What could not be assessed?

Keep the answer in the provider’s terms, with any explanation they give. Do not decide the repair from a distant roofline photograph or assume that a visible crack establishes its cause. Ask whether the finding supports a defined repair now or whether another assessment is needed first.

There is no need to climb onto the roof or scrape the mortar yourself to gather this information. Share photographs taken safely from ground level and leave close assessment to the professional.

Separate the proposed tasks on paper

Ask for the work to be described in a way you can compare with the findings:

• Location: which side or section of the chimney is included?
• Mortar work: which joint repairs are proposed, and what area do they cover?
• Brick work: is any brick replacement recommended, and is it included or separate?
• Related concerns: are crown, cap or flashing issues part of this scope or excluded?
• Open items: what remains uncertain, and how will additional findings be handled?

This list does not mean every chimney needs all of those tasks. It helps keep a particular proposal tied to what the provider documented. For terminology at the top of the chimney, see our cap versus crown guide.

Ask about material and appearance choices

Ask the contractor to explain the proposed mortar and any replacement brick in relation to the existing masonry. BIA recommends considering existing mortar when formulating a match and using sample panels or mock-ups when matching the appearance of mortar or brick.

For your proposal, ask how appearance will be agreed, whether a sample is appropriate and what you should expect the finished area to look like. Record that discussion before work begins. Leave material specification and repair methods to the professional; a color preference alone is not a complete repair specification.

If there is a leak, keep that question visible

If the masonry proposal follows a moisture concern, ask which finding connects the work to that concern and whether the moisture source has been established. A mortar-repair line item should not leave you guessing what happens to the original leak enquiry.

Keep separate notes for the observed problem, the proposed work and any remaining investigation. Read our guide to chimney leaks after rain for the information to share when starting that conversation. If a coating is proposed too, our waterproofing proposal guide helps clarify its scope.

Compare proposals and keep a completion record

Imagine one proposal says “repoint chimney,” while another identifies joint work on a defined section and separately lists brick replacement. Ask for equivalent detail before comparing the totals. The example does not tell you which job your property needs.

Before approving work, confirm what documentation will describe the completed tasks and any work left outstanding. Keep it with the accepted proposal and original assessment. Our estimate comparison checklist offers questions for checking scope and exclusions.

For a New York chimney repair enquiry, include your ZIP code, what you noticed and whether you already have a report or quote. Ask Brickhaven to confirm the available assessment and repair scope.

Your questions, answered.