Straight Up Masonry

We contacted Straight Up Masonry at the end of Summer 2014 to rebuild a section of brick wall that was taken down to accommodate a major structural re-configuration of our house. Tony visited the house and provided a complete assessment of the scope of work including accurate estimate of time and cost.
Seeing that other areas of the house needed to be completed first, we delayed the masonry work until mid-Summer 2015 and Straight Up Masonry was more than accommodating. They even kept the original estimate on file so, a second site visit was unnecessary.
The area preparation was thorough. All surfaces were covered and protected. The scaffolding was installed over a finished area and much care was taken to prevent marring all finished surfaces. The shape and colour of mortar joints blended in with the existing walls of the house. Where an electrical outlet needed to be placed, the masons happily cooperated with the electrician as the box was positioned into the wall and even custom cut the brick to fit the outlet. The window needed a new stone sill to match the existing 100 year old stone sills around the house. Straight Up provided and custom installed an exact match Limestone sill.
Special note to homeowners wishing to re-install reclaimed bricks: make sure they are clean of all the old mortar. We calculated that making skilled masons clean old bricks is not a good use of their time so we cleaned the bricks ourselves. This is not a huge cost savings, this is done more to have a perfect match. Also be prepared to discard a lot of broken and chipped bricks and therefore you will likely need to supplement them with new bricks too. If you apply a labour cost for cleaning the bricks, you will likely find that using all new bricks is easier on you, and the masons. Either way, you will receive good direction from Tony on the best course of action for the result you want.
Every aspect of the job from the estimate, to speaking with the office, to the masons on the job was a pleasant and easy experience.
The attention to detail and the end result far exceeded our expectations. Duration and cost were exactly as estimated.
We have a couple of upcoming jobs for which we will be hiring Straight Up Masonry. We have already been recommending Straight Up Masonry to family, friends and neighbours.

Tony gave me details how the work would be done. He gave me a two part estimate. That was important to me because in a 100 year old house you won't know what's needed until you unearth the pillar. Fortunately the cost was the lower estimate. The job was completed the same day and they removed the support and cleaned-up the next morning. A very efficient job!

Excellent experience all around from getting the estimate to the finishing work. The crew was very punctual and polite. They were more than happy to answer any questions I had and even explained in details on how they would do the chimney rebuild and some spotpointing below it.
The project was completed on time even with a bit of a rain delay. After the work was done they cleaned the area and left no mess.
Two days later I went up on the roof to check the chimney and it looked great and very well built.
Lastly, I find the estimate to be very fair for the job.

I highly recommend Straight Up Masonry to anyone.
Thank you Tony, Crystal, Mitch and Kevin for the wonderful experience.

They responded to our request of an estimate right away and explained exactly what they would do. They had to take down a part of our fence and move part of our garden to gain access to the area where the work was to be done. Everything was put back nicely including the plants. The brick pavers only took a couple of days to install and they look great. Neighbors told me that when they saw how nice the work they did looked, they asked for an estimate for their own work and are moving forward with it without even consulting anyone else.

Declan and Mitch did a great job - we are very pleased with the result of their work. They showed up as promised, answered all our questions and completed the work as scheduled. They cleaned up the site after finishing the job with a good eye for detail and were very courteous and professional. Also Crystal was great and very prompt with scheduling, invoicing and communication. We will definitely recommend them to anyone in need for masonry repairs.

After a terrible experience with another contractor last year, we were hesitant to proceed with any work. "Straight Up" restored our faith that there are good ones out there! Tony came and walked around the house with me while I pointed out the areas of concern. Knowing we might not be able to afford all the repairs needed, Crystal was able to break down the estimate costs into separate line items so we could budget what we needed done now and what could wait until the future. We indicated the work we wanted done now and a revised quote was emailed to us. An estimated start date was given to us and within 1 week of that date the job was started. The workers were terrific! They worked steadily, safely and neatly - always busy when we checked in on them. I would definitely recommend them for any work you need done and am considering calling them again when the budget allows for more work to be done at our house!

Great experience! We had a disaster on our hand. The flagstone installed on our porch many years ago by other contractors was flaking, splitting and heaving. The large concrete landing pad had shifted, cracked, and was a tripping hazard. The bricks on our wind walls on the side of the porch were disintegrated. Big job - Tony and his very skilled craftsmen, and Crystal were great to deal with from start to finish. We selected them after interviewing alternative contractors - Straight Up was honest about the scope of the work and provided a detailed estimated. Did what they said. Came when they said. Billed what they said. Cleaned the job site up neat as a pin. We will definitely be using them again, and I'm glad that others are also posting good reviews - they deserve it!

This company is really professional and easy to deal with. Tony exhibited obvious knowledge and experience reviewing what I wanted done and confirming the strategy with the crew. The estimate was prompt and fair. The work showed excellent quality, attention to detail and workmanship. Fantastic finishing (Domenic)! Work completed quickly and exactly as requested. The site was left clean and neat at all times and the crew courteous and respectful. A really well organized operation. It's rare to find such a completely satisfying experience with contractors

Some of the bottom bricks in our brick wall had disintegrated. We feared that we would need to replace the whole wall. Tony came, took a look and said it could be saved. He gave a very fair estimate. Crystal scheduled the work for July but a slot came available and so the work was advanced by a full month. The crew arrived exactly when Crystal said they would. They worked hard and professionally all day and left everything neat and tidy when they left . They even matched the new bricks and mortar so closely in colour to the old that it is hard to tell old from new. The job looks great and Tony and the team saved me thousands of dollars by fixing the old fence rather that selling me on a new one. Bravo!!!