Masonry and sidewalk repairs in Philadelphia: old brick, city permits and historic review
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Philadelphia homeowners know about masonry work?
Three things set the city apart. Its housing is by far the oldest in the region, so soft brick and lime mortar are common. The city has its own permit lines and, for listed buildings, its own design review. And the sidewalk, driveway and retaining wall in front of a house are the owner's to maintain, not the city's.
How old are Philadelphia's houses?
The Census Bureau estimates that 39.9 percent of the city's 748,270 housing units were first built in 1939 or earlier, against 25.0 percent for Pennsylvania. That is a large stock of houses built before the change the National Park Service (NPS) describes in mortar: lime and sand mixes, softer than the brick, gave way after the Second World War to mixes in which portland cement all but replaced lime. The NPS calls hard modern mortar on soft historic masonry "a catastrophic mix".
A repair can also reach a neighbor's wall. The Census groups attached and detached houses together, at 64.1 percent of the city's units, so it does not say how many are row houses, but the city's building permit page requires extra protection-of-property paperwork, including the adjacent owner's acknowledgement, for work that modifies a party wall.
Does masonry work in Philadelphia need a permit?
Often not, if the property is not on the city's historic register. The Department of Licenses and Inspections says such properties often need no building permit for:
- Pointing masonry.
- Retaining walls up to two feet high.
- Sidewalks, driveways and similar work that does not go into the public right-of-way or include parking.
- Repairs that are regular maintenance.
A permit is needed for major repairs that are not regular maintenance, for changes to the exterior of a structure, and for excavation more than five feet below the adjacent grade. On an existing one- or two-family house, permitted work may be done by a licensed city contractor, an owner who lives in the house, or a state-registered home improvement contractor with a Philadelphia Commercial Activity License. For alterations to a one- or two-family house, L&I gives a processing time of 15 business days and a $25 filing fee.
When does the Historical Commission get involved?
When the property is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. For those buildings the commission must review "masonry cleaning, painting, pointing, repair, replacement, alteration, or removal", along with steps, stoops, walls, sidewalks, driveways and the sealing or coating of surfaces. The historic review page says the review is part of getting a building permit, costs nothing, and that staff approve over 90 percent of applications without referral to the full commission.
To find out whether your house is listed, look up its official Office of Property Assessment address and then search the register or its map, or email preservation@phila.gov. The city points out that its register is not the National Register, though a house can be on both.
Who fixes the sidewalk in front of a Philadelphia house?
You do. The Streets Department says sidewalks, alleys, driveways and retaining walls are private property that the city does not own or maintain, and that owners with deed rights to a shared alley, driveway or retaining wall must share the cost of repairing it, even when only part needs work.
Street trees do not change this. Parks & Recreation says the Philadelphia Code makes owners responsible for safe sidewalks with no exception for damage from tree roots. It will inspect a tree that is lifting paving, and an owner may repair a sidewalk block without removing the tree as long as the roots are not damaged.
The contractor matters too. Work on curbs and sidewalks in the public right-of-way needs a city Curb Setter License, which requires a $1,000 annual bond; curbs and paving on private property do not.
What does masonry work cost in Philadelphia?
Most published surveys give national figures only. One exception is Angi's city page for foundation repair, which gives an average of about $4,056 in Philadelphia, with a range of $1,820 to $6,342. National ranges for repointing, concrete and walls are in the masonry cost guide.
How do you check a contractor in Philadelphia?
For work on a house of one or two units, a contractor needs a state home improvement registration rather than the city's Contractor License; L&I's lookup tool shows city licenses and violations. If you rent, note that only 51.8 percent of the city's occupied homes are owner-occupied, against 69.3 percent statewide, so the person who must hire the mason is often a landlord. The state rules are in what Pennsylvania requires, and businesses serving the city are on the Philadelphia masonry contractors page.
Sources
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Mortar, Unsung Hero of History, U.S. National Park Service
- Get a Building Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Get approval for work to a historic property, City of Philadelphia
- Find a historic property or district, City of Philadelphia
- Maintenance, City of Philadelphia, Department of Streets
- Street tree frequently asked questions, City of Philadelphia, Parks & Recreation
- Get a Curb Setter License, City of Philadelphia
- How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost in Philadelphia, PA?, Angi
- Find a licensed contractor and contractor information, City of Philadelphia