Look up Spalling brick.

You need some sort of lead flashing detail that acts as a moisture barrier. Make sure your handyman matches the brick and mortar. Modern mortar from a big box may be too hard.

The PAINT that is sealing in the moisture is what is causing that. It's why you don't paint brick.

" I had wondered if maybe a critter was chewing on it "

If you had a critter chewing up bricks like that, time to move........................Joseph and jrb are on it.

Thanks, people!!

I am still a little puzzled since we don't get freezes here (the spalling). However, maybe it is all that untrimmed plant material, that caused this? (I don't like dealing with ivy anyway. I guess we'll need to rip that all out.)

It sounds like the repairman was on the right track though - which is good news.

Thanks again!!!

DeWaynes answer is exactly the problem. The chiminey has been painted. It can no longer breathe, and brick needs to breathe. When it cant, the results are what you are seeing.

That could be poor brick quality. Kind of like Saltillo tile. Brick that has been completely fired will last longer. Can you scrape the surface of the brick with a screwdriver?

Thanks again for the input, everyone!! I appreciate it.

When the repair person came, he was poking around some more, and it seems that there is a wooden beam inside the post, which looked like it was rotting (photo). So I called off the repair since it didn't seem right to put new brick over that.

There are 2 of these posts, and they hold up a small section of porch roof. The repairperson said he thinks the moisture just comes up from the ground. I haven't had the heart yet to really take a good look at the other post. I think now that maybe I should have expected something like this, since otherwise, I don't know where water would have come from.

I don't think the posts are unstable, but who would I need to come out and look at it, to be sure? My current thought is to get some type of estimate on replacing these, and just save up. (There are several other projects that are seem more pressing.)

Would that be an architect, or a contractor, or could it be either?

Or do people think, these could be saved? I have not a clue.

Thanks again for all the help.

No, I dont think they can be saved. The bricks, couldnt breathe with the paint on them. I would count on the posts being gone too. However, you could get someone to come in and tear them down, and put up new posts, and just leave the posts, until you can afford the brick. It might be a good idea to do that quickly, before the porch roof comes down when they all collapse.

Thanks, cat_ky! Yes we should think about at least getting this area braced. I'll add it to the list...

I would give it priority. It could cost you a whole lot more money, if those posts are rotted and that section of roof comes down.

Thank you @DeWayne for the expertise.

@need2seegreen you need to likely get a GC or Framing GC to demo the posts, maybe pour new footings, install new posts. Then add masonry. Fire the painter.

Capillary action is the main cause with both the bricks resting on the ground and the wood post into the ground. Re-building is the only true solution. Painting the bricks aggravated the problem. If you insist on that again, use breathable paint.

Footings in new build coated in asphalt to inhibit capillary rise.