Philadelphia and Delaware County
Masonry waterproofing in Philadelphia and Delaware County
Masonry waterproofing is keeping water out of a brick or stone wall, by sealing it, coating it, or changing where the water goes.
What the work involves
On a solid masonry wall the water almost always comes in through an open joint, a failed lintel, a bad chimney or a gutter that has stopped working, and the honest fix is that fault rather than a coating. Where sealing is appropriate it goes on after the joints are sound, and it has to be breathable: a film-forming waterproofer on an old wall traps moisture inside and does more harm than the leak. Below-grade waterproofing, dug out from the outside and membraned, is a different and much larger job.
Signs you need it
- Damp patches or stains on an inside face of an exterior wall
- Water in the cellar after heavy rain
- Staining on a ceiling near a chimney
- White salt deposits on the outside brick
- Water only in wind-driven rain from one direction
- A previous sealing job that did not hold
What masonry waterproofing costs
National published figures. No Philadelphia-specific figure was found. Fewer sources agree on this one. Read it as directional.
- Sealing brick or stone above grade
- $1–$4 per square foot
- Sealing a basement wall from inside
- $1–$3 per square foot
- Excavated waterproofing below grade
- $20 per square foot and up
Waterproofing means two unrelated jobs at two unrelated prices. A breathable sealer on a repointed brick face is cheap. Digging out and membraning a foundation wall from outside is not. Anyone quoting one number for "waterproofing" has not told you which one they mean.
Sources: Angi, repointing and sealing cost; Thumbtack, basement waterproofing cost. Published cost guides, not audited data. Mortarook does not set prices.
What a mason needs before a price is real
Any number given over the phone without seeing the wall is a guess. These are the things that change the price, and the questions Mortarook asks you so that the masons who see your project can quote it properly.
- Photographs of where the water shows, inside and out
- When it happens: every rain, only wind-driven rain, or always damp
- What has already been tried
- Where the downspouts discharge and how the ground slopes
- The condition of the joints, the lintels and the chimney
Why this is a mason’s job
Waterproofing is the service most often sold as a product when the answer is a repair. A mason who looks at the gutters and the joints before quoting a coating is telling you something about how they work.
How Mortarook works
You describe the job once: the service, your ZIP code, a few words about what you are seeing, and photographs if you have them. Mortarook writes your description back in trade language so you can check it, then matches you with a maximum of three local masonry contractors whose registered services, service area and project size fit.
Every contractor listed as a Verified Pro has had their Pennsylvania home improvement contractor registration checked against the Attorney General’s public registry, and has a certificate of insurance on file with us. Your phone number and street address are seen only by the pros who accept your project. We do not sell your information and there is never a fourth contractor.
Where masonry waterproofing comes up most
These are the towns and neighborhoods in our service area whose housing stock generates this work most often.
Other masonry work
Get up to three masons to look at your masonry waterproofing
Answer the questions once and up to three verified local masonry contractors see your project. Expect a call or an email within two business days.
Find My ContractorsFree for homeowners. No account and no password. Your phone number and address reach only the pros who accept your project, and never more than three. Contractors pay nothing to join and nothing to read your project.
Mortarook is free for homeowners. Masons pay no membership and nothing per project. When a contractor wins work through Mortarook they pay a success fee of 5% of the final project value, capped at $750, once. We never touch the money between you and your mason.