Frank Corrado Custom Masonry

There is no Massachusetts masonry license, masons work under Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration and insurance. A structural chimney rebuild, fireplace repair, or work affecting the building envelope needs a building permit from the Hingham Building Department, and chimney lining must meet the state fire code (527 CMR). Hingham's local wrinkle is its Historic Districts Commission: visible exterior masonry changes on a home in the Hingham historic districts, including a rebuilt chimney top or repointing color, can require a certificate before work begins. CSIA chimney-sweep certification is voluntary but worth asking for on antique homes.

Hingham sits at the upper end of the South Shore band, close to Boston metro pricing because of affluence, antique-home complexity, and coastal access. Chimney repointing or tuckpointing typically runs $1,500-$3,500, higher when a lime-mortar match on a First Period home is required. Rebuilding a chimney above the roofline runs roughly $3,000-$8,000 or more on a tall center-chimney colonial. Relining a flue is usually $2,500-$7,000. A crown or cap repair runs $300-$1,500. Brick or stone walkway and step repair lands around $2,000-$6,000, with historic matching pushing higher.

Massachusetts requires a written contract and a Home Improvement Contractor registration for most residential masonry & chimney work; ask for the registration number and check it before paying a deposit.

More on permits, costs, rebates and common questions, plus every other masonry & chimney contractor serving the town, on the Masonry & Chimney in Hingham page.