RICE MASONRY CONST CO INC

I called three contractors and chose Rice Masonry Construction Co. Inc. because Gerry Rice seemed the most knowledgeable about what needed to be done. He was the only contractor who went into the attic (that has no floor) and looked at the problem from the inside. He also advised me of all the contingencies that could occur, given my home is an old Chicago bungalow. He sent me an itemized contract, including costs for the contingencies, and put me on the schedule with a 30% retainer.. Due to the rainy summer, the job was pushed back a few weeks, and he replied to all my emails/phone calls within a few hours, updating me on the schedule. We tentatively confirmed the date a week out, and then reconfirmed the day before. The first day Gerry and his crew came out and did all the prep work. Over the next three days, they completed the remaining work. The two men he worked with were polite and considerate. They had to break through the brick in the basement to replace the chimney liner. When I saw the large hole, I was worried, but Gerry bricked it back up and did a beautiful job. The lintels were needed because the arch over the windows had failed and the roof was no longer supported. We weren't really sure what we would be dealing with until the wall was opened up. As a precaution, Gerry shored up the roof from the inside, and placed both lintels working from the outside. His workers laid paper down on my carpeting, and when the shoring was removed, I did not have to do anything--there was no damage to the ceiling or walls. They removed the soffit, and were also very careful working from the outside, so as not to damage the inside walls. That was another reason I chose this company. One of the other contractors had said he would break through the wall from the inside to do the work, which would have meant replacing the drywall, cleaning the carpet and repainting the dining room, which would have been a nightmare. Also, to minimize the difference between the new, replacement bricks and the older bricks, Gerry placed them vertically rather than horizontally, so they looked like decorative trim and blended in, for a nice, aesthetic appearance. Overall, this project, which could have been a nightmare, turned out to be the smoothest run project I've had done in this house in the 20 years I've lived here. Gerry was the ultimate professional who obviously takes pride in his work. He was patient and explained everything he was doing and why, and kept me informed when there were unexpected issues. I would highly recommend him to anyone who asked.

Jerry had done the tuck pointing for our condo building and we were happy.  So I asked him to quote my fire place job.  I thought his quote was very reasonable.  So I hired him.  Jerry worked with me to get a good date, completed the job, cleaned up nicely.  Looks great.

Rice Masonry did an excellent job rebuilding the chimney for our condo association.  The quote was competitive.  They were excellent at explaining the options we had, the work that needed to be done and the rationale behind their recommendations.  The work was professional.  They cleaned up everyday after working.

Gerry was fabulous. Promptly arrived for estimate. Very thorough. Provided verbal estimate on the spot as well as a formal written estimate via email in less than an hour. Very impressed. Arrived to begin work precisely on time. Gerry was on-site multiple times throughout the day. Crew was very professional, courteous, friendly and respectful of property. Excellent cleanup, too!

They appeared on time, rebuilt the steps, and cleaned up the site.  This winter--a particularly challenging one--is not over, but so far the steps have kept their integrity.

Rice Masonry was A + on every level. I located them on Angie's list and they were prompt and did the work on time. They answered evey phone call and question in a timely manner and performed the work within the time period.
I appreciated their professionalism and efficiency. Work was done to the satisfaction of everyone concerned.

I have an all-brick home which had some damaged mortar and stained brick from water damage caused by an improperly pitched gutter.
I asked for tuckpointing -- Gerald suggested additionally washing the brick as well to blend it perfectly with the rest of the home. Other vendors I contacted did not suggest this. I appreciated that he was proactive and genuinely wanted me to be thrilled with the result.
After the work was completed, my neighbor (who has a nearly identical brick home) pointed out to me how well his work matched the rest of the brick on the home and asked for his contact information. I don't think there is a higher compliment than an envious neighbor!

Gerry was very easy to work with.  Did estimate & discussed options.  Work was done timely as promised.  We've received compliments from neighbors on the quality of the results.

Gerry Rice was professional, capable, helpful and friendly. His workmen were perfect! Gerry oversaw and participated in work even when we were unaware of his presence.

Jerry nice and crew started promptly and went very neat. They finished this job and never disturbed the plants & flowers granting.

I had already moved out of house and the work was done at buyer's request.

Gerry Rice visited our home, inspected both fireplaces and suggested scope of work. His men arrived on agreed upon morning, one worked on roof, the other inside on fireplaces. Neat, workman like attitudes. Cleaned up afterward. Gone around lunchtime.

Gerry was great, extremely professional, and very easy to work with. I called for a quote and he came out the same day on his way back from another job. He looked at the chimney, explained everything he was going to do and why, and sent a quote within 2 days. (Even better, he also explained what we *didn't* need to do and why). I also liked that, in addition to explaining why we needed the work done (spalled bricks), he was able to give an opinion on why the bricks were spalling and what could be done to prevent it.
We requested quotes from 3 other companies but went with Gerry because his price was competitive, he was responsive, and seemed the most knowledgeable of the masons I spoke with. Another company came back with a quote that was a little less, but when I called to inquire, I found out that the subcontracted their masonry work out to another company. I liked that Gerry does the work on his own with his own employees. I was also willing to pay a little more ($100 or $200) to work with Gerry because I liked how he came across and felt comfortable that he was going to do a great job. The third company came back with a quote that was almost $1000 more and I felt that some of the work they were proposing was unnecessary (they basically proposed that we rebuild the entire chimney, rather than just the part with the spalled bricks.)
We were able to get the work done within 2 weeks of receiving our quote. Gerry was on the job site, overseeing everything. He and his employees were great. Very professional about everything. We've got two small children and both of Gerry's guys were great about humoring them when they came into the house to do the tuckpointing work in the chimney. 
The chimney looks GREAT. Gerry had to supply some of his own bricks because several of the originals were damaged. I was worried about everything matching up, but they mixed in the old with the new so that everything looks seamless. We are really, really happy with the work. All in all, a great experience. I'd highly recommend Rice. If we need masonry work again, we will definitely go with them.

Rice was very competent, timely and professional. A high quality job. Very good clean up on project.

Gerry was on time explained everything well and did quality work. His workers broke part of the glass block window and I asked him to fix it. He replaced the whole thing. I was very pleased.