LaPorte Masonry & Waterproofing Inc.

LaPorte Masonry & Waterproofing works East Boston's older brick housing stock — the row houses, brownstones, and century-old foundations where mortar has crumbled and basements leak after a storm. On Google, 35 ratings average five stars, and the specifics repeat: repointing brick on decades-old walls, sealing a basement that had been wet for years, at a price the customer calls fair before the crew shows up. The company is owner-operated — Richard LaPorte, a journeyman bricklayer, quotes and works jobs himself rather than handing them off. Its own site says he trained through a five-year Bricklayers and Allied Craftsman apprenticeship and worked on restoration at Harvard University, MIT, and the Museum of Fine Arts before starting the business in 2008. Recent reviews describe repointing an old brick wall that hadn't been touched in decades — spalling brick, crumbling mortar, now secure and waterproof — and fixing a condo building's water intrusion into one unit at a price the owner called fair enough to call again. A homeowner who had Richard out to quote foundation repointing and cracked-brick replacement said he helped her decide whether the repair was even needed before taking the job, calling the operation "straight up and fair." Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor license, HIC #194581, is active. Zoom out and the pattern holds for years, not just months: sixteen reviews stretching back to 2023, none negative, most naming the same traits — clear terms on cost and schedule before work starts, and a clean site when it's done. Its Houzz profile lists the same services but has no reviews on that platform yet, so most of what's known comes from Google and the company's own site rather than a spread of independent review platforms. There isn't much to flag before calling — no recent complaint, no pricing dispute, nothing self-reported that contradicts what customers describe. Worth confirming directly is scope and timeline for a specific project, since the reviews are almost all repointing and waterproofing work on older homes rather than new construction. This is a fit for someone with a brick or stone structure — a historic row house, a leaking basement, a chimney needing a rebuild — who wants the owner himself on the job, less so for someone shopping for a broader remodel outside masonry and waterproofing.