Since 2005, AMS has completed masonry projects on thousands of Chicagoland homes. Here's what nearly two decades of work in this specific market has taught us — and why it matters for your project.
AMS was founded in 2005 with a focused premise: Chicagoland deserves masonry contractors who understand the specific demands of this climate, this building stock, and this market. Two decades later, that premise has been validated by thousands of projects across Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Kane Counties. The experience has taught us things about Chicago masonry that cannot be learned from textbooks — material behaviors in our specific freeze-thaw environment, architectural patterns across different community eras, and the specific failure modes that appear on residential and commercial masonry in this region.
The depth of that local experience shows up in ways that are not always visible until a problem emerges. We know which brick manufacturers' products from the 1970s and 1980s were underperforming in freeze-thaw applications and require a different repair approach than standard replacement. We know the mortar colors that match the clay brick used in North Shore construction of different eras. We know which Chicagoland communities have architectural review requirements that affect material selection. These are not things that can be replicated by a contractor who brings general masonry skill to a new market.
Our work comes primarily from referrals — homeowners who have experienced the difference between work done correctly and work done to the minimum standard, and who recommend us to neighbors, family members, and friends. We do not pursue every job in the market. We build relationships with the properties we work on and the people who own them. Many of our clients have had us return for the second and third masonry maintenance cycle on their homes over the 19 years we have been in business.
If you are choosing a masonry contractor for your Chicagoland project and want to verify our track record, we welcome the due diligence. We can provide references from similar projects in your community, documentation of our licensing and insurance, and examples of before and after work on comparable project types. Contact us for a free consultation — and ask any question that helps you make the right decision for your home or property.
