Masonry & Tuckpointing in Naperville, Illinois
Naperville quarried limestone but mostly built its old houses in wood, and then built about half of today's housing in the 1980s and 1990s. Which of those two stories your house belongs to decides what your masonry needs.
How old Naperville really is
The Census Bureau's 2024 one-year estimates count 58,188 housing units in Naperville, with a median year built of 1991. By decade:
- 1939 or earlier: about 2.3 percent
- 1940 to 1969: about 6.1 percent
- The 1970s: about 14.2 percent
- The 1980s: about 25.1 percent
- The 1990s: about 24.1 percent
- 2000 to 2009: about 16.0 percent
- 2010 or later: about 12.2 percent
Survey estimates carry margins of error, so read these as proportions. Close to one house in two dates from the 1980s or 1990s, and fewer than one in forty predates 1940. The city's design manual credits the building boom of the 1960s to 1980s and developers such as Harold Moser and the Shiffler brothers; the census counts show the result, 42,330 residents in 1980 and 128,358 in 2000.
That manual also says mortar joints in most cases last more than 25 years. The typical Naperville masonry job is not a century-old repair. It is the first real maintenance cycle on a house in its thirties.
No source documents what Naperville's walls are made of, and the Census does not collect it. If your house is brick, brick veneer or stone veneer, the sections below apply to that part of it.
Old Naperville was wood, with stone underneath
The city's design manual says the majority of historic Naperville homes are of frame construction. Masonry turns up where those houses meet the ground and the fire: brick on chimneys, porch elements and some structural walls; limestone on foundations until the early 1900s, and sometimes on chimneys, sills and porches. Rock-face concrete block was an inexpensive stand-in for natural stone, used extensively on the foundations of Stick, Queen Anne and Foursquare houses. From the street it passes for quarried stone. It is not stone, and it is not repaired like stone.
The real stone was local. Quarries helped rebuild Chicago between 1870 and 1900, and Centennial Beach now fills two old limestone quarries. Documented buildings:
- Old Main, North Central College, dedicated 1870: a Second Empire stone structure by John Mills Van Osdel, built, according to coverage of the college's 150th anniversary, of limestone from the quarry now at Centennial Beach.
- Thomas Clow House, 1868, on Book Road: limestone from Wheatland Township. Local landmark since 1991.
- Naperville Woman's Club, 1899: locally quarried limestone. Landmark since 2011.
- The 1906 Building, 25 E. Benton Avenue: limestone that the city says came from Joliet quarries, not Naperville's own. Landmark since 2026.
- Old Nichols Library, 1897-98: the city's survey records blonde brick with rusticated stone trim, although an image description on the city's landmark page calls it a limestone building. Landmark since 2017.
The lesson: brick and stone get confused even in official descriptions, so a mason's first job is to say which is where and to match the joint profile already on the wall.
The Historic District: where the city reviews exterior work
Most of Naperville answers to no historic review. One small area does. The city adopted its historic preservation ordinance (Title 6, Chapter 11 of the municipal code) in 1984 and in 1986 designated a local Historic District just east of downtown around the historic core of North Central College: about 320 properties today, mostly homes built between 1870 and 1950. The city's landmark page also lists six individual local landmarks.
The district and the landmarks are where review is mandatory: owners must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) before most exterior alterations. The National Register district of 1977 is separate, and the city's manual says the National Register places no obligations or restrictions on properties.
The city's 2026 application packet requires a COA for work on the street-facing facade of the principal building, plus fences, driveways and attached garages. Its summary table has three bins:
- No review: rear or side facades not visible from the street; in-kind replacement of less than 50 percent of the primary facade's materials with originals; painting; gutters.
- Staff-level approval: in-kind replacement of 50 percent or more with the original material.
- Commission hearing: any change in reveal or profile, or any material not on the staff list.
The packet never mentions mortar, tuckpointing or joint profile, so whether your repointing counts as in-kind replacement is for planning staff to say. Ask before the scaffolding goes up, and get it in writing. A hearing means a nine-member board, no filing fee, notice to neighbors within 300 feet, and an approval valid for three years.
The manual the Commission uses is specific about masonry. Tuckpoint when joints crumble, crack or show quarter-inch voids. Match the original mortar in composition, color, width and profile. On most pre-1920 homes use a soft mortar: no Portland cement or other hard mortar unless it was original. Never clean brick above 300 psi, and avoid sandblasting. To check an address, use the city's historic district map (“Your Place”) or call (630) 420-6100, option 2.
Outside the district: permits and hiring
The city's Guide to Building Permits lists the work that needs one: structural repairs, replacing roof or wall sheathing, removing EIFS, exterior fireplaces, retaining walls over three feet, driveways and sidewalks. Its web page adds that installing brick, thin-set masonry or stone veneer requires a permit, and cosmetic work does not. Neither names repointing or chimney repair. Describe your job to the code line before you sign and write down the answer. Ask your homeowners association too; the city tells residents to.
The city's hiring advice: get at least three bids, confirm the contractor is bonded and insured, never pay in full in advance, be wary of anyone who suggests skipping permits, and make sure the permit names the contractor, not you. It lists electricians, plumbers, irrigation contractors and roofers as the licensed trades. Masonry is not on that list, so a license will not tell you whether a mason can do your job. References and finished work will.
Chimneys in a town built in the 1980s and 1990s
If your house has a fireplace, establish which kind first: a site-built masonry chimney, or a factory-built system with a metal flue. The city's permit fee schedule lists them separately and the repair advice differs. On a factory-built system the metal parts are not masonry work; the Chimney Safety Institute of America says to sweep it at any appreciable buildup, because the acidic deposit can corrode prefabricated parts. A mason is the right call for any brick, stone or block around or above it.
Where a masonry chimney fails, top to bottom
From a brick manufacturer's technical bulletin and the city's manual, as conditionals: if your chimney has this detail, this is how it tends to fail.
- Crown. If the top is a thin trowelled skim of mortar feathered at the edge, expect shrinkage cracks and a coat that has lifted from the brick. A sound crown overhangs with a drip edge, slopes away from the flue, sits over flashing, and is separated from the flue tile by a flexible gap of 3/8 to 1/2 inch; the tile stands at least 4 inches above it.
- Joints and brick. Watch for cracks, “bug holes” where a joint was never filled, and spalled brick. Chimney joints should be concave, vee or grapevine, not raked. Unfilled vertical head joints are the most common source of leaks in brick walls.
- Flashing. Metal step flashing with counterflashing set into the chimney, overlapped at least 4 inches, plus a cricket if the chimney is wider than 30 inches. The manual says metal, not caulk or bituminous coating, and the bulletin calls sealant in place of flashing inferior workmanship.
- Flue. The manual advises cleaning a used chimney to prevent creosote, notes that liners can be installed against it, and says an unused chimney should be capped. You cannot judge a liner from the ground; a camera scan can.
Why it matters: the Brick Industry Association lists efflorescence, cracking, spalling and disintegration from repeated freeze-thaw cycling, and corrosion of metal, as what excess water does to brick. A chimney stands exposed on every side, so its top and roof junction come first.
When to inspect
NFPA 211, quoted by the Chimney Safety Institute, says chimneys should be inspected at least once a year. The routine form is a Level 1 inspection. The institute recommends a Level 2, which adds attic access and a camera scan of the flue, when the property is sold, before lining, when an appliance is swapped for a dissimilar one, and after a chimney fire, weather event or malfunction.
What a sound scope looks like
- Names the inspection level, with photographs of crown, joints, roof junction and, where scanned, the flue.
- Rebuilds the crown with overhang, drip, slope, a flexible gap at the tile and flashing beneath, not a skim coat.
- Replaces cracked brick and unfilled joints first, and states the joint profile.
- Specifies metal flashing, with sealant only as a supplement.
- Prices any relining as its own line, backed by a scan.
- Says who does the roof-side work, since the city lists roofers among the licensed trades.
A scope that says “repair chimney” prices an unknown job.
Brick walls in their thirties: what to check
If your house is brick-faced, its water-management details are now old enough to show faults. The Brick Industry Association says flashing belongs at wall bases, sills, heads of openings, chimneys and tops of walls, with weeps at flashing level: preferably open head joints at least 2 inches high, no more than 24 inches apart. Screens help stop later maintenance from sealing them shut. Four checks:
- Are there open weeps along the base and above openings? A base course repointed solid is a bad sign.
- Do the joints sound? The city's trigger is crumbling, cracked or quarter-inch-deep voids.
- What is above windows and doors? Stains or cracking there are a reason to ask what flashing sits behind the brick.
- White efflorescence or flaking faces? Both are symptoms of excess water.
Match the mortar to the wall in front of you. The manual's principle, original composition, color, width and profile, applies whatever the era.
Questions worth more than a price per square foot
- Is my address in the Historic District, and who at the city confirmed it?
- Which mortar, matched to what, in which joint profile?
- How is the old joint coming out, and how are the brick edges protected?
- Will the weeps stay open?
- Is the flashing metal, and who does the roof-side work?
- Who pulls the permit, if one is needed, and whose name is on it?
- Which inspection level is the chimney quote based on?
A mason who cannot answer those is quoting a job that does not match your house.
Signs your masonry needs a look
- Mortar that crumbles or has quarter-inch voids
- A chimney top that is a thin skim with cracks, or a gap between crown and flue tile
- Bug holes, or cracked and spalled brick on a chimney
- Roof-to-chimney flashing that is mostly sealant
- White powder or flaking brick faces
- No visible weeps, or weeps filled with mortar or sealant
- A fireplace not inspected in a year or more
- Anything on the street side of a house east of downtown: call the city first
What this page does not know
We found no verified Naperville figure for freeze-thaw cycles, frost depth or soil movement, no source for wall materials citywide, and no city statement on whether repointing needs a permit. So we quote none, and we quote no prices.
Naperville and the surrounding area
Naperville spans DuPage and Will counties. If yours is a landmark facade or a full elevation job, start with our landmark and estate work. For the closest DuPage County guides, compare masonry in Wheaton and masonry in Glen Ellyn, or browse every area we serve across Chicagoland.
Questions Naperville owners ask
Do I need a permit or city approval to tuckpoint or repair a chimney in Naperville?
It depends where the house is and what the work is. In the local Historic District or on a designated landmark, the city's ordinance requires a Certificate of Appropriateness before most exterior alterations, and the city's application packet does not name mortar, tuckpointing or chimney repair, so ask planning staff how your job is classed. Elsewhere, the city's building permit guide lists structural repairs, exterior fireplaces and new brick or stone veneer, but it does not name repointing or chimney repair either. Call the code line at (630) 420-6100, option 2, describe the scope plainly, and note who answered.
How do I find out whether my Naperville house is in the Historic District?
Use the city's historic district map, called Your Place on its regulations page, or ask staff to confirm an address. The local district, designated in 1986, lies just east of downtown around the North Central College core between Brainard and Loomis Streets and covers about 320 properties in a city of roughly 58,000 housing units. Outside the district and individual landmarks, the Certificate of Appropriateness process does not apply, however old the house looks.
Does the National Register listing restrict what I can do to my Naperville house?
Not by itself. Naperville's National Register district was listed in 1977 and is larger than the local Historic District. The city's own design manual calls the National Register an honorary list that places no obligations or restrictions on properties. The binding rules come from the local designation under the city's historic preservation ordinance. So ask whether your address is in the local district or individually landmarked, not whether your street is on the National Register.
How old are Naperville's houses?
The Census Bureau's 2024 one-year estimates count 58,188 housing units with a median year built of 1991. About 2.3 percent date from 1939 or earlier, 6.1 percent from 1940 to 1969 and 14.2 percent from the 1970s. The 1980s account for about 25.1 percent and the 1990s about 24.1 percent, so close to half the stock dates from those two decades; about 16.0 percent was built from 2000 to 2009 and 12.2 percent since 2010. Margins of error apply.
Are Naperville homes brick?
Some are, and no source tells us how many. The Census Bureau does not collect exterior wall material and we found no municipal source that documents it for Naperville, so any percentage you are quoted has been invented. What is documented is narrower: the city's design manual says most historic homes in the Historic District are wood frame, with brick used for structural walls, chimneys and porch elements and limestone or rock-face concrete block for foundations.
Is Naperville limestone real, and where can I see it?
Yes. The city's manual lists stone quarries among the pioneer industries of 1870 to 1900, and Centennial Beach now fills two old limestone quarries. The city's landmark page describes the 1868 Thomas Clow House as limestone and the 1906 Building on Benton Avenue as limestone from Joliet quarries. Not every stone-looking building is stone: the Old Nichols Library is recorded in the city's survey as blonde brick with rusticated stone trim, and rock-face concrete block was made to imitate natural stone on early 1900s foundations.
How often should a chimney be inspected, and what kind of inspection?
NFPA 211, as quoted by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, says chimneys, fireplaces and vents should be inspected at least once a year, and the routine form is a Level 1 inspection of the accessible parts. The institute's procedure recommends a Level 2 inspection, which adds access to attics and crawl spaces and a camera scan of the flue, when a property is sold, before a chimney is lined or relined, when an appliance is replaced with a dissimilar one, and after a chimney fire, weather event or malfunction.
What does a proper chimney crown and flashing repair involve?
A brick manufacturer's bulletin sets out the details. A crown overhangs the walls with a drip edge, slopes away from the flue, sits over flashing, and is separated from the flue tile by a flexible-sealant gap of 3/8 to 1/2 inch, with the tile standing at least 4 inches above it; a thin mortar skim tends to crack from shrinkage and lift from the brick. At the roof the detail is metal step flashing with counterflashing set into the chimney, plus a cricket if the chimney is wider than 30 inches.
Is my fireplace masonry or factory-built, and does it matter?
It matters because the repairs differ. A masonry chimney is built of brick, block or stone with a flue inside it that may be lined, and its failures are the crown, joints, brick faces, flashing and liner. A factory-built system uses metal components, and the city's permit fee schedule lists masonry and pre-fabricated fireplaces as separate items. The Chimney Safety Institute of America says factory-built fireplaces should be swept at any appreciable buildup, since the acidic deposit can corrode prefabricated parts.
Is MasonryPros.us a masonry contractor, and how does it work?
No. MasonryPros.us is a free matching service run by Media Express LLC, a Chicago digital agency. It does not do masonry work, has no office in Naperville and quotes no prices. You describe the job once in the form on this page and the request goes to contractors who do that kind of work, with no obligation to hire anyone.