Brick Repair in Woodbridge's Heritage District

Published November 2, 2026 · Rhodex

Repairing the brick you already have in Woodbridge's heritage district usually needs no Heritage Permit, but cleaning it does. Sandblasting is never acceptable, and replacement brick has to match the original.

Brick is what most of the village's older houses are made of, and it is the material the Woodbridge Heritage Conservation District Plan treats most carefully. A mason can do a lot of damage with a pressure washer or a bag of the wrong mortar, and neither shows up until after the invoice is paid. Below is what the Plan says about repairing, repointing and cleaning brick, where the rules look contradictory, and what to send the City first.

Is your house inside the district?

The district covers the village core rather than all of Woodbridge. It takes in most properties along Kipling Avenue between Gordon Drive and Rainbow Drive, all properties along William and James Streets and Woodbridge Avenue, and some on Abell, Cheltenham and Burwick Avenues, plus Wallace Street, Park Drive and Clarence Street. Brick on a house in one of the newer subdivisions follows the ordinary rules. If you can't tell, email your address to CulturalHeritage@vaughan.ca.

Repair: usually exempt

Section 6.2.7 of the Plan lists the minor work that needs no Heritage Permit. The entry that covers brick is "maintenance and repair of existing features (that do not alter the historic design or construction detailing, and appropriate materials as listed in the following section are used)", and the features it names include "wall cladding" and "foundations". The same section exempts "any alteration that is not visible from the street or from any other public space". Repairing a failed patch of wall with matching brick falls under the first one. Replacing the brick with something else does not.

Section 8.3.1 muddies this. Its list of projects that require a Heritage Permit includes "repair and restoration of original elements". Read next to Section 6.2.7, the safe reading is that routine upkeep in the same material is exempt, and a larger restoration that rebuilds original features is not. Where your job sits on that line is a judgment call for Cultural Heritage staff, not for the contractor.

Cleaning: a Heritage Permit

"Masonry cleaning" is on the Section 8.3.1 list of projects that require a Heritage Permit. It is not on the exempt list. That surprises people, since washing a wall feels like maintenance. The Plan's reasoning is in Section 7.1.1: cleaning is "occasionally desirable", but "proper methods should be researched and tested before proceeding", must not damage the brick, and should be "gently applied to leave some patina of age". It adds that cleaning "should not be impulsively applied and should not try to achieve a new appearance."

So a quote that says "power wash and seal the front" is the one to stop and question. The Plan's standard is a tested, gentle method on an inconspicuous spot first, and a wall that still looks its age afterwards.

Sandblasting: never

The Plan's wording is blunt: "Sandblasting of masonry should never be undertaken as it irreparably destroys the surface of the masonry units." Old brick was softer when it was made, and the hard fired skin on the face is what keeps water out. Once it is blasted off, the brick soaks up moisture and is more exposed to freezing and thawing.

Repointing: the joint matters as much as the brick

Section 7.1.1 says brick walls "require periodic pointing as joints weather", and that it "must be done using correct methods for hardness of joints, shape of joints, tooling and occasionally decorative aspects such as colour". The Plan also lists "improper installation or repair (pointing mortar is too hard)" among the ways brick gets damaged. A mortar harder than the brick forces moisture and movement to escape through the brick face instead of the joint, and the face spalls.

Brick can also be damaged by freezing and thawing when wet, rising damp, building movement and ageing mortar that has lost its binders. The Plan asks that "the underlying cause of deterioration should be investigated and corrected as part of the masonry repair". A downspout dumping at the base of a wall will undo any repointing. Ask whoever quotes the job what is wetting the wall, not just which joints to grind out.

Replacement brick has to match

Deteriorated brick "should be repaired and not replaced or covered by other materials". Replacement units "should match the original masonry in size, shape, finish, and colour". The Plan admits this "may require research to find correct replacements still being made, using salvaged materials, or even custom manufacture of replica units." Section 6.2.8 names the standard finish for brick buildings: "smooth red clay face brick, with smooth buff clay face brick as accent, or in some instances brick to match existing conditions". Cut stone or reconstituted stone is the stated trim for brick buildings. Siding or a stucco skin over failing brick is the "covered by other materials" the Plan rules out.

Some historic walls that look like a single layer are in fact traditional load-bearing brick two or more layers thick, tied together with headers. The Plan says masonry work "should be undertaken under the supervision of, and by knowledgeable practitioners". Structural repairs to walls need a Building Permit under Section 8.3.2, on top of any heritage approval. Rebuilding a bulging wall or a leaning chimney stack is not routine repointing.

What to send the City before the work

Your address, confirmed as inside or outside the district.
Photos of the whole wall, then close-ups of the cracked joints, spalled faces or stains.
What you want done: spot repointing, replacing a few bricks, cleaning, or something bigger.
For cleaning, the method the mason proposes and where they will test it first.
For replacement brick, a photo of the supplier's sample next to the original.
A question to Building Standards about whether a Building Permit applies.
Quotes that show labour plus materials and HST separately.

The Plan says minor work that is exempt may still need a Heritage Clearance Letter from Cultural Services to confirm it, and that there is no fee for the letter or a Heritage Permit. Keep the written reply with your house papers. It is the first thing a buyer's lawyer asks about.

Quick answers

Do I need a permit to repair brick in the Woodbridge heritage district?

Usually not for repair. The Plan exempts maintenance and repair of existing wall cladding that keeps the historic design and uses suitable materials. Masonry cleaning needs a Heritage Permit.

Do I need a permit to clean the brick on my Woodbridge heritage home?

Yes. The Plan lists masonry cleaning among the projects that need a Heritage Permit. There is no fee, so email Cultural Heritage staff before anyone books a wash.

Can I sandblast old brick in Woodbridge's heritage district?

No. The Plan says sandblasting of masonry should never be undertaken, because it permanently destroys the surface of the bricks. Cleaning must be gentle and tested first.

What brick should I use to repair a heritage home in Woodbridge?

Brick that matches the original in size, shape, finish and colour. The Plan says that may mean salvaged or custom-made brick. Smooth red clay face brick is its standard finish.

Who do I ask about brick work in the Woodbridge heritage district?

Email the City of Vaughan's Cultural Heritage staff at CulturalHeritage@vaughan.ca with your address and photos. The Plan says there is no fee for a Heritage Permit or Clearance Letter.

Ask first, then fix the wall

Repairing old brick in the Woodbridge district rarely needs heritage paperwork, and cleaning it always does. One email with photos, sent before a mason books scaffolding, settles which one you have. When you know the rules that apply, Rhodex can quote the work.

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Brick Repair and Masonry Cleaning in the Woodbridge Heritage District: What Needs a Permit?