The Short Answer
On our estimates, a bricklayer charges £240 to £340 a day. On straight, plain walls in good conditions they lay about 400 to 600 bricks a day, so labour works out at roughly £400 to £850 per 1,000 bricks. Corners, piers, openings and matching old brickwork slow that down a lot.
A square metre of single-skin wall takes about 60 bricks. Facing bricks from Wickes cost about £1,000 to £1,250 per 1,000 in packs when we checked in October 2026.
Bricklaying cost calculator
Counts the bricks, works out the days from a bricklayer's typical output, and prices both.
Estimated total
£1,100 to £1,630
| Bricklayer, 1.5 to 2 days | £360 to £680 |
| 681 facing bricks | £680 to £850 |
| Mortar, ties and sundries | £50 to £100 |
Bricklayer rates
| Typical | |
|---|---|
| Bricklayer, day rate | £240 to £340 |
| Labourer, day rate | £150 to £240 |
| Bricks laid per day, plain work | 400 to 600 |
| Labour per 1,000 bricks, plain work | £400 to £850 |
| Facing bricks per 1,000 (Wickes packs) | £1,000 to £1,250 |
| Mortar, ties and sundries per 1,000 bricks | £80 to £150 |
Day rate or a price for the job?
For a defined job (a wall, a pier, bricking up a doorway) ask for a fixed price: you know the cost and the bricklayer carries the risk of it taking longer. Day rates suit work that's hard to scope, like repairs where you don't know what you'll find, or helping on a self-build.
Counting bricks
The Brick Development Association gives the most widely used UK clay brick as 215mm long, 102.5mm wide and 65mm high, laid with a nominal 10mm mortar joint. So each brick covers 225mm by 75mm of wall face: about 60 bricks per m² of single skin (half-brick) wall, and twice that for a double skin. I'd order a few extra for cuts and breakages. The calculator above does the sums.
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Bricklayers price from the number of bricks and how fiddly the work is. Here's what they need.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a bricklayer charge per day?
On our estimates, £240 to £340 a day. A labourer adds £150 to £240 a day.
How much do bricklayers charge per hour?
Most price by the day rather than the hour: £240 to £340 a day on our estimates, which over an 8-hour day is roughly £30 to £45 an hour.
How much do bricklayers get paid per 1000 bricks?
Labour works out at roughly £400 to £850 per 1,000 on plain work, on our estimates. Facing bricks add about £1,000 to £1,250 per 1,000 from Wickes.
How long does it take a bricklayer to lay 1000 bricks?
About two days on straight, plain walls: a bricklayer lays 400 to 600 a day in good conditions. Corners, openings and decorative work are much slower.
How many bricks are in a square metre?
About 60 in a single skin (half-brick) wall of standard 215mm by 65mm bricks with 10mm joints, and twice that in a double skin wall.
How we priced thisView sources (2)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryDesigning to Brickwork Dimensions: technical guide (2023), Brick Development Association. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryMasonry paint, PVCu guttering, fascia boards, facing bricks and roof insulation (shelf prices), Wickes. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
