Proudly American
Locate the proposed work
Ask the estimator to mark the face, approximate area, and joints included. Point out gaps or crumbling bed joints you can see from the ground. If bricks have shifted, fractured, or lost their outer faces, ask for those findings separately. Renewing mortar between units does not replace a missing brick face or explain movement.
Read beyond the mortar color
On older brick, a replacement mortar must suit the strength and water movement of the surrounding materials. A strong, dense modern mix can be a poor match. Ask what evidence guided the selection, what finished joint profile is intended, and whether a small sample will be available to judge color and finish once dry.
Identify what has to happen first
A leaking top or roof intersection can keep washing the same joints. Ask whether those sources were evaluated, which contractor owns any separate work, and how the newly pointed area will be documented. A proposal that labels an unexamined surface as an allowance is more useful than one that silently treats it as sound.