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$350 per 1,000 Bricks

Nuke | Posted in Business on June 5, 2007 12:55pm

I figured I could let anyone interested in what the current going [slave] rate is for laying brick. A contractor friend was over the house yesterday and we got to talking about a fellow resident that does mason (running five crews in five subdivisions). I asked the cost and he said “Three-fifty a thousand.” This is labor only, but it includes setup (scaffolding), mixing mortar, etc.

Is this cheap or what? I need to go find out what brick costs. 🙂

Of course, I say this while being clueless on how much coverage 1,000 bricks will cover, or the material costs therein.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Sphere | Jun 05, 2007 02:02pm | #1

    6 bricks =1 sq.ft if they are typ.3x8 with mortar.

    "you are dead a lot longer than you are alive"
    Noah Aaron MacKenzie, 1990.

  2. woody1777 | Jun 05, 2007 02:41pm | #2

    That is very cheap.

     Good masons aren't cheap.

    Therefore these masons aren't good.

     

     

     

    <G,D&R>

     

    1. seeyou | Jun 06, 2007 12:48am | #4

      >>>>>That is very cheap.
      >>>>> Good masons aren't cheap.
      >>>>>>>>Therefore these masons aren't good.Unless they're in a saturated depressed economy with too much competition. That being said, I've seen some mighty crappy looking brickwork on spec houses lately, so you're more than likely right.http://grantlogan.net/

    2. User avater
      Nuke | Jun 06, 2007 02:03am | #6

      Like I said, these masons did the brick work in phase 2 and 3 of my subdivision. I suppose I could take some pictures and post them. Of course this is going to be a) the cheap southeast, b) illegal labor, c) a depressed economy as far as new home construction goes, and d) lower-end ($ market, not $$$) track building.

      Then agin, since my cookie-cutter home is a pig I think I'd sling some mud onto it instead of pearls. Who'd pay for pearls on a muddy pig? :)

  3. User avater
    jonblakemore | Jun 05, 2007 11:52pm | #3

    That's very cheap for here. And we have a cheap mason, as far as I know.

    We pay $750/k for labor. Plus additional charges for fuel, extra details, etc.

    I use the figures of 7 bricks/SF for standard size and 5.8/SF for oversize. Standard and oversize are both ~8" long with mortar joint. 3 standard size bricks will make up an 8" course, whereas 5 oversize bricks will make up two courses.

    Our material costs are typically around $450-500 per thousand.

     

    Jon Blakemore

    RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

    1. User avater
      Matt | Jun 06, 2007 02:28am | #8

      Maybe some of it is remodeling (small job) costs vs. new construction costs.

      1. User avater
        jonblakemore | Jun 06, 2007 07:24pm | #11

        We just did a 42,000 brick job (oversize brick) and the pricing was the same as our other stuff. 

        Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

  4. RW | Jun 06, 2007 01:27am | #5

    Wow. I always assume I'm in the heart of the low labor belt and the cheap guys here are still at least a buck a brick.

    Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

  5. User avater
    Matt | Jun 06, 2007 02:23am | #7

    $350 sounds pretty average, although sometimes scaffolding is extra.  Somebody said they likely aren't any good.  I'd tend to disagree, unless maybe he lives in a very high cost of living place like NYC, LA, etc.  Mind you they probably aren't artists, but somehow hard labor and art don't go together real well. :-)  I'd use them (and have used them) on my house.  Granted they might need a bit of micro-management...  That's kinda the way it works - you can get good work from some of the less expensive guys if you yourself know what you, doing and have experience at construction management and can be there for most of the job.

    Here, brick is $225 to $300 a thousand, depending on what you pick out, and I estimate modular brick at 7 brick per sq ft which includes waste.  Then you gotta add in the sand - maybe $225 for 12 yds delivered, ~1 yd per 1000 brick and $7 a bag for mortar.  I think it's 7 bags per 1000 bricks.  Then add in debris removal.  Then some incidentals like brick ties, etc.

    In the end, it might all come out to about $6 or $7 a sq ft.

     

    1. roger g | Jun 06, 2007 03:37am | #10

      Out here on  vancouver Island bricks are worth about 80 cents each and that was only a few weeks ago. I have no idea what they want to lay them. It only seems like last year (30 plus years) that I thought a dollar a block laid (that's everything) for 10 inch concrete blocks was wayyyyyyy too expensive so I laid all 1500 or so myself.

       

      roger

  6. frenchy | Jun 06, 2007 03:03am | #9

    Nuke,

     Not to answer your question but I spoke to the guy who sells me my landscape materials, he noticed a large pile of twice fired pavement bricks I'm throwing away.   Turns out they sell those for $3.50 per brick.  These are the ones you find on city streets, not the cement ones that are all the rage around here for driveways and walkways etc..

     I estimate that I have over 20,000 bricks on my driveway and on my retaining walls..

      Anyway All of those in my discard pile are broken so they are worthless.. sigh!

  7. okbrickman | Feb 08, 2012 09:24am | #12

    Get what you pay for

    You dont want a cheap bricklayer, this is a long term investment.  You get what you pay for.  I am a mason with formal training and am located in Oklahoma.  I charge depending on the job, person etc $300-350 per thousand and then supplies on top of that.  I won't be the cheapest but it will be the best.

    1. Sultar7 | May 12, 2012 10:24pm | #13

      okbrickman

      Where in oklahoma do you lay brick?

      1. catfish | May 20, 2012 09:22pm | #15

        Sultar7

        Are you in Oklahoma?  I'm in Yale, west of Tulsa, east of Stillwater

    2. CourtGC | Jun 21, 2018 09:09am | #16

      Okbrickman

      I am looking for a great Mason in Oklahoma. I live in Moore, Ok and I’m building my own house. I would love for you to come submit a bid if you are willing. 

    3. CourtGC | Jun 21, 2018 01:04pm | #17

      Okbrickman

      I am looking for a great Mason in Oklahoma. I live in Moore, Ok and I’m building my own house. I would love for you to come submit a bid if you are willing. 

  8. DanH | May 12, 2012 10:48pm | #14

    Reminds me of the old story of the man, the lady, the dog, and the cigar.

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