Miguel and his team at Sunshine Brickpointing did an excellent job repointing the entire back and…read moreside of our historic Capitol Hill rowhouse. From start to finish, Miguel was incredibly communicative and easy to reach, which was so refreshing. Their estimate was detailed, the crew was as tidy as you can possibly be on a job like this, and they finished right on schedule. I was also struck by what a great team Miguel has. The guys genuinely seemed to enjoy working together, and Miguel himself was on site frequently throughout the project. Everyone was professional, pleasant, and clearly took pride in their work. We're extremely pleased with the finished product and would absolutely hire Miguel and Sunshine Brickpointing again for any future masonry work.

A few weeks after Miguel and his crew finished, I noticed a small area (3.5cm X 1cm) of brick…read moremortar that had not been filled. I called Miguel, and he immediately and cordially arranged to come back to fix it. No hassle at all. He skillfully matched the color and texture of the new mortar to the 77-year old original so it's nearly impossible to distinguish new from old mortar. Miguel and his truly is truly a craftsmanship treasure of skill, efficiency and affability. I think his wife also works behind the scenes keeping the whole business running smoothly.

I used David Ricard Masonry to repair a toothpaste-joint stone wall in front of my house. I highly…read morerecommend David. He came to my house and personally inspected the wall, then gave me a very reasonable estimate. His crew showed up on time, did excellent work, and cleaned up afterward. All in all, a professional, hassle-fee experience. I'm attaching before and after photos.

I contacted David, to get an estimate of brick repair work on and around my home and property…read more After getting a reasonable quote and a handshake we sealed the deal. Within a week, David called me and scheduled to come and star the process, the crew arrived at 7:00 AM Monday morning replacing numerous bricks which had their face falling off on our home and stoop area. Tore down a rebuilt retaining walls on both sides of our walkout basement. The did an amazing job and cleaned up afterwards pretty quickly to our satisfaction. For all of brick, concrete of any kind, I highly recommend this company!!!

We had Capitol Hill Masonry perform several jobs for us: leveling of a severely sloping basement…read morefloor, tuck pointing, tidying up of missing bricks and replacing a concrete pad. They took their time and did an incredibly thorough and excellent job. We are really happy with the result and felt that it was a high priority to deliver a high quality product. Michael was great to work with, very communicative and willing to pivot as we added more work. He used high quality materials too, honoring the needs of the old CH row houses. Definitely recommend.

We are grateful to Patrick, Myles, and their team for their great work. We were experiencing water…read moredamage from poor workmanship on the exterior of our building. Capitol Hill Masonry redid the exterior wall, made sure the brick and mortar were in good shape, and did an excellent job painting and cleaning up the job site. They also added weepholes to allow better drainage from our yard. Capitol Hill Masonry offered us the fairest price at a higher experience level than other contractors we found. Our wall still looks great after a recent downpour.

I started working with Jeremy and IDS in December 2020. They took over an ongoing issue I was…read moretackling with a contractor/friend who moved to Australia. Jeremy picked up the project and was able to solve for the moisture trapped in the plaster walls. Having a 100+-year home is challenging and solutions aren't always direct. Jeremy and team stayed the course. The quality and craftsmanship of their work is exceptional. They have become a trusted resource when it comes to fixes and home improvements. Last year, they converted my claustrophobic 4X7 bathroom into something livable. I consulted with other contractors and even an architect on possible solutions for making the space feel more open and liked Jeremy's approach best. He listened to what I wanted and found a way to successfully make it work. IDS even referred to an outstanding electrician this summer to upgrade my home from 60 to 200 amps. Jeremy, Junior and Adan are a great team, making the experience of owning an older home manageable. I can't thank them enough for all their hard work and dedication.

Rather unprofessional lack of communication after an estimate…read more I met the estimator and we spent about an hour looking at the work needed at my property in June. They said it would take 1 week for them to send over the estimate. They've completely ghosted me for the last 2 months. I've sent three emails requesting updates on their estimate and no response. I'm disappointed that I took a day off from work to meet with their estimator, and now will need to get more quotes. IDS initially responded quickly to scheduling time to come out for the estimate on multistory porch rebuild, roof deck replacement and tuckpointing on my property in DC. They had asked about the scope of the work prior to coming out, so would have known if it was too small for their company. A simple "sorry we are too busy to take on the project" would be the minimum expected professional response from a real company.

Abel and his team did a great job of updating our hardscaping and fencing and redoing our…read morelandscaping. We love our new backyard! They did a great job at a fair price!

Outstanding service, great communication and fabulous work. Exactly what I wanted and it looks…read moreperfect! I'm already planning my next project! I'd give them 10 stars!

Blue Collar Scholars Completely Transformed Our Home -- 5 Stars Isn't Enough!…read more We had an outstanding experience with Blue Collar Scholars on two projects -- a stone porcelain patio and a stone front walkway with a sitting wall -- and I would absolutely recommend them. From the initial planning through final completion, the entire process was professional, organized, and transparent. The pricing was very reasonable for the quality of work, everything stayed on schedule, and both projects were completed in approximately three weeks. One thing that was especially important to us was working with a properly licensed and fully insured contractor. Blue Collar Scholars gave us confidence that the work was being handled by a professional company that takes responsibility, safety, and quality seriously. Doug Brzezinski and Andrea Ortega were excellent to work with throughout the process. Communication was clear, expectations were well managed, and we always felt that the project was in good hands. A special recognition goes to Ulises, who was truly the architect and mastermind behind the work on-site. His experience, attention to detail, and craftsmanship were outstanding. Just as importantly, he provided thoughtful and trustworthy advice throughout the project. Rather than simply doing what was easiest, he took the time to explain options and recommend what he believed would produce the best long-term result. That level of integrity and expertise really stood out. The six-man crew -- Ulises, Abner, both Samuels, Angel, and Gabriel -- was exceptional. They arrived on time, worked incredibly hard every day, were polite and respectful, and clearly took great pride in their work. It was impressive to see how efficiently and professionally the entire crew worked together. Service Requested: Stone porcelain patio and stone walkway with sitting wall Quality: Outstanding craftsmanship and attention to detail Value: Excellent -- very reasonably priced for the quality of work and service The transformation of our property is remarkable. The new patio, walkway, and sitting wall look fantastic, and I am confident this work will add significantly more value to our home than what we invested in the project. Professional people, excellent workmanship, fair pricing, trustworthy advice, and an exceptionally hardworking crew. Blue Collar Scholars delivered on everything they promised. I would definitely use them again and highly recommend Doug, Andrea, Ulises, Abner, both Samuels, Angel, Gabriel, and the entire Blue Collar Scholars team.

Nice quality of work and finished on time. I liked the estimate format. It was very detailed and…read morethe cost/due dates were clear. Everyone I worked with was very nice. Esteban did a great job and I enjoyed working with him. Thank you!

Mairtin is a professional. He completed my project on time and did a great job. Competitive value…read moretoo. Thanks, Mairtin!

Martin did excellent work for a reasonable price on an unusual job repairing our basement concrete…read morefloor. He completed the job quickly and neatly, keeping dust to a minimum by enclosing the space in order to power grind and prep the floor. We appreciated his attention to detail in applying a self-leveling compound needed to restore a smooth surface. He was very personable and professional. I'd definitely hire Martin again.

I want to thank Gerber and his team for doing a great job on the exterior of my home ... which…read moreincluded hardscaping, lighting, and landscaping. They delivered excellent craftsmanship and top notch design experience at a fair price. I initially hired Gerber to tune-up all my existing pavers, add a new paver driveway, and add some new path lighting. Adding the new driveway was somewhat of a challenge as the adjacent paver sidewalks were initially constructed over 10 years ago. So, Gerber was able to find a great match to my existing pavers and masterfully piece the new driveway together in such a fashion where old and new appear seamless. Amazing!!! During the process, we learned that his team also offered landscaping. So as the hardscaping and lighting was coming to an end, his team met with us for a design consultation. Both Kathy and Katherine brought some great experience/knowledge to assess our current situation and offered wonderful ideas to the overall design. We loved what we heard and proceeded with the landscaping work immediately. In the end, we could not be happier! And we look forward to using Gerber and his team should we have any additional hardscaping, landscaping, or lighting needs in the future.

We had a couple of cracks in the mortar of our home built in 1939. I didn't really know what I…read moreneeded and did some outreach to different masons in the area. Gerber responded very quickly, was prompt in coming out and telling me what he thought I should do. While he was there, I asked if they did stonework on walkways and patios as that was also part of what I needed. The work they did on the house and the walks was excellent. The team was great to work around, completed everything beyond expectations. Would recommend!

We hired Ramirez Brick Repair for two masonry projects, and the quality of the work was outstanding…read moreboth times. The first project involved repointing our heavily deteriorated front porch brick steps. Javier and his team carefully restored the brickwork, matched the mortar beautifully, and made the steps look solid and refreshed again. The second project was a complete restoration of our flagstone patio, including removing and replacing all of the old mortar and resetting the stones. The patio now looks fantastic and is level, clean, and professionally finished. Throughout both projects, the team was reliable, hardworking, detail oriented, and respectful of our property. It's clear they take pride in their craftsmanship. We're extremely happy with the results and would absolutely recommend Ramirez Brick Repair to anyone needing masonry or stonework repairs.

Mr. Ramirez repointed and repaired some broken bricks on my front walk. He and his partner are both…read moreskilled and hard working, responsive to texts and questions all for a good price. There are a few reviews on here that made me wonder but I'm very glad I hired them. You will be too.

Tom was one of the best contractors I have hired. He installed a short retaining wall in the front…read moreand back of my row home. His prices were more than reasonable for the quality of the work. He showed up on time, did not bother us at all, and left no mess. Most importantly two years later, the wall looks great.

Unprofessional, Sloppy Work, and Broken Promises - Cost Me $19K Total…read more I hired this contractor for a $15,000 project to parge the rear of my rowhouse. I chose his middle quote and specifically showed him my neighbors' well-done walls for reference. He assured me he could provide a nice, even gray sponge finish to match the front of my house. Instead, he cut corners and delivered completely unacceptable work: Bait-and-Switch on Materials: His quote explicitly included adding metal lathe to the exterior using stainless steel fasteners. On day one of the job, he abruptly changed his mind, claiming he had a "better way to do it." It wasn't better--it was just cheaper for him. Sloppy Application: The mortar was applied unevenly, leaving splotchy colors and completely exposed brick in several areas. Visible Brick Lines: Because he skipped the proper preparation, the brick lines were completely visible right away. He claimed it just needed to "dry," but 6 months later, it still looks terrible. Refused to Complete Repairs: When confronted, he admitted the walls were uneven and claimed painting would fix it. He painted only the back wall, then flat-out refused to paint the two larger dog-leg walls, stating he was "out a ton of money" and "didn't have the funds." Financial Pressure: Halfway through the project, he pressured me into releasing the second payment early, citing his own "cash flow issues." Validation & Extra Costs: I had to pay an additional $4,000 to an independent painting company to finish the dog-leg walls. Even the professional painters pointed out how poorly the mortar was applied, specifically highlighting that it was applied "very thin" at the top of the house. Paying $15,000 for a botched job, cutting corners on the contract, and then shelling out another $4,000 to clean up his mess is a nightmare. Avoid this mason at all costs.