How can you remove excess concrete/mortar from brick?

If it were me Id take the guy to court.

I would give him an ultimatum for sure that you will take him to court and file complaints with BBB and Angies List is he doesn't clean it up.

https://www.inman.com/2011/01/14/cleaning-after-contractors-mortar-mess/

This is not intended to be mean, but why did you pay the guy? I always do a complete inspection before handing over final payment. If I am not happy, they must fix or repair before I give them any money. Does not matter if your friend referred him or not - this is a business transaction on one of your most valuable assets, your home. Shoddy workmanship is not acceptable. Invite your friend over and let him / her see it did not turn out right. That being said, here are a couple links to help you out!

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/1999/05/01/removing-hardened-mortar-from-brick

http://m.wikihow.com/Clean-Mortar-Off-Bricks

Please understand I really hate to see trusting homeowners lose money to less than great contractors - it ruins it for all the good guys out there and now creates extra work for you!

Yes - so sorry it looks awful. I'd do what Sharon said.

I'd offer the handyman a chance to honor his name and workmanship to correct the issue. If not, by all means the 'gloves are off'. Hopefully you paid him by check and not cash. Turn him in to the BBB and Contractor Licensing Authorities. Sad when things like this happen. Sorry for your frustration. It can be fixed. Best of luck.

Wire Brush it!

Terrible, terrible work. This guy did not know what he was doing. mention it to your friend and have the guy correct it. You deserve a refund or partial refund and an apology. The only way to remove dried mortar is chipping it away with a brick chisel and hammer.

Thank you for the great responses. He hasn't been paid yet and is coming back to repair the problem At this point I don't trust him to do the job right since he suggested dying the mortar!! Thanks for the info re applying the acid. Going to make sure this is the method I discuss with whoever I hire to repair it. Will post an update when it's all cleaned up. Thanks again!

How did it go, Tanya?

Acid should do it, but you might need to do several applications. A scraper and/or a stiff bristled brush helps. Avoid wire brushes as they will scratch the surface of the brick too much. You must rinse anything the acid touches with lots and lots of water, particularly the grass/garden or you'll only be able to plant rhododendrons there in the future!

Did it rain? Looks like the mix was too thin , if not! Get him back to sort it our. (Maybe could use an acid to remove excess staining or use a wire brush or both. What a mess. Hope you didn't pay him!

I would contact him and ask him to come fix the problem he made. He can perhaps rent a sandblaster to remove the mess and then do a better repair job. If he ghosts you, then you can write a review of his work on Yelp and other on-line sites that people in your area will see. No one is going to want to hire him after seeing the pictures you posted here and as long as you are truthful about what has transpired, you are good to go with your criticism.

Hi Tanya, hope this helps you. Lemon juice works well for residual mortar. Squirt it on and scrub then rinse. Or muriatic acid is recommended for cleaning many different stains off bricks. It is a form of hydrochloric acid that dissolves calcium carbonate so it can quickly eat away at cement. Scrubbing the acid onto cement on bricks and pavers is an effective solution, but it must be applied carefully.

Hi Tanya, hope this helps you. I think a wire brush attachment on a drill will help as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20RQxQ_Wf1U