Robert's General Masonry Repair

Robert is professional and reliable. He answered all my questions and kept in touch throughout the project. The bricks were a perfect match. He truly takes pride in his work.

In late February our town was hit with a wind storm that tore down a major portion of one our chimneys. I called four different masonry repair businesses that I found here on Angie's List. After getting all quotes in and listening to the repairs suggested we chose Robert. His comprehensive and detailed explanation (including pictures) coupled with the reviews that he had received cinched the deal. Robert and his crew were very careful with my garden, my neighbors and my property. He was thorough and punctual. Although it should be a given that when a schedule is made for work to be started and completed it should be kept -- we have been burned by other contractors -- we were pleasantly surprised when Robert actually did what he said. In addition, Robert was very responsive to any questions we posed and took pictures of all the work done at different stages so that we could send these along to our insurance company. He went above and beyond and noticed that some brickwork on top of our garage was also in need of repair. He fixed these problems at the same time as the chimney -- and we can't even tell where the repair work was done. It is seamless! l -- I can't say enough good things about how truly pleased we are with his workmanship. In fact we are so very pleased with his work and his communication skills that we have already put ourselves in the work queue for our other chimney. In short, if you have a masonry problem -- Robert is your guy.

This is the second time I've used Robert. The first time was a few years ago on our home which required extensive brickwork. At the time, I interviewed 6-8 masonry contractors and liked Robert the best. He immediately responded to my initial call and did an excellent job. This time work was performed on a 2 flat rental building I own. I didn't get estimates from other contractors on this time because I didn't want any one else other than Robert to work on this project. Just like the first time we worked together, Robert immediately responded to my call which is one among many reasons he is the only masonry contractor I choose to work with. I find the other reviewer that gave Robert an "F" grade because of an unreturned call puzzling. I've never had this experience with him. In fact, he is unequivocally the most communicative contractor I have ever worked with. He contacted me with specific questions about the building so the project would go smoothly. He is very knowledgeable, detail oriented and takes great pride in his work which shows in the final product. He takes time to answer my questions and explains in plain terms why the products he uses and techniques he employs are superior. I've seen shoddy work done by other brick workers because they didn't take the time to do the job right which requires time consuming grinding out the old mortar before new mortar is put in. This is crucial to a long lasting job. He also used NP1 caulk on the copings instead of mortar. The reason is that this product stays flexible wand will not crack like traditional mortar thus causing water penetration. This is a smart practice since there will be expansion and contraction on the material with the extreme warm and cold weather in the Chicago area. Robert has very fair pricing but I believe I am getting a bargain because of the quality of his work. He is also meticulous about cleaning up after himself and is also conscientious about disturbing the neighbors. These are unusual qualities in any contractor but Robert is not the typical contractor that is only concerned about getting the job done quickly. For this job, we waited for the weather to break so it was consistently above freezing day and night. This way, the mortar cures properly. I could go on about him, but I have hired many, many contractors and Robert's skills, demeanor, and craftsmanship are all excellent. These are difficult qualities to find in a contractor but Robert is not like most. I will absolutely use him in the future and actually have the 2nd phase of this project scheduled next month. I give him and his crew my highest recommendation.

Robert was timely and professional with his contact. He promptly set a date for the inspection and repair. Upon arrival he was very courteous and knowledgable. The job was done quickly and he maintained a very clean and neat work area. I have already recommended him to my father who also needs foundation crack repair. A++

Overall: Robert was always very responsive, very professional from start to finish. He would call almost right away whenever we sent an email or tried to call. Estimate: Robert came to look at what we needed, and advised us to have the parapet repaired instead of rebuilt, which would save us tens of thousands of dollars. He said this way we would be guaranteed not to have water go into the walls for a few years while we build enough reserve and figure out the rebuild. He also guaranteed his work. He showed me the current poor condition and explained to me what he was going to do. Up to the start of the work, Robert was prompt and responsive to our questions and needs. He was open to input from our inspection company, who made specific recommendations on the repair work. We wanted some additional work done beyond the initial proposal, he quickly figured out what was needed without delaying the start date. Work: Robert and his crew showed up exactly on time, and went about doing their work quickly. He showed me work in progress and of course the inspection upon completion. He put down 2 years of work guarantee and regular check up thereafter. The new seal were smooth and covered all the spaces. Brick work looked excellent. With his guarantee, all HOA units can feel relieved that we have dealt with the water problem. It was a very positive experience all around.

When in the process of purchasing the house, Robert was (identified from Angie's list) contacted to provide an estimate to repair the cracked brick. He promptly responded (within a couple days) with an estimate included a couple of additional items that needed to be repaired (not identified be the home inspector). After moving into the house I contacted him to stop by to discuss what needed to be done, the process and the schedule. The work was then scheduled and completed on a Saturday since it is near the end of the season for outside masonry projects. He was always very punctual and professional throughout the process. He will definitely be my first choice for masonry work in the future.

Robert responded quickly to our initial request for an estimate. He was on time, explained what would be done, the process to be used, and the cost. After obtaining multiple estimates and clarifying with Robert what he would do, we hired him for the job. He was very efficient, explaining everything he was doing and double checked his work. He repaired 3 large foundation cracks in the crawl space, an exterior foundation crack on the garage wall, and put a chimney cap on. Robert was very professional, curteous, and conscientious. We would definitely recommend him and hire him again.

Robert was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. He came to a**** the problem and give me a scope of work as well as a price. After he did the work he came back to look over the finished project and make sure I was happy with it. I really think you can't go wrong with trusting Robert with your project.

Robert was very helpful. Very knowledgable. He and his crew were very polite and cleaned up great.

Robert was professional throughout. provided clear professional pov on the work to be done, coming to our house twice to investigate the existint structure. He stuck to his estimate. work was done by himself and a few others in timely fashion. he was respectful of property while he did it. he was easy to communicate with. I would recommend him to a friend.

Robert was extremely responsive, honest, and professional. He did a fast, quick job and didn't balk at the small job. Thanks!

Having been responsible for corporate facilities management for 25 years, I consider Robert to be one of the finest contractors that has done work for me. He is a perfectionist and very observant and responsive of things that need to be addressed.

Robert was very quick to contact us after I left a message for him. He came out that day and gave us a quote. We thought the price was reasonable considering how large some of the gaps were between the house and foundation. The price included materials and labor. His work was thorough and neatly done. Overall, we were very pleased with his work and would not hesitate to use his services again.

Robert cleaned off all the concrete splatter. I was worried that my brick was ruined but he made it look like it never happened. This is the second time I've used Robert's service. I'm am pleased with the results. Robert is professional and easy to work with. Thanks again Robert!

From start to finish Robert was absolutely outstanding. He was extremely quick to return my initial phone call and within days was at my home to quote the job. The price he quoted was spot on and the job was scheduled within a couple weeks. He and his crew were on time the day of and were very meticulous about their work. Each time Robert completed a portion of the job, he had me review the work and encouraged me to provided feedback on any areas of concern (which were very few if any). At completion of the job, he and his crew had the work area cleaner than they had found it. Robert is now my go-to for all my masonry needs.

I called Robert and left a message. He responded quickly and setup an estimate appointment on May 18. I had also called three other companies for estimates as well. After receiving all the estimates, it narrowed to two contractors, who came in with similar proposals and pricing. Both were very professional and amicable. It was difficult to choose, so I decided to go with the closer vendor (southwest suburbs). I am pleased with the decision. About a month later when I contacted Robert to agree to his proposal, he mentioned that he had already lined up some larger projects, but was willing to do this job on a weekend. He and his crew of two arrived 7:15 am Saturday June 27. They quickly removed the cracked and broken concrete around the foundation using chisels and jack hammers, and began applying a special quick drying concrete. In parallel, they removed and replaced the bad bricks with a very close replacement. They also spent time checking with me to make certain that I would be pleased with the color of the mortar for the spot tuckpointing. Matching mortar color can be difficult, especially when the mortar is wet. Robert used a heat dryer on a sample piece of mortar I agreed that the color was a good match. Additional weathering from sunlight would eventually be complete the match. Writing this review four weeks after the project was completed, I have to agree that one would not notice where the replacement brick and spot tuckpointing was done unless it was pointed out. They were completed by 2:30 pm and cleaned up all around the house, removing all the chipped concrete and broken bricks. Robert came by the following Monday after 5:30 pm to complete the work around the concrete foundation. Because the concrete work was in patches on three sides of the house, to make the overall appearance of the concrete uniform, Robert proposed using a special breathable concrete paint to paint all around the foundation. All in all, I am very pleased with the work that Robert and his team did. They are 100% professional and courteous.

I was very pleased with Robert's work. He responded to all aspects of the job promptly and professionally. The final price of the job matched the quote. He and his workers performed their tasks efficiently, and as quietly as possible. They did a great job of matching mortar color with the existing color (house is 25 years old). They cleaned up everything after they finished the job. I would highly recommend them.

An excellent, hard working group! Extremely pleasant and very professional with all services and communication. Would recommend them in a second!

Robert came to view the issues I was having with my tuck pointing, chimney and a window lintel. He is very personable patient and informative. He came immediately after contacting and I received a proposal by email. After accepting his proposal, a date was estimated because of all the rain. He called to verify final date and was prompt efficient and left the site spotless. He explained all necessary work and sought permission before proceeding. He had me examine all his finished work before accepting payment. Because I was not going up on the roof, Robert took numerous photos of the chimney both before and after the work was completed. I highly recommend Robert and will refer him to family and friends.

Very responsive and willing to work around my schedule while still getting job done without delay. Managed to fit my repair in on one of the few dry days we have had this summer. Explained and fixed the reason for the cracks. Very nice job; looks great. If I didn't know where the cracks were, I could never tell.

I believe Robert is a truly skilled mason; he also explains everything clearly. He did the work himself with another man--they worked very hard--and everything I could say about him would be positive.

This is our 2nd time hiring Robert and he is the best. Professional, prompt, and his work is immaculate. He is true to his word and we are very happy with the work and work ethic of Robert and his staff.

Robert is great. He is very knowledgable. We had no issues, he arrived ahead of schedule and got everything done that we discussed. He actually did more than the contract as it was the right thing to do, by waterproofing the chimney for no additional cost.

After getting bad advice from a shady chimney sweep, Robert came to our rescue. He told us what work really needed to be done vs. What was a scam. Robert is honest and fair and meticulous. He does great work, and goes out of his way to make his customers happy. His crew is friendly and nice to have around too. All around great experience and highly recommended.

Another fine job by Robert's General Masonry Repair. Second job he has done for us. He is extremely focused on not only the quality of his work but with customer satisfaction. Closeup and overall photos were taken to illustrate the problem, a full explanation was provided followed by a written estimate. Questions were promptly answered before, during and after the job. Robert followed up a week later to check in with my satisfaction. Highly recommended.