With four generations and 100+ years of family experience, we restore historic masonry with expert precision and period-accurate materials, preserving the past to keep your home safe, sound, and beautiful.
With more than 4,300 projects completed, we are sharing here some of our completed restoration projects, including work on the Paramour Mansion and Bel-Air estates.
Each project is treated with respect, authenticity, and a dedication to preserving history.
Get a fast, professional estimate, no commitments, just real numbers from trusted experts.
“They restored our historic building better than we imagined – true craftsmen!”
Tell us about your historical masonry restoration project, we’ll provide a detailed quote at no cost or obligation.
We make it simple to start. Schedule a quick virtual consultation with our team, and you’ll receive a personalized estimate tailored to your property, completely free of charge.
When looking for a contractor to restore a historic property, finding the right Historical Restoration Contractors is essential. Our Los Angeles experts at DiBara Masonry help preserve both the appearance and structural integrity of historic homes. Whether your property needs Brick Restoration, repointing, cleaning, sealing, or stonework, we have the experience and craftsmanship to restore it with care. In many historic Los Angeles estates, preserving the home also requires maintaining the structural integrity of original retaining walls in Los Angeles that prevent soil movement from threatening the foundation.
From the Mid-Century homes of the Hollywood Hills to the Craftsman bungalows of Pasadena, we restore each project with respect for its history. We are familiar with HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone) guidelines and can help you navigate city regulations.
Get in touch with us today to schedule an estimate for your new historical masonry restoration project.
Southern California’s intense weather and shifting soil can take a toll on older structures. While we address surface wear, we also look for root causes, such as failing hillside retaining walls that may be allowing the earth to push against your historic masonry, causing cracks and structural instability.
Common warning signs include:
Restoring a historic property requires more than standard masonry knowledge. It takes skill in period-specific methods and material matching. We offer:
Brick Repointing & Repair: We match mortar color and composition to ensure repairs blend seamlessly.
Stone Restoration: Cleaning and repairing natural stone features, veneers, and pillars.
Concrete Restoration: We specialize in repairing historic concrete elements, such as the pillar caps at the Paramour Mansion or pool coping for 1930s Spanish-style homes.
Architectural Detail: Restoring custom entryways, gates, and decorative facades.
Beyond the house itself, our 4th-generation team provides expert restoration for historical retaining walls, ensuring they are rebuilt using period-accurate materials and modern engineering to meet 2026 safety standards.
Why choose DiBara Masonry for your historic home? We are a fourth-generation company. We don’t just study old-school methods; our family practiced them when they were new.
Since the early 1900s, DiBara Masonry has upheld historic restoration as a core value. We treat your home’s history with the same respect we treat our own legacy. Building Trust, one project at a time.
Contact us today for your free virtual consultation! You may also check our recent projects here.
DiBara Masonry provides authentic historical restoration services for masonry structures throughout Los Angeles. Their historical restoration work includes period-accurate brick repointing and tuckpointing using lime-based mortars appropriate for historic masonry, natural stone restoration, decorative brick and terra cotta repair and replacement, historic concrete repair, chimney restoration, and facade restoration. They specialize in preserving the architectural integrity of Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival homes, Beaux-Arts commercial buildings, and other historic Los Angeles properties.
An HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone) is a designated historic district in the City of Los Angeles where exterior alterations to structures require review and approval by the local HPOZ board to ensure changes are compatible with the neighborhood’s historic character. DiBara Masonry is experienced in working within HPOZ guidelines, using historically appropriate materials and techniques, and navigating the approval process. They have performed restorations in Los Angeles neighborhoods including Pasadena, Hancock Park, Los Feliz, and other historically protected areas.
Historic masonry, particularly brick and stone construction from the late 19th through mid-20th century, used soft lime-based mortars specifically designed to be weaker than the masonry units themselves. This allows minor movement to be accommodated at the mortar joints, which are sacrificial and can be repointed, rather than in the brick or stone, which are irreplaceable. Using modern Portland cement-based mortars on historic masonry traps moisture, causes brick to crack and spall, and permanently damages the original material. DiBara Masonry uses period-appropriate lime mortar formulations for all historic restoration work.
Yes. DiBara Masonry works with specialty salvage suppliers and historic masonry material sources to find matching brick, stone, and terra cotta for restoration projects. For Los Angeles properties, this often means identifying salvaged brick from demolished buildings of the same era or locating manufacturers who still produce compatible period-style units. When a perfect match is unavailable, their skilled craftsmen use finishing and toning techniques to achieve a visually seamless result that preserves the character of the original structure.
DiBara Masonry has restored a wide range of historic property types throughout Los Angeles, including Arts and Crafts and Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival homes, Tudor Revival residences, Beaux-Arts commercial buildings, Mission-style structures, early 20th-century industrial warehouses with brick facades, historic churches, and designated cultural landmarks. Their understanding of the specific masonry techniques and materials used in each architectural era makes them one of the most qualified masonry restoration contractors in the region.
Protecting historic masonry during restoration begins with a careful assessment of the existing mortar and masonry unit condition before any work starts. DiBara Masonry uses hand tools for mortar removal rather than angle grinders, which can damage original brick faces. They clean masonry with low-pressure water washing and appropriate pH-balanced cleaners rather than harsh chemical or sandblasting treatments that permanently damage historic surfaces. Every restoration decision is made to minimize intervention and preserve as much original material as possible.
Yes. Historic chimney restoration is a common service DiBara Masonry provides for Los Angeles homeowners with older properties. Their chimney restoration services include repointing deteriorated mortar joints, replacing damaged or missing bricks, rebuilding collapsed chimney crowns and caps, waterproofing and sealing, and flashing repair at the roofline. For chimneys on HPOZ properties, they use historically appropriate materials and may coordinate with the preservation board as needed for approval.
Depending on the scope of work and the property’s designation, historical restoration in Los Angeles may require a permit and potentially review by an HPOZ board or the Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources. Routine maintenance such as repointing mortar joints typically does not require permits. However, structural repairs, alterations to exterior features, or work on City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument properties may require formal approval. DiBara Masonry navigates all permitting and preservation compliance on behalf of their clients.
Using hard Portland cement mortar on historic brick is one of the most damaging mistakes made in historic masonry restoration. Hard cement mortar creates an inflexible joint that forces thermal movement stress into the softer historic brick rather than the mortar joint. Over time, this causes the faces of the original bricks to crack, spall, and fall off, damage that cannot be repaired, only replaced. Additionally, cement mortar traps moisture within the wall, accelerating deterioration. DiBara Masonry always analyzes the existing mortar composition and uses a historically compatible, softer lime-based mortar for restoration work.
Historical masonry restoration costs in Los Angeles vary based on the extent of deterioration, materials required, and complexity of the work. Repointing a historic brick facade may range from $8 to $25 per square foot. Full chimney restoration projects typically range from $2,000 to $8,000 or more. Comprehensive facade or structural restoration of a historic commercial or residential building is priced individually based on a detailed site assessment. DiBara Masonry offers free virtual consultations and provides fixed-price, transparent proposals.
Meet DiBara Masonry, the 4th generation masonry and concrete experts that have been restoring brick, stone, & concrete structures for over 100 years!
