The company that moved the Gay Head Light last year has outlined a major two-phase restoration project for the historic lighthouse, at a cost of about $1.3 million.

In a report dated Sept. 13, International Chimney Corporation of Buffalo, N.Y., recommended 20 repairs for the first phase, which would focus on structural and safety requirements, and another 10 for phase two, which would include the replacement of brick walls and a new glass curtain surrounding the beacon.

The total estimated cost is more than triple the amount originally budgeted for the restoration. At its meeting last Thursday, the Aquinnah lighthouse advisory board, which is overseeing the restoration, discussed the possibility of additional fundraising, and applying for specific grants to cover costs. The board hopes to see a further breakdown of the project in the near future but expressed confidence in the report.

“This is serious stuff by the people who know the business,” board member and lightkeeper Richard Skidmore said at the meeting. “You can’t get a better review than this.”

The 1856 lighthouse survived its move inland from the eroding cliffs without a single crack, although time has taken a toll on the brick and masonry tower, as evident in severely corroded metalwork and missing bricks and mortar. International Chimney estimates that as much as 40 per cent of the interior bricks need repointing, as would happen in phase one, along with exterior work and other repairs.

An eroded iron railing around the watch level, along with an exterior ladder, were replaced last year along with other small improvements at a cost of about $68,000.

Phase two would deal with specific features, including a bricked-off doorway that once led to a former lightkeeper’s quarters, and an exterior brick wall that was likely added as reinforcement after a storm in the 1800s. It would also involve rebuilding the glass wall surrounding the beacon and the cleaning and treatment of metal surfaces.

The former doorway is only one brick wide and would be removed and rebuilt with two layers. As with other elements of the project, it would be done with an eye toward historic accuracy, with special mortar that matches the existing color and texture.

Rebuilding the exterior wall, just below the lantern room, would require extreme caution, according to the report, since the weight of the lantern appears to rest on both the old and new layers. “That is a huge-ticket item,” advisory board chairman Len Butler said at the meeting, noting that the work would need to occur in small segments to keep the structure intact. But he said working in larger segments could save money.

A report in 2004 by Gredell and Associates also addressed the exterior wall, where moisture appears to have caused the deterioration and expansion of iron straps between the layers. The report estimated the total cost of repairs and restoration at $450,000 — about equal to phase one in the International Chimney report.

Mr. Butler described the report as a guide, and said he looked forward to seeing a more detailed proposal from the company. “They totally understand that we don’t have the time or the money to do it all in one swoop,” he said. He imagined phase one possibly extending two or three years, with work occurring in the off-season. He added that International Chimney saw no harm in drawing the project out a couple of years. “The building is not going to fall down,” he said, but inaction may cause further deterioration over time.

Board member Jim Pickman, who joined the discussion by phone, said the town had budgeted only about $350,000 for the restoration project. “All of us knew that it wouldn’t all be covered,” he said, although he did not believe donors would have anticipated the higher numbers in the International Chimney report. He noted the possibility of appealing again to some donors. Mr. Butler said having clear goals could make it easier to apply for grants.

Revenue from the lighthouse has amounted to about $69,000 so far this year, said Betsey Mayhew, finance and operations director for the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, who also serves on the lighthouse advisory board. As part of its operations contract with the museum, the town receives half of all revenue exceeding $65,000.

The town has raised about $3.4 million for the relocation and restoration projects so far, nearly all of it going toward the relocation and associated work last year. The need to mitigate lead-contaminated soil and endangered plant habitat in the weeks leading up to the move added about $500,000 to the relocation budget, which otherwise may have gone toward the restoration. Mr. Butler said pending grants and pledges totaling around $100,000 could also help fund the project. He expects a more detailed breakdown of costs in time for the board’s meeting on Oct. 8.