If the mortar joints on your brickwork are crumbling, cracked or washing out when it rains, repointing is usually the fix. Prices in London vary widely, and the cheapest quote is often the one that causes damage later. Here is what you can realistically expect to pay in 2026 and why quotes differ so much.
Most London brickwork contractors price repointing per square metre. As a rough guide, expect somewhere between £60 and £120 per square metre for standard cement or lime mortar repointing, with the lower end applying to easily accessible walls at ground level and the upper end to fiddly, high or heritage work. Small patch repairs are usually priced as a day rate instead, typically £250 to £400 per day for a skilled bricklayer plus materials, because setting up for a tiny area costs nearly as much as a larger one.
For whole elevations, a two storey Victorian terrace front of around 30 to 40 square metres often lands between £2,500 and £5,000 once access is included. Repointing an entire mid terrace house commonly runs from £5,000 to £12,000 or more, depending on size, condition and scaffolding. These are guide figures, not quotes; the only way to get a firm price is a proper survey of your actual walls.
Access is often the single biggest variable. Scaffolding a two storey elevation in London typically adds £800 to £1,500, and more if the pavement needs a licence from the council or the rear is only reachable through the house. Ground floor work that can be done from ladders or a small tower is noticeably cheaper.
The mortar itself matters too. Most London homes built before around 1930, which covers the majority of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, were built with lime mortar. Repointing these in lime costs more, often 20 to 40 percent above cement work, because the material is dearer and it needs more careful preparation and protection while it cures. The depth of raking out, the joint profile you want (flush, weather struck or bucket handle) and how badly the existing joints have eroded all affect labour time as well.
It is tempting to accept a cheaper quote using a hard cement mortar, but on pre 1930s brickwork this is usually a false economy. Cement is harder than the soft London stock bricks it surrounds, so moisture escapes through the brick face instead of the joint. Over the following years the brick faces blow and spall, and the repair cost then dwarfs what you saved.
A competent contractor will check what the original mortar was, often with a simple scratch test, and match it. If a quote for a Victorian terrace does not mention lime at all, ask why. If the house is listed or in a conservation area, using the wrong mortar can also create problems with the council, and listed buildings may need consent before work starts.
A fair quote should state the area in square metres, the raking out depth (10 to 15 millimetres minimum, ideally to twice the joint width), the mortar mix, the joint finish and whether scaffolding, waste removal and brick replacements are included. Vague one line quotes that just say repoint front wall make it impossible to compare like for like and leave room for corners to be cut.
Be wary of prices dramatically below the ranges above. Grinding out joints too shallow, smearing new mortar over old rather than raking out properly, or using an angle grinder carelessly on narrow joints all produce work that looks fine for a year and fails soon after. Ask to see recent local jobs, ideally a year or two old, so you can see how the work has weathered.
A single elevation on a terrace typically takes three to five days once scaffolding is up, while a whole house can take two to three weeks. Lime mortar work takes longer because it needs protecting from rain, frost and hot sun while it cures.
Done properly with the right mortar, repointing should last 40 to 60 years or more. Premature failure within a few years almost always points to poor preparation or the wrong mix rather than bad luck.
If most of the wall is sound, patch repointing the eroded areas is perfectly acceptable and far cheaper. A good contractor will tell you honestly which it is after inspecting the joints, though patches in a different mortar colour may be visible until they weather in.
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