Repointing Brickwork: When, How and What It Costs

Short answer: Brickwork needs repointing when the mortar between the bricks has crumbled, cracked or worn back far enough for water to get in. The old mortar is raked out to a consistent depth, the joints are cleaned and dampened, and new mortar of a suitable strength and colour is pressed in and finished to the chosen profile. The price depends on the area, how high and accessible the wall is, how deep the joints need raking and the mortar used, so it is best judged on site.

Kitchen with white walls, timber-effect flooring and a breakfast bar

Signs your walls need repointing

Mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of a wall. It is softer than the bricks so that weather wears the joints rather than the brick faces, and over the decades it slowly erodes. The tell-tale signs are joints that have receded well behind the face of the brick, mortar that crumbles to sand when you scrape it with a key, open cracks along the joints and gaps where pieces have fallen out altogether.

Other clues show up indirectly. Damp patches on an inside wall after heavy rain, green staining on the outside, or plants rooting in the joints all suggest water is getting into the brickwork. On garden walls, loose bricks near the top or a wobbling coping are often the result of joints that have washed out. It is better to deal with this early: once water gets into a wall and freezes, it can start to break the bricks themselves.

How repointing is done

Repointing follows a simple sequence, but each stage needs care. First, the old mortar is raked out to an even depth, typically deep enough to give the new mortar a good key without disturbing the bricks. This is done with hand tools or a carefully controlled grinder; rushed raking with a grinder is a common cause of chipped brick edges that spoil the look of a wall for good.

Next, the joints are brushed or blown clean of dust and loose material, and dampened so the dry brick does not suck the moisture straight out of the fresh mortar. New mortar is then pressed firmly into the joints in layers if they are deep, packed tight to the back so there are no hollows. Finally the joints are finished to the chosen profile once the mortar has stiffened slightly, and the face of the wall is brushed off. In hot sun, wind or frost the fresh work needs protecting while it cures.

Mortar choice and colour matching

The mortar should be no stronger than the bricks it sits between. Older houses, especially those built before the mid twentieth century, were often laid in lime mortar, which is softer and lets moisture escape. Repointing them in a hard cement mix can trap water in the wall and push the damage into the bricks instead. Modern brickwork is usually built with cement-based mortar, so a similar mix is normally appropriate there.

Colour comes mostly from the sand, with the binder making a smaller difference. Matching it means trying a few small sample mixes on an inconspicuous part of the wall and letting them dry, because wet mortar always looks darker. Fresh joints will look brighter than weathered ones at first, so a good match is judged on the dried sample, not on the first day.

Joint profiles

The shape of the finished joint affects both appearance and weathering. A flush joint is finished level with the brick face and suits rough or old bricks. A bucket handle joint has a shallow curved hollow made with a rounded tool and is one of the most common profiles on houses, because it sheds water well and hides small irregularities.

A recessed joint is set back from the face to create strong shadow lines; it looks crisp on modern brickwork but can hold water on exposed walls, so it suits sheltered spots better. A weatherstruck joint is angled, sloping outwards from top to bottom so rain runs off. The usual rule is to match the profile already on the building so repaired areas blend in.

Garden walls versus house walls

Garden walls are exposed on both sides and along the top, so they get wetter than house walls and their joints often fail sooner. The coping or capping is particularly important: if it is cracked or loose, water runs down into the wall and repointing alone will not last. It is common to reset the coping as part of the same job. Freestanding walls that lean or bulge may need rebuilding rather than repointing, and our guide to garden wall costs explains what a rebuild involves.

House walls bring height and access into the picture. Anything above ground-floor level needs safe access, usually scaffolding, and the condition of features like chimneys and window reveals is checked at the same time. Walls that hold back soil behave differently again and are covered in our guide to retaining walls.

What affects the cost

The main factor is the area of brickwork to be repointed, but the type of work matters just as much. Raking out deep or very hard mortar takes longer than clearing soft, shallow joints. Height and access change the price considerably, because scaffolding or towers add both cost and time. Lime mortars, careful colour matching and unusual joint profiles take more skill than a standard finish.

Other things can be found once work starts, such as cracked bricks that need replacing or a loose coping that needs resetting. A clear quote should state the area, the raking depth, the mortar type and how access will be arranged. If you would like someone to look at your walls, our bricklaying team can visit and quote.

Frequently asked questions

How often does brickwork need repointing?

There is no fixed interval. Well-made joints can last for many decades, while exposed walls, garden walls and cappings often need attention sooner. Repoint when the joints have receded or crumble when scraped.

Can you repoint just part of a wall?

Yes. Patch repointing is common where only some joints have failed. The new mortar should match the existing colour and joint profile so the repair blends in.

What is the best weather for repointing?

Mild, dry, overcast days. Frost, heavy rain, strong wind and hot sun can all spoil fresh mortar, so work is planned around the forecast and protected while it cures.

Will new mortar match the old?

A close match is usually possible with sample mixes of different sands. Fresh mortar looks brighter at first and tones down as it weathers.

Is repointing a DIY job?

Small areas of a low garden wall can be manageable for a careful DIYer. Larger areas, work at height and older walls that need lime mortar are better left to a bricklayer, because poor raking or the wrong mix can damage the bricks.

Repointing brickwork: a homeowner's guide