How much does a bricklayer charge in 2026?
Per-brick and per-sqm rates by region, common job prices, what drives the cost, and how to write a bricklaying quote that wins.
The short answer
Bricklayers typically charge $50 to $110 per hour
$1,200 to $25,000+ per job depending on scope. Here is what tradies actually charge in 2026 and how the price gets built.
Bricklayers typically quote per 1,000 bricks laid or per square metre of wall. Standard brickwork runs $0.80 to $1.80 per brick laid, or $90 to $180 per sqm of wall. A garden wall (3m x 1.5m) runs $1,200 to $2,800. A full house extension brick exterior (40-60sqm) runs $6,000 to $14,000. Larger work like full new-build brick exteriors runs $15,000 to $25,000+. Pricing depends on brick type (common, face, clay), wall thickness, height, complexity (curves, arches), mortar mix, and whether render finish is included.
Hourly rates
Bricklayers hourly rates by region (2026)
Standard daytime rates across the major markets. Metro areas typically command a 20-30% premium. After-hours work is 1.5x to 2x.
United States
Notes
Master masons in metro areas at the top
United Kingdom
Notes
London commands 20-30% premium
Australia
Notes
Master Bricklayers Association rates at the top
South Africa
Notes
Specialised face-brick and heritage at the top
Canada
Notes
Toronto, Vancouver at the top
New Zealand
Notes
Auckland and Wellington at the top
Ireland
Notes
Dublin commands a premium
India
Notes
Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore at the top
Job pricing
Common bricklayer jobs and what they cost
Real-world price ranges for the jobs tradies quote every week. Includes labour, parts, and standard call-out.
Site visit and quote
What's included
Most bricklayers quote free for jobs over $1,000. Detailed scope drawings may be charged.
Garden wall (per linear m, 1m high)
What's included
Includes excavation, foundation, blockwork or brickwork, capping. Render finish extra.
Garden wall (per linear m, 1.5m high)
What's included
Engineering may be required over 1.2m. Includes reinforced foundation and brickwork.
Retaining wall (per linear m, brick)
What's included
Includes drainage, reinforcement, brickwork. Heights over 1.2m need engineering sign-off.
Repair (small hole or replacement, per sqm)
What's included
Includes brick matching, mortar mix, finish. Matching old brick may require sourcing.
House extension exterior (per sqm)
What's included
Includes brickwork, mortar, ties, lintels, cleanup. Single-storey. Premium face brick costs more.
Full single-storey home brick exterior
What's included
100-160sqm of wall area. Includes brickwork only, scaffolding, cleanup. Excludes foundations and openings.
Repointing (per sqm)
What's included
Includes raking out old mortar, repointing with matching mix, brushing. Per sqm of wall area.
Chimney repair / rebuild
What's included
Includes scaffold, brick match, mortar mix, capping, flashing. Heritage or tall chimneys cost more.
What drives the price
Six things that change the price of a job
The same job can cost 2x more or less depending on these factors. Knowing them helps customers spot fair quotes and helps tradies justify their own.
Brick type
Common brick (cheapest, $0.40-0.80 each). Face brick (mid-range, $1.20-2.50 each). Premium clay or imported brick ($3-8 each). Heritage brick matching can be expensive. State the brick on the quote.
Wall thickness
Single skin (110mm) is fast and cheap. Cavity wall (270mm) is the residential standard, slower to build. Double skin or party walls are slower again. State the thickness.
Mortar mix
Standard 1:6 cement-to-sand mix. Stronger 1:4 for structural walls. Lime mortar for heritage work. Coloured mortar for aesthetic. State the mix on the quote.
Complexity
Straight runs are fast. Corners, arches, curves, decorative coursing, and integrated details (windows, doors, vents) slow the work. Quote complex detail as its own line.
Scaffold and access
Single-storey is ground-level work. Two-storey needs scaffold ($800-3,500). Inner-city sites with no truck access need wheelbarrowing every load. Quote scaffold as a separate line.
Cleanup and waste
Brick offcuts, mortar bags, packaging. Disposal is $80-280 per skip. State 'cleanup included' or quote disposal as its own line.
How to quote it
How bricklayers should price their work
Tips for tradies on writing quotes that win the job and protect the margin.
Quote per 1,000 bricks with material spec
'$1,400 per 1,000 standard bricks laid, customer-supplied mortar' beats 'brickwork'. Customers verify per-brick price across quotes.
Itemise material vs labour
Bricks and mortar at cost (or with small markup); labour at hourly or per-1,000. Lets customers shop the brick if they want; labour stays with you.
Show wall thickness clearly
'Cavity wall (270mm), 2 skins of brick with insulation cavity' beats 'standard wall'. Customers comparing quotes verify the structural spec.
Take stage payments on larger jobs
30% on signing for brick order, 30% on foundation/footings, 30% on walls up to plate, 10% on completion. Protects both sides on multi-week jobs.
Quote a fixed engineer's certificate line
Engineer sign-off for walls over 1.2m or structural work. $250-850 quote line. Required for council and insurance.
Send progress photos via WhatsApp
Foundation, first course, every 5 courses, completion. Customers paying $15,000 for brickwork need to see the work and progress.
Watch out for
Pricing red flags to watch for
The patterns that usually signal a problem on the quote, with what to do about each one.
No brick type or wall thickness
What to do: Insist on brick brand/type and wall thickness. Without it, the bricklayer can substitute cheaper brick or single-skin where cavity was assumed.
Verbal quote on a $2,000+ job
What to do: Always written. Bricklaying has too many variables (brick, mortar, wall thickness, courses, openings) for verbal to be reliable.
Cash-only with no invoice
What to do: Walk away. Bricklaying is structural; insurance and resale need invoice trail. Without it, no warranty on cracking or settlement.
No engineer for walls over 1.2m
What to do: Walls over 1.2m need engineering certification in most regions. A bricklayer skipping this is taking liability they cannot insure.
No mortar mix specified
What to do: Wrong mortar mix on heritage homes causes brick face damage within 5-10 years. Insist on mortar mix on the quote (1:6 standard, lime for heritage).
No insurance certificate
What to do: Bricklaying involves heavy materials, scaffold, and excavation. Ask for public liability cover; without it, accidents are your liability.
Sample quote
A real example: line-by-line
Garden wall, 12m linear x 1.5m high, face brick, with brick capping
Excavation, foundation trench (500mm deep, reinforced)
Concrete foundation pour (with rebar)
Face brick supply (1,800 bricks at $1.20 each, customer-choice brick)
Mortar mix (1:6 cement:sand, 250kg cement + sand + lime)
Bricklaying labour (1,800 bricks at $1.10/brick laid)
Brick capping (12m, customer-choice profile)
Site cleanup, debris removal (no skip required)
Engineer's certificate (required over 1.2m, residential boundary wall)
FAQ
Bricklayers pricing questions, answered
Everything customers and tradies ask about bricklayer pricing.
Standard rates per 1,000 bricks laid: $800-1,800 in the US, £600-1,200 in the UK, A$1,000-2,200 in Australia, R3,500-9,500 in South Africa, C$850-1,800 in Canada. Per-brick pricing typical for larger jobs; per-sqm pricing for smaller walls.
A bricklayer specialises in brick and block work. A builder coordinates the full project including bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, etc. For brick-only work (walls, repairs), a bricklayer direct is cheaper. For full extensions or new builds, a builder coordinating subs is better.
Yes, 2-3 quotes for any job over $2,000. Compare brick type and quality, mortar mix, wall thickness, and labour per 1,000 bricks. Cheapest often uses common brick where face brick was assumed, or skips engineer sign-off.
Common brick is structural, cheaper, often plastered or rendered over. Face brick is finished, exposed, comes in colours and textures, costs 2-3x more. Use common for hidden walls; face for visible walls.
Walls under 1.2m usually no. Walls over 1.2m, retaining walls, and boundary walls often need council approval. Heritage areas have strict rules. The bricklayer should know your local rules and include permits as a quote line.
An experienced bricklayer lays 400-700 bricks per day. A 12m garden wall (1,800 bricks) is 3-5 days for a 2-person team. A single-storey house exterior (8,000-15,000 bricks) is 4-8 weeks.
For brickwork over $2,000: 30% deposit on signing for brick order, 30% on foundation complete, 30% on walls up to plate, 10% on completion. Anyone asking for full payment upfront is a risk.
Quality brickwork with proper foundations lasts 100+ years. Mortar typically needs repointing every 50-80 years. The most common failure mode is foundation movement causing brick cracking; proper foundations are what makes brickwork outlast everything else.
Raking out old, failing mortar and replacing with new. Required when mortar is crumbling, water is penetrating, or for heritage restoration. Costs $45-110/sqm. Better than wholesale brick replacement which is 5-10x the cost.
Get the brick type and quantity, mortar mix, wall thickness, labour rate (per 1,000 or per sqm), and engineer's certificate inclusion upfront in writing. Pay via banking app. Verbal cash deals are how 'cheap' brickwork becomes $20,000 of cracked walls in 3 years.
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