How Much Do Bricklayers Get Paid Per Brick, Day Rate & Salary in the UK

How much do bricklayers get paid per brick they lay? It feels like a small detail, but it adds up fast. When you look at a house or a garden wall, it’s easy to forget that every single brick was placed by hand.

Here’s what matters. In the UK, “pay per brick” usually isn’t a straight price for one brick. Instead, contractors agree on a price for 1,000 bricks because it makes the maths easier for everyone. Trade guides show the labour cost sitting between £650 and £1,500 per 1,000 bricks. When you break that down, the pay works out to about £0.65 to £1.50 per brick.

There’s another smart check. Many bricklayers aim to earn £240 to £320 a day. Once you see the numbers, it’s clear how skill and steady speed can turn bricklaying into strong, reliable earnings. So let’s dive in and explore how pay-per-brick really works and what shapes a bricklayer’s income across the UK.

What Does “Pay Per Brick” Mean in Bricklaying?

Think of it like this: most jobs pay you for the time you spend working, maybe £10 per hour, for example. But “pay per brick” is different because it means payment based on the output you create. The more bricks you lay, the more money you take home! This system is known in the trade as “piece work”.

• Instead of being paid for eight hours of work, you are paid for the result of your work.
• Most big companies and contractors prefer to set the price for every 1,000 bricks.
• Sometimes, they might price the work per square metre (m²) or per block if they are using concrete blocks instead of bricks.
• This payment model truly shines when a bricklayer is working on very long, simple walls.
• It works best when materials are easily available and the access to the work area is clear and straightforward.
• When conditions are perfect like this, a bricklayer can work quickly and earn a great wage.

Basically, “pay per brick” rewards the bricklayer who is both fast and very accurate. They get to keep a bigger share of the money by being super-efficient with their time.

How Much Do Bricklayers Get Paid Per Brick in the UK?

Let’s get down to the numbers that everyone wants to know in 2025. It is important to know that these rates can change depending on many factors. However, we have a very sensible range that we can use as a great starting point.

• A realistic range for standard wall construction, called facing work, is £0.65 to £1.50 per brick.
• This rate is the same as quoting £650 to £1,500 for every 1,000 bricks completed.
• You will see the price climb and become much higher for work that is more difficult to do.
• This includes complex designs, adding in special details, or when the bricklayer has to work in very short wall sections.
• Also, if the access is awkward, maybe on a very high scaffold or in a tight corner, the rate will increase.

Think of it this way: simple, long garden walls are generally on the lower end of the rate. Building a fancy front entrance with curves and intricate patterns will be at the higher end of the payment scale. If you want a deeper look at real earnings across the UK, the smart move is to check out this detailed guide: “How Much Do Brick Layers Make?“

How Do Bricklayers Agree on Their Rate Per Brick?

A professional bricklayer doesn’t just guess a price before they start working. They have a very careful process to decide on the fair rate for the job. They want to make sure they are paid well for their hard work.

• The most common way is to quote a price per 1,000 bricks after they have had a good look at the construction site.
• They first look at the scope of the work, which means checking the brick pattern (the bond), corners (returns), and any special bricks required.
• Next, they look at the logistics of the job, like how high the scaffold needs to be built.
• They also check the distance they will need to walk to collect the bricks and the mortar from the delivery area.
• Finally, they consider the possibility of interruptions, such as waiting for other trades or bad weather.

Top Tip: Many experienced bricklayers will switch from “pay per brick” to a day rate if they notice the job will be stop-start. If the work is very intricate, it will slow them down, and working on a day rate protects their income for that time.

What Types of Jobs Pay Per Brick?

The “pay per 1,000 bricks” model is often used for jobs that are repeatable and quite simple. These projects allow the bricklayer to get into a steady, fast rhythm and maximise their earnings.

• Housebuilding runs are a great example, where many long walls need to be built quickly and efficiently.
• Building extensions on existing houses often uses this pricing method.
• Boundary and garden walls are perfect because they are usually very straight and simple to build.
• The inside and outside parts of an external cavity wall are also priced this way.

However, some jobs are not suitable for this method because they are not repeatable. Here is a quick list of jobs that are often priced by the day or per square metre instead:

• Decorative façades that involve lots of complex patterns and cuts.
• Building intricate archwork over doors or windows.
• Any job that requires very frequent cuts of the bricks to fit small, awkward spaces.

Do Bigger Projects Pay More Per Brick? 

This is a really interesting question that might seem to have an obvious answer, but the reality is quite different. You might think that a huge project would pay a higher price for each brick, but it is often the opposite.

• Bigger, simpler building runs often attract keener (which means lower) per-brick rates.
• This happens because the bricklayer can achieve extremely high productivity on a large, straightforward site.
• Since they can lay bricks very quickly, the lower rate still allows them to earn a fantastic day’s wage.
• In contrast, small, very fiddly jobs tend to trend toward a higher per-brick price.
• These small jobs require more setup time and stop-start work, so the bricklayer charges more to make it worth their time.
• The final price guides always show a wide range to reflect both the scope (how complex) and the scale (how big) of the job.

How Do Speed and Skill Affect Pay Per Brick?

If you are paid by output, then your speed and skill are the biggest drivers of your potential earnings! A bricklayer who is fast, accurate, and can work without mistakes will earn much more than a slower person. This is the main reason why experienced workers love piecework.

• The number of bricks you lay per day, known as your output, directly drives how much money you earn.
• On a simple, easy job, a good, seasoned bricklayer can lay around 500 bricks every single day.
• A newer bricklayer, who is still learning the tricks of the trade, might only manage between 200 and 350 bricks.
• On an ideal, perfect run, the most skilled bricklayers can even exceed laying 600 bricks in one day.

Let’s look at a simple example to show how this dramatically affects their daily pay:

Example: If the agreed rate is £1.00 per brick and they lay 500 bricks, their earnings for the day are about £500. That is before they pay for any costs, but it shows the huge potential.

Do Self-Employed Bricklayers Earn More Per Brick?

Yes, they often do earn more because they are their own bosses and set their own prices. A sole trader is someone who is self-employed and runs their own small business. They get to decide the exact price for their work.

• Self-employed sole traders set their own per-1,000 rates and their own day rates.
• They get to keep the entire profit, or the margin, after they have paid for any materials or labour.
• Snapshots of the market commonly show that a self-employed bricklayer aims for around £300 a day when they have a steady flow of work.
• These income targets can easily be much higher than the salary received by a bricklayer who is employed by a larger company.
• This financial reward is a major motivation for many bricklayers to leave employment and start their own business.

How Does Location Affect Pay Per Brick?

Just like everything else in the UK, the amount you get paid changes depending on where you are working. Generally, the rates are higher in areas where there is a lot of demand for new buildings.

• The rates will naturally rise in areas where there is a high demand for building work and where business costs are higher.
• London and the South East of England are typical examples of places with higher pay.
• In these areas, the general overheads, which are the costs of running the business, are much higher too.
• Employed salary benchmarks in London are usually significantly above the national averages for the whole country.
• This higher salary for employed workers is a good sign that the contract rates for self-employed workers are higher in London, too.

So, a bricklayer in a busy city might charge more per brick than one working in a quiet, rural area. This makes perfect sense because the cost of living is so different!

Is Pay Per Brick Better Than Working on a Day Rate?

This is the big question that every single bricklayer has to ask before they start a new job. There is no single “better” answer; it truly depends on the type of job and the risks involved. Both payment methods have clear advantages:

A smart bricklayer will always do a quick calculation before agreeing to a price. They should always “do the maths” to protect their earnings.

• They multiply their agreed per-brick rate by the realistic number of bricks they can lay in a day.
• The total figure should always meet or be much better than the local, normal day rate earnings.
• If the piecework doesn’t beat the day rate, then it is not worth the risk, and they should switch to the day rate!

Final Thoughts: Understanding Bricklayer Pay Per Brick

We’ve learnt how bricklayers get paid and hope the idea is clear. To start with, pay-per-brick rewards speed, skill, and solid workmanship. It pushes bricklayers to work smart and keep standards high. The next important thing is to start with your local per-1,000 rate. Know how many bricks you can lay in a normal day. Lift the price for tricky details, tight access, or expensive areas like London.

In practice, £0.65–£1.50 per brick and £240–£320 a day are strong 2025 benchmarks. Pick the payment style that fits the job and protects your profit. So, next time you see a bricklayer at work, you will know exactly how their hard work is being paid!  And if you want in, the Bricklaying Course from Open Learning Academy is a strong first step. It teaches the essentials and gets you job-ready.

FAQ: How Much Do Bricklayers Get Paid Per Brick

What do bricklayers charge per brick?

Most charge £0.65–£1.50 per brick in the UK.

How long does it take to lay 500 bricks?

On a good run, about one full working day.

How much does 1 brick cost in the UK?

A standard brick costs roughly £0.30–£0.80, depending on type and supplier.

Can bricklayers make 100k?

Yes, but usually through self-employment, strong output, and steady contracts.

Do bricklayers get £1 per brick?

Often yes. £1 per brick sits in the middle of the common range.

How much to lay 1,000 bricks in the UK?

Labour typically costs £650–£1,500 per 1,000 bricks.

What is the cost to lay 1,000 bricks?

Same as above: £650–£1,500 depending on job difficulty and location.

What do bricklayers charge a day?

Most charge £240–£320 a day for standard work.