“We need to get the brick tuck-pointed/repaired on two sides”

Photo by washingtonydc

“Dear PoPville,

I could use the collective architectural savvy of the commentariat. We have a fairly typical end-unit brick rowhouse, approximately 1,000 sqft above grade. We need to get the brick tuck-pointed/repaired on two sides (the rear was done shortly before we moved in). This seems straightforward, but we’ve been having a fair bit of trouble.

There are two main issues and associated questions for the hivemind:

1) We are having a heck of a time just getting estimates. We’ve contacted several masons about the work, half never responded, and a couple of the ones that did just never showed up! 1a) Has anyone who has had this done on a similar property, and if so, can you recommend a *reliable* contractor?

2) Of the two contractors that *did* bother to show up, the estimates were WILDLY different. To the tune of a delta of $11,000. Not total, that’s the *difference* between estimates. Obviously, this has left us without any reliable price signals on which to make a decision. 2a) So…as above, if anyone has done this for a similar property, what did you pay? Did you also get absurdly divergent estimates?”