When it comes to beautiful yet durable walls, there’s nothing quite like a brick wall. But as a homeowner who just had a lovely brick fence built, the cost of building one made me want to take up bricklaying as a new hobby.

A brick wall can cost anywhere between $10 and $45 per square foot, depending on the wall type, brick choice, brick finishing, labor, and other factors. Most homeowners spend around $3,500 to $7,000 to complete the project.

To better understand the cost of building a brick wall, we’ll discuss all the factors that can affect it. We’ll also share some money-saving tips that helped us a lot!

Factors That Affect the Cost of Building a Brick Wall

Brick Type

There are different types of bricks available in the market, each with its own set of properties and price points. Your choice of brick type can greatly affect how much you’ll spend when building a brick wall.

Brick Veneer

Brick veneers are wall coverings made of thin, sliced bricks. They give off the same appearance as a traditional brick wall but don’t provide the same structural support as they don’t have the same thickness and weight as solid bricks.

These are usually applied on a steel or wooden wall and are much easier to install than real bricks. That’s why even if the material cost for them is around the same as real bricks, they are considered cheaper to install.

If you want a brick veneer wall, prepare about $4 to $10 per square foot for materials.

Hollow Brick

Hollow bricks are a type of brick that have voids or hollow spaces in the middle. These bricks usually have better thermal insulation than real bricks, so they’re often used in tropical countries.

These voids help reduce the weight of the bricks and load on structures, making them easier to handle and install. And since they’re lighter, the footing for the wall may not be too complicated or even unnecessary at times.

Hollow bricks cost about $15 to $30 per square foot, which is a lot more expensive than real bricks. However, you’ll typically have a much lower labor cost when using them, which can make them a cheaper option.

Solid Brick

Solid bricks are exactly what you think a brick would be. These are a lot heavier and require a more substantial foundation, but they offer better durability and load-bearing capacity than other types of bricks.

Solid bricks are typically cheaper than both brick veneers and hollow bricks, costing anywhere between $3 and $8 per square foot. However, labor costs for them can be really high, resulting in higher total costs.

Type of Brick Wall

Different walls require varying materials, labor, structural support, and finishing, all of which influence the overall cost of building a brick wall.

Brick Fence

Brick fences typically cost around $15 to $40 per square foot to build, depending on the type of bricks, reinforcement or footing used, design, additional features, and labor. 

Since these are built on the exterior of the home, they usually have complex designs, which can increase labor and material costs. Other homeowners opt to add iron fences into the design to lower the costs, as laborers will only have to build shorter walls.

Garden Wall

Similar to brick fences, brick garden walls usually have complex designs since they’re also used to improve the garden’s landscape. However, the installation cost is typically lower for this as they’re relatively short and don’t require a foundation.

Expect to pay around $10 to $35 per square foot, depending on the design and material of the bricks. Natural clay bricks typically fall on the higher end of the price range, while concrete bricks are much cheaper.

Privacy Wall

Privacy walls are typically built on a certain part of the yard to obstruct views and reduce noise from the adjacent area. These are usually taller than standard walls, ranging from 6 to 8 feet and more, to ensure they provide enough privacy.

Since they’re tall, privacy walls use more materials and are more labor-intensive, resulting in higher costs. They also need more steel rods or rebar and sufficient foundation for stability and strength.

Building a brick privacy wall, including labor, can cost anywhere from $35 to $45 per square foot.

Brick Column or Pillar

Instead of a whole brick wall, some homeowners build brick columns or pillars for their aesthetic. These can also be built as load-bearing structures used to support beams and arches, making them more labor-intensive to install.

For purely ornamental brick columns, prepare about $500 to $2,000 each, depending on how tall it is. Load-bearing brick columns are much more expensive, costing around $2,000 and $7000 each, depending on the height.

Brick Retaining Wall

Brick retaining walls are designed to hold back soil, typically on a slope, to create level areas and prevent erosion. As such, they need strong reinforcement and foundation since they have to withstand lateral earth pressure and support the weight of the soil.

Building a brick retaining wall can run you anywhere between $20 and $25 per square foot. However, the price can go higher than that, depending on the complexity of your retaining wall design.

Interior Brick Wall

Unlike most exterior brick walls, interior brick walls are typically not load-bearing. They’re typically only added for aesthetic purposes, making them much cheaper to build.

Masons typically only add brick veneers to an existing wall to mimic the look of a solid brick wall. Other times, they build a single-layer face brick wall since they don’t really need to carry load.

If you’re planning to build an interior brick wall, prepare around $8 to $18 per square foot. The cheaper option would be thin-brick veneers, but face bricks typically look better, so opt for them if you have some money to spare.

Site Preparation

Some areas may need to be prepared before you can build a brick wall. You have to remove trees and shrubs, clear the area of debris, and create a flat and stable ground for the wall, all of which can impact the cost.

Depending on the size of the area and the amount of vegetation, you can expect to pay around $500 to $5,000 to have the trees removed professionally. 

On the other hand, leveling the ground can cost $400 to $6,000, depending on the condition of the soil and slope. 

Footing

A footing will help distribute the weight of the brick wall over a larger area of soil, making it more stable and reducing the risk of shifting or sinking. Without it, the brick wall may tilt, lean, crack, or worse, collapse.

If you’re just adding brick veneers or building a small ornamental wall, you typically won’t need to add footing, which helps minimize the cost. Other than that, it’s required to add footing before building a brick wall, especially if it’s a privacy wall or brick fence.

For footing, you can expect to pay around $15 to $55 per linear foot, depending on the soil condition, material, wall height and load, and labor.

Drainage Solution

For exterior brick walls, you’ll likely need to add a drainage solution near the wall to protect it from water-related issues. This is essential since the foundation of the wall can be compromised if water pools at the base of the wall and causes erosion.

This can cost you anywhere between $2,000 and $6,600, depending on the type of solution, materials, and size of the wall. While this may sound like a huge amount at first, it can actually help you save hefty repair and maintenance costs in the future.

Labor

For any construction project, labor is a significant cost factor that can influence the total project cost. It’s typically the biggest contributor to the total cost and can sometimes cost way more than the materials.

Depending on where you live, the mason’s experience, and the complexity of the job, they can charge you anywhere from $70 to $110 per hour. Some may offer you a per-square-foot rate, though, which on average is $45.

Property Line Survey

If you’re building a brick fence or privacy wall, it’s highly recommended that you get a property line survey. This can give you an accurate measurement of your property’s boundaries and help you know exactly where to put the wall.

Land surveyors typically charge $350 to $700 per survey, depending on the location and size of the property. They’ll provide you with a legal description of your property boundaries, which you can use if someone raises questions about your brick wall.

Location 

Your location will significantly impact the total cost of building a brick wall. The cost of the materials and labor will vary greatly depending on where you are.

Some bricks may not be readily available in your location, so you’d have to transport them from a different city or state, increasing the total material cost.

Laborers from your area may also have higher rates if you live in urban cities since you have a higher cost of living.

Permits

Most local governments require homeowners to get a permit first when making significant structural projects in their homes, such as building a brick wall. Exceptions are when you’re only adding a brick veneer or the wall will be built inside the house.

A permit to build a brick wall usually costs $100 to $500, depending on where you live.

Additional Costs That May Be Incurred When Building a Brick Wall

Waterproofing

For exterior brick walls, waterproofing is almost always essential. It protects the wall from heavy rainfall, preserving the bricks for much longer and preventing possible repair costs.

Waterproofing the wall can cost you around $2 to $10 per square foot, depending on the type of sealant you use.

Brick Wall Finishes

While brick walls already look beautiful, some homeowners choose to enhance their aesthetic by adding various finishes, like paint, stain, wood siding, or stucco. All of these cost money and can affect the total cost of your brick wall.

Paint or Stain

Many homeowners typically go for paint and stain because of their price. Paint costs only $1 to $5 per square foot, while stain costs $1 to $4 per square foot, making them cheap options that can help improve the brick wall’s look.

For a cheaper option, homeowners can also paint or stain their walls themselves instead of hiring a professional. A gallon of paint or stain, which only costs $20 to $60 and $35 to $70, respectively, can already cover a 250-square-foot brick wall.

Wood Siding

Wood siding is a cladding material that can protect the brick wall and give it a more natural wooden look. It comes in various styles, textures, and finishes, giving homeowners a wider option for their brick walls.

This finishing costs around $2 to $8 per square foot, depending on the material used. Cedar-made wood sidings are typically the most expensive among readily available ones, but exotic ones like mahogany can go for as high as $15 per square foot.

Stucco 

Stucco is a type of finishing that can give brick walls a smoother or more textured look, depending on what you want. Some stucco can also provide long-lasting color to the wall without painting.

For this finishing, expect to pay around $3 to $8 per square foot, depending on the texture and quality of the stucco you’re using. 

How do I save money when building a brick wall?

• Choose standard bricks for your wall.

Most standard bricks are durable and cost-effective, making them better options for those on a budget. Avoid using custom-sized ones or those with intricate designs, as they cost way more.

• Ask for quotes from different suppliers and contractors.

Getting quotes from multiple suppliers and contractors will allow you to compare prices and select the one offering you the best value for your money. Make sure, though, to ask them about what’s included in the quotes for a fairer comparison.

• Buy the materials in bulk.

You can ask friends or loved ones who are also planning to build a brick wall and purchase your materials together. Suppliers typically offer discounts when you buy in bulk, so that’s one of the ways you can save money. 

• Reuse some bricks.

If you have some remaining bricks at home from a previous project, reuse them for your wall. Bricks that have been used before can also help you reduce your total material cost, as long as they’re still in good condition.

• Do some of the job yourself.

Taking on some of the tasks yourself can help you lower the labor cost. You can clear the vegetation on the site yourself or paint the brick wall instead of hiring someone else to do it.

• Opt for a simple design.

The more complicated the design, the more labor-intensive it is to build, which in turn results in higher costs. Go for something that’s simple to reduce construction time and labor work.