Our Masonry Services in Philadelphia
APS Masonry Contracting is a licensed general contractor and masonry specialist founded in 2017 in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania.
APS Masonry Contracting is a professional masonry company with decades of experience providing masonry services in Philadelphia, as well as concrete, home remodeling and outdoor living across Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties. Our experienced team has worked on houses throughout the Delaware Valley, making us one of the most trusted masonry contractors in the area.
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What Masonry Services APS Provides
We cover brick pointing, stone restoration, chimney repair, stucco remediation, restoration services, custom design stonework, bluestone and brownstone work, retaining walls, and full facade rebuilds. On the concrete side: concrete driveways—an extremely durable option for homeowners that withstands heavy traffic and weather—concrete patio installation, foundations, steps, and stamped finishes. We prepare and set up the proper form for all concrete pours to ensure quality results. Masonry projects are often completed efficiently and to high standards, frequently involving fixing failing masonry and structural stabilization using methods such as star bolts or lintel installations. Home remodeling covers kitchens, baths, basements with waterproofing, historical renovations, outdoor kitchens, and exterior upgrades.
Materials we often use are Belden brick, Wissahickon schist, Pennsylvania bluestone, brownstone, marble stoops, and lime or Type N mortar matched to original joints.

Full-Service Masonry in Philadelphia
Properties in the Philadelphia area demand more than patch jobs. They need structural solutions sized to rowhomes, twins, brownstones, and 100-year-old facades. Each project begins with careful site management and planning to ensure the best results.
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Brick Pointing & Repointing
Cut-and-fill repointing is when we carefully remove old, damaged mortar from mortar joints and point them with new mortar that matches the original in color, texture, and composition, ensuring the protection of historic brickwork. Our team takes great care to match color, texture, joint depth, and mortar type (Type N, Type S, or lime mortar for historic work). Most jobs wrap in 1 to 3 days with minimal disruption to foot traffic. Repointing stops water intrusion, halts freeze-thaw damage, and preserves architectural character.
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Chimney Repair & Rebuilds
Flashing repair, crown replacement, flue liner installation, and full chimney rebuilds—all completed efficiently and to the highest standards. Whether it’s a flat-roof or a slate-roof, we restore your chimney with the utmost care to ensure safety, durability, and weather-tight, structurally sound results that meet current ventilation standards. Smoke testing and mortar repointing are included in our complete chimney restoration packages.
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Custom Masonry Designs
Stoops, lintels, entry stairs, arches, planters, and architectural stone features—all custom masonry designs crafted with care and attention to detail. Each project is designed and completed to your specifications, ensuring the finished work enhances your home’s character while preserving it's value and curb appeal.
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Bluestone Masonry
Pennsylvania bluestone patios, walkways, treads, and terraces. Each project is completed with attention to detail and care, ensuring correct pitch, joint spacing, and drainage paths built for the Delaware Valley's freeze-thaw cycle. Our careful installation guarantees durability and a refined appearance, with tight joints and freeze-smart materials as standard.
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Brownstone Restoration
Stoops, sills, and full facade elements restored with our specialized brownstone restoration services, including color-matched patching, spall repair, and carefully replicated decorative profiles. Every project is completed with exceptional care to match original materials and finishes, ensuring your home retains its authentic character.
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Retaining Walls
Structural retaining walls in stone, brick, or masonry block, engineered for drainage, soil load, and frost depth so they hold up through Northeast winters. We tie every wall into proper drainage (gravel backfill, perforated drain pipe, weep holes) to prevent hydrostatic pressure failures that take out cheaper builds within 5 years. Built to match the home's facade using Wissahickon schist, Belden brick, brownstone block, or natural stone veneer.
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Stucco Remediation
Crack repair, moisture barrier replacement, and full stucco rebuilds on both historic and newer homes. We take great care to thoroughly diagnose the water source before refinishing, ensuring repairs are precise and long-lasting.
Concrete Services in Philadelphia
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Driveways, Patios & Walkways
Poured concrete driveways, concrete patios, and sidewalks are the most common projects for homeowners. We use professional formwork to shape and support each concrete patio and walkway, ensuring proper finish and durability. All surfaces are pitched for drainage, reinforced where needed, and finished clean. Concrete driveways are a durable option for homeowners, providing a long-lasting surface that withstands heavy traffic and various weather conditions. Stamped concrete is available for patios and walkways that call for texture without the cost of natural stone.
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Steps & Foundations
New pours and repairs for front steps, basement stairs, and foundation walls. Structural work on foundations is handled by licensed masons who also run general contracting, so the repair can extend into waterproofing, egress, or basement finishing without bringing in a second crew.
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Concrete Repair & Stamped Concrete
Crack repair, spall patching, resurfacing, and decorative stamped finishes are all masonry services completed efficiently and to high standards. Older concrete steps and walkways can usually be resurfaced or pinned before a full replacement is necessary.
Home Remodeling Services in Philadelphia
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Kitchen Remodeling
Space planning, design of kitchen layouts, structural modifications, cabinetry, and durable finishes for daily living. Common scope: removing load-bearing walls in various types of homes, relocating plumbing on second floors, and opening up kitchens without losing original architectural detail.
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Bathroom Remodel
Waterproofing, ventilation, tile, and storage solutions are tailored to compact rowhome footprints, with careful attention to bathroom design and layout planning. We handle the full scope: demo, plumbing rough-in, tile, cabinetry, fixtures.
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Basement Waterproofing
Interior/exterior approaches and sump systems designed for older foundations and alley drainage realities. Waterproofing protects the structure, yes, but more importantly, it protects the life unfolding inside. With long term solutions and detailed work, we help construct spaces you can trust and use year-round.
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Exterior Renovation
Facade tune-ups, stoops, entries, and curb-appeal upgrades. Our expert design and installation services include brick veneers, color-matched pointing, and period-appropriate finishes, all tailored to enhance your home's appearance and blend seamlessly with the block’s existing look.
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Historical Home Renovation
Period-correct details, material matching, and careful coordination with the Philadelphia Historical Commission when required. We take great care to preserve original architectural details, ensuring your rowhome or colonial retains its authentic character. Ideal for projects where maintaining historic integrity is non-negotiable.
Outdoor Living Spaces in Philadelphia
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Outdoor Kitchens
Masonry-built outdoor kitchens with gas and electric coordination, weather-rated cabinetry and counters, masonry surrounds, and covered runs for year-round use. We handle plumbing for sinks and refrigeration, gas line tie-ins for grills and pizza ovens, and lighting integration so the kitchen works after sundown. Common builds include Belden brick or stone veneer surrounds, granite or concrete counters, and stainless components rated for outdoor exposure.
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Outdoor Living Spaces
Pennsylvania bluestone or flagstone patios, stone seating walls, custom firepits, gas fire features, and integrated lighting. Layouts respect lot lines, neighbor privacy, and rowhome sightlines so the space feels enclosed without blocking light. Common scope includes proper sub-base prep, polymeric joint sand for stone patios, low-voltage path and accent lighting, and gas tie-ins for permanent fire features. Materials we often use are Pennsylvania bluestone, flagstone, Belden brick, and natural stone veneers.
Specific Challenges We Handle
Jobsites demand precision, planning, and local knowledge. Our crews are trained for the conditions most contractors avoid, and we've built our process around the constraints that come standard on city blocks.
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Party-wall repairs, shared lintels, and tie-in details on continuous façades: These connections affect both structure and moisture movement. We stabilize load paths, align materials, and protect neighboring properties throughout the process.
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Narrow alley/easement access for materials and debris (down to 36"): We move materials efficiently without blocking alleys or damaging fencing, foundations, or access points. Every inch is accounted for.
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Stoop/marble step protection on high-foot-traffic sidewalks: Historic steps are shielded and secured before work begins. We maintain safe walkways and clean boundaries on active sidewalks.
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Rowhouse moisture paths (downspouts, cellar bulkheads, yard grade): Water doesn't move cleanly in Philly lots. We trace it through grade shifts, wall junctions, and hidden channels before planning any masonry or waterproofing.
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Weekend/weekday delivery windows to avoid congestion and school zones: We schedule load-in during permitted hours, plan staging to avoid school routes, and adapt timing for high-traffic zones.
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Clean demobilization with sidewalks open and swept by end of day: Tools are cleared, surfaces protected, and public walkways returned to safe use every afternoon, no loose debris, no leftover mess.
Frequently Asked Questions About Masonry Services in the Philadelphia Area
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What masonry services do Philadelphia homes typically need?
Most homes eventually need brick pointing (failing mortar joints), chimney repair (flashing, crown, or full rebuild), stucco remediation, and stoop or marble step restoration. We take special care in handling historic rowhomes, understanding their unique needs and the importance of preserving original materials and craftsmanship. Homes with shared party walls also often need structural tie-in work and water-intrusion fixes at the cellar level. Older homes built before 1940 usually need repointing with Type N or lime mortar to match the original joints. Brownstone stoops across Queen Village, Graduate Hospital, and West Philly frequently need spall repair.
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What's the difference between brick pointing and repointing?
Pointing is the process of filling mortar joints on new masonry during original construction. Repointing is replacing damaged or deteriorated mortar on existing masonry, typically by grinding out the old joint (cut-and-fill) and packing in fresh matched mortar. Most homeowners mean "repointing" when they say "pointing." On historic homes, repointing also requires matching color, texture, joint width, and mortar chemistry (lime vs. Type N) so the repair is invisible and the original brick is not damaged.
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How long does a typical masonry project take in Philadelphia?
Brick pointing on a single rowhome facade is typically completed in 1 to 3 days. Chimney repair projects are completed in 1 to 5 days depending on scope, with full rebuilds completed in up to 2 weeks. Stucco remediation is usually completed in 3 to 7 days. Basement waterproofing plus finishing is completed in 4 to 8 weeks. Historical facade restorations are completed in 6 weeks to 6 months depending on scale. Weather and Historical Commission approval can add time. Every APS proposal includes a written schedule with photo-verified milestones.
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What's the difference between masonry repair and masonry restoration?
Masonry repair fixes specific damage: cracked bricks, failing mortar joints, spalled stone, or a leaking chimney. The goal is to stop the problem and return the wall to a sound, functional state. Our restoration services bring masonry back to its original historic condition, often matching 100-year-old materials, techniques, and finishes. We take great care in every restoration project, ensuring craftsmanship and attention to detail—especially for homes in Philadelphia Historical Commission districts and for high-value brownstones, rowhomes, and colonials where preserving original character matters.
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Do masonry services require city permits in Philadelphia?
Structural masonry work, chimney rebuilds, foundation repair, and any project that alters the footprint or egress of a building requires a Philadelphia L&I permit. Cosmetic repointing, small patch jobs, and chimney flashing work generally do not. Properties in Historical Commission districts need Historical Commission approval for exterior work visible from the public right-of-way, regardless of scope. Our company handles all permitting and Historical Commission submissions as part of the project, with a professional team experienced in managing permits and approvals to ensure a seamless process.
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What materials hold up best on Philadelphia's historic homes?
For repointing on pre-1940 rowhomes, we take great care in selecting lime mortar or soft Type N mortar (not Type S) to preserve the original brick and prevent damage over time. When replacing bricks, we carefully choose Belden and salvaged matching brick for the strongest color match. For stonework, Wissahickon schist and Pennsylvania bluestone are native materials that we install with attention to detail, ensuring they weather consistently with surrounding facades. Marble stoops and treads are restored with expert care whenever possible rather than replaced. For stucco, we ensure a proper moisture barrier is installed behind the finish, as lack of care in this step can lead to failure within 5 to 10 years.
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