20 YEARS OF Masonry EXPERTISE

Canadian OWNED AND OPERATED

Johnson Playfair Masonry specializes in brick and stone custom home design and renovations throughout Ontario. Whether new construction, hardscapes, or restoration work, we guarantee excellence.

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Johnson Playfair logo

With the quality and skill of heritage masonry work, we create new designs for contemporary homes or matching period details on older buildings.

TRADITIONAL MASONRY CRAFTSMANSHIP iN TORONTO

Masonry Services

CUSTOM HOMES

RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS

RESTORATION

A red brick retaining wall construction on a front garden with shrubbery and ornamental trees and stone steps

LANDSCAPE MASONRY

CHIMNEYS AND FIREPLACES

How we work

Johnson Playfair provides full-scope masonry services, and will work with you each step of the way to bring your vision to life.

COnsultation

Close-up of a pencil resting on blueprints with measurements and diagrams

design & estimating

Stacked sandstone blocks at a construction site outdoors

Material sourcing & site preparation

A mason in a hard hat building a brick wall from white brick

installation

completed project

Schedule a consultation

About Johnson Playfair

Through collaboration with homeowners, architects, designers and engineers, we plan and build all aspects of building masonry and landscape features for homes, historic properties, commercial buildings, community spaces, and more.

Garden walls, planters, retaining walls, pizza ovens, patios, and heated walkways are some of the design specialties we offer for our clients’ outdoor spaces. We provide expertise and access to the finest new and reclaimed materials through the entire process from design and planning through to stunning finished projects.

Serving Toronto As Expert Brick and Stone Masons since 2012, we’re proud to Provide fine Masonry DESIGN AND INSTALLATION for residential, historical, and commercial property owners.

Founded by lifelong friends-turned-business-partners Matt Johnson and Brendan Playfair in 2012, our company has always prioritized high-quality custom masonry and building relationships with our clients and other industry professionals.

Meet our team
Johnson Playfair mason laying a brick wall on a wall with a round windw, holding a brick in one hand

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Project updates, behind-the-scenes, and more!

Limestone veneer exterior on this North York custom home for @tishlerhomes as the exterior gets closer to completion. When it’s finished, the owners will get to enjoy the beauty of sunlight and shadows playing across natural stone through all f
Brick arches and dentil detailing coming together as this Rosedale addition gets closer to completion. Red brick to match the style and character of the original historic home skilfully laid by our crew to last for more centuries. #brickwork #toront
#tbt Grey brick in Moore Park Architect @sixteendegreestudio #torontomasonry #brickmasonry #greybrick #torontohouses
Circling back to some of our past work: buff brick custom home in Forest Hill with strong angles and glass #torontomasonry #brickhouse #torontomasons #foresthilltoronto #buffbrick
#tbt Stone custom home with brick detailing and arches. When you can’t pick between brick and stone… we can build both into one design that makes each stand out! #torontobrick #stonehouse #customhomes #masonry
Clean angles on a past stone custom home in Forest Hill #torontomasonry #stonemasonry #customstonework #customhomes #torontoarchitecture
Dentil detail along the roofline at this Annex addition and restoration we worked on a couple years back. Contemporary style to meld with the heritage of a corner property. #torontoannex #torontobrickwork #masonry #masonrywork #redbrick
#tbt to this Annex entryway built in 2024 in sun-dappled glory #annextoronto #brickwork #stonesteps #torontomasonry
Revisiting some old Johnson Playfair jobs! When we built this Little Italy house in 2016, it was the first brick lintel and soffit use in a residential setting in Canada. Looking good at ten years old! #torontobrick #torontomasonry #brickhouse #redb
More interior reclaimed material brickwork and tiling in our new office! Brick in a bathroom? Yes, we can! Welsh terra cotta tiles dating to the early 1900s, salvaged from the Brantford Waterworks. 1920s slate backsplash with a green/ burgundy patina

CLIENTS SAY:

  • Coach House Restoration

    Matt is a pleasure to work with. He tackled the restoration of my coach house that an engineer wouldn’t go into for fear of it collapsing. He was very accommodating and conscientious. He followed drawings drawn up by a structural engineer (a different one from the scaredycat, lol). I got a few quotes and Matt’s was very competitive. He’s a problem solver and did stuff beyond masonry for me. Scheduling was negotiated and delivered on. He even did stuff like managing an ornery neighbor. I highly recommend him.

    -Denis

  • Historic Masonry Experts

    Johnson Playfair has completed three different projects during our extensive renovation, and each one is a gem. The home is over 100 years old. Some parts required a modern rebuild ,while others had to be faithfully restored to their former greatness. These guys nailed it every time with professionalism, courtesy and craftsmanship.

    - Richard

  • Brick Replacement And Mortar Restoration

    Thanks so much for a great job on the mortar replacement on our house! You were true to your estimate, on time and on budget. The quality of work was outstanding! Please feel free to use us as a reference anytime, we'd be glad to speak to anyone and relate our experience with Johnson Playfair. Thanks again for a job well done.

    - Patrick

  • Window Well

    My experience with Johnson Playfair Brick & Stone Masonry was amazing!

    I had a small project and many other contractors were unwilling to fit in my job with their big ones or they were charging excessively (i.e 30% more).

    Matt, the owner came onsite to assess the work, and then provided me with a few options and price points. Once we agreed on the scope of work they moved quickly to complete the project. The masonry who did the work was courteous and considerate to our home and neighbors. He competed re-bricking and parging of my basement window well. Upon completion of the job he cleaned up and it looked fantastic! I would definitely use their services again and would highly recommend Johnson Playfair to everyone I know.

    — Deepa

  • RE-FACING BRICK WITH STONE AND DRESSING PORCH AND STEPS WITH STONE

    After having read several reviews and meeting with a number of masons, we decided to go with Johnson Playfair and we weren't disappointed. Matt and Brendan are true professionals, from their people skills to their quality of work, everything is top notch. They take pride in their work and the attention to detail is impressive.

    It was a pleasure dealing with their co-workers as well, especially Eric, who is very knowledgeable and does excellent work. We were so happy with the re-facing of the brick with stone that we asked them to dress the porch and steps in stone as well. Based on the quality of the work, their price was reasonable. If you're looking for honest, hard-working masons that take pride in their work then give them a call, you won't be disappointed. Thanks again guys, it looks great.

    — Domenic

  • PATIO BUILT WITH PAVERS

    I hired Johnson Playfair to remove some existing concrete and replace it with paving stones at the back of my house. My experience with them was amazing! They responded right away, were prompt and professional when we met at my house and they obviously had a thorough understanding of their trade.

    They provided me with a few options and price points and once we had agreed on a product and price they moved quickly to begin work. Their crew was courteous and considerate to our home and neighbors, they cleaned up everyday, were on schedule, on budget, and did an Incredible job!! The project looks great, I couldn’t be happier, and I will be recommending Johnson Playfair to everyone I know.

    — Michael

  • BRICK AND STONE PIZZA OVEN

    Matt and his team are professional, highly talented and great to work with. We hired Matt to build a Pizza Oven, and had only a prefab oven kit to start with. Matt worked with us to design and build what turned out to be a beautiful oven that matched very well with our home and landscape.

    He was very accommodating to changes and had some great ideas as input to the final design. The pricing was competitive with other quotes, but the primary reason for going with Matt was his attention to detail and high standard of build quality, which was proven in the final product. I highly recommend him.

    — John

  • REPLACED FRONT STEPS

    We are extremely pleased with the craftsmanship of Johnson Playfair. They replaced our front steps and added a low stone wall for a planter area. Matt and Brendan were great to work with. They responded to our calls and email, were punctual and courteous and they clean up all the debris. Of course, the job turned out to be more work then anticipated, but that is par for the course. Great job!!

    — Debbie

  • FRONT STAIRWAY REBUILD

    We live in Parkdale. Our front steps were sinking as the supporting brick side walls were bowing outwards due to various reasons only a hundred years of survival can provide. I first saw Johnson and Playfair's work in the form of 3 brick columns that were impeccably done with very thin mortar. We asked them to provide a quote for the restoration on our house, and they listened very carefully to my concerns.

    They were prompt with the quote which was competitively priced, detailed, technical and patient in explaining the restoration work to be done, showed up on time, maintained order and cleanliness to the work site as well as made sure that the neighbor's property was protected from dust and dirt.

    The employees were courteous, Mr. Playfair actually laid the brick himself, approached the need to support the stone steps the way an engineer would. We highly recommend Johnson Playfair.

    — Consuelo

  • EBENEZER CHURCH RESTORATION

    On behalf of Ebenezer United Church, I would like to take this opportunity to endorse the masonry restoration work that was completed by Johnson Playfair at our Heritage church. Brendan and Matt were introduced to us by the Ontario Masonry Training Centre and they spent several months working on our restoration project.

    In addition to using their masonry skills they also supervised and mentored several students from the Training Centre. We found their work to be excellent and their passion for heritage restoration was obvious. The students also appreciated the opportunity to learn from experts in a “real” situation. The project was completed on time and I was impressed with their attention to safety and site cleanliness.

    — Ralph

  • TUCK POINTING

    We needed some tuck pointing completed in our older home and decided on Johnson Playfair as Matt provided the most competitive quote and was the quickest to respond. They arrived on time and did an outstanding job - you can't even tell which areas were re-pointed. Would definitely recommend their services.

    — Lina

  • STONE MANTEL AND HEARTH INSTALLATION

    An old carved sandstone mantel and custom cut limestone hearth were installed in a 110 year old house with crooked floors. Matt and Eric had many specific and tricky calculations to make. The end result is perfect. The fireplace is a beautiful centerpiece in the room. The job was completed in just 3 days.

    — Susan

  • FIREPLACE RENO AND FEATURE WALL

    Johnson Playfair is simply the best choice for any brick and stone masonry job. His team made the dry stack stone feature wall in my mudroom and the matching fireplace in my living room look amazing.

    Knowledgeable and considerate, Matthew Johnson and his team are true professionals who care about they do. It's a rare combination to find in any trade or business. I would not hesitate to contact them for other jobs in the future. They're absolutely great.

    — Allen