LaPorte Masonry & Waterproofing Inc.

LaPorte Masonry & Waterproofing is a one-owner-led East Boston operation — Richard LaPorte, a journeyman bricklayer who trained through the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsman apprenticeship program and, before striking out on his own in 2008, worked on projects for Harvard, MIT, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway, according to the company's own site. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is registry-verified active. The written record is almost entirely about one thing: fixing masonry that's been failing for decades. A 100-year-old home's crumbling repointing, a 135-year-old stone-and-brick foundation, a brownstone needing three large repointed-and-waterproofed sections, an 1894 house's front wall — reviewers keep landing on old brick brought back to secure and, notably, waterproof condition. In a 2024 review, one customer described hiring an inexperienced mason first, who "created a disaster," before Richard came in, cut out the bad work, and redid it properly. Waterproofing specifically shows up too: a condo building's water intrusion into a unit, and a "tricky basement leak" a customer says Richard helped figure out. Reviewers describe him as transparent about costs and schedule up front, with several noting there were no surprise charges once work started — a detail that stands out given how often masonry estimates change once a wall is opened up. There's no negative review in the record, and the six most recent reviews (within the last six months) carry the same tone as the older ones — communicative, clean job sites, permits handled. Houzz separately lists chimney construction among the company's services, though no reviews describe that specific work yet. For century-old brick, foundation repointing, or a wall that's letting water in, this is a specialist with a consistent, well-documented track record — the main open question for a bigger job is simply getting a firm quote, since none of the reviews mention pricing specifics beyond "fair."