How to Price Masonry Work (Brick, Block, and Stone)
By Fabio Freire, Founder & General Contractor at EZ-Estimates. Published 2026-04-07.
How to Price Masonry Work (Brick, Block, and Stone)
Masonry is one of the most skilled trades in construction. The materials are heavy, the work is physically demanding, and the pricing needs to reflect that. Here is how to estimate masonry jobs profitably.
Step 1: Define the Project Type
Masonry projects fall into categories:
- Brick veneer (residential exterior, fireplaces, accent walls)
- Concrete block (foundations, retaining walls, structural walls)
- Natural stone (veneers, retaining walls, columns, patios)
- Manufactured stone veneer (exterior accents, fireplaces)
- Brick and block repair (repointing, crack repair, replacement)
- Concrete flatwork (patios, sidewalks, driveways)
Each has different material costs, labor requirements, and skill levels.
Step 2: Measure the Work Area
Masonry is measured in:
- Square feet for walls, veneers, and flatwork
- Linear feet for caps, sills, and ledges
- Each for columns, mailboxes, and specialty features
When measuring walls:
- Deduct openings (windows, doors) but add lintels and sills
- Note wall height (scaffold requirements over 5 to 6 feet)
- Note corners (slow down production)
- Note curves (significant labor add)
Masonry contractors in markets like Columbus and Indianapolis see a lot of brick veneer on new construction. Southern markets see more stone veneer and retaining walls.
Step 3: Price Materials
Brick
- Standard modular brick: $0.50 to $1.50 each ($5 to $15 per sq ft of wall)
- Face brick (premium): $1.00 to $3.00+ each
- Mortar: $8 to $12 per 80 lb bag (covers roughly 35 to 40 bricks)
- Wall ties and flashing
- Lintels (steel angles): $20 to $60 each
Concrete Block
- Standard 8" CMU: $1.50 to $3.00 each
- Split face or decorative block: $3.00 to $6.00 each
- Mortar: $8 to $12 per bag
- Rebar and grout for reinforced walls
- Bond beam and lintel blocks
Stone
- Natural stone veneer: $8 to $25 per sq ft (material only)
- Manufactured stone veneer: $6 to $15 per sq ft
- Full-bed natural stone: $15 to $50+ per sq ft
- Mortar, scratch coat, lath for veneer applications
Always add 5% to 10% waste for brick and block, 10% to 15% for stone (cutting and fitting waste is higher).
Step 4: Calculate Labor
Masonry labor production rates:
- Brick laying (experienced mason): 350 to 500 bricks per day
- Block laying: 100 to 150 blocks per day
- Stone veneer installation: 30 to 60 sq ft per day
- Natural stone (full bed): 20 to 40 sq ft per day
- Repointing: 50 to 100 sq ft per day
These are per mason, with a laborer mixing and carrying. A mason and a laborer is the standard crew.
Labor rates for experienced masons: $35 to $55 per hour. Laborers: $18 to $28 per hour. Your billing rate should be $100 to $180 per man-hour after overhead and markup.
Step 5: Include Supporting Costs
- Scaffolding: Rental or setup time for walls over 5 to 6 feet
- Concrete for footings: $130 to $160 per cubic yard delivered
- Rebar and reinforcement
- Permits for structural work (retaining walls, foundations)
- Excavation for foundations and footings
- Flashing and weep holes for brick veneer
- Waterproofing for below-grade block
- Cleanup and disposal of mortar waste and cut-offs
Step 6: Apply Markup
Masonry markup should be 35% to 50%:
- Tools (mixers, saws, scaffolding, levels)
- Vehicle and material delivery
- Insurance (heavy lifting = higher comp rates)
- Physical toll on crew (masonry is demanding)
- Profit
Specialized work (stone arches, curved walls, historical restoration) should carry premium pricing.
Masonry Estimating in 2026: Why the Old Way Is Breaking Down
Masonry is one of the few trades where production rates have barely changed in decades. A mason still lays 350 to 500 bricks per day. But everything around the trade has changed.
- Material sourcing is harder. Specialty brick and natural stone lead times have stretched to 4 to 8 weeks in 2026. If your estimate does not account for delivery timelines, your project schedule falls apart before you lay the first course
- Labor is scarce and expensive. Experienced masons are aging out and younger workers are not replacing them at the same rate. In 2026, mason wages are 15% to 25% higher than 3 years ago. Your estimates need to reflect current labor market reality, not what you paid crews in 2023
- Spreadsheets cannot handle unit-based pricing. Masonry has unique pricing: bricks per square foot, mortar bags per thousand bricks, wall ties per square foot, scaffolding per linear foot of wall. Converting between units on a spreadsheet is error-prone and slow
- Homeowners expect visual proposals. When someone is choosing between brick veneer, manufactured stone, and natural stone for their fireplace surround, they want to see costs side by side with photos. A spreadsheet with dollar amounts does not sell the vision
EZ-Estimates handles the complexity of masonry estimating by letting you describe the project and generating unit-based material counts, labor hours per crew, equipment costs, and markup automatically. "Front elevation brick veneer, 800 sq ft, soldier course above windows, stone sills, 6 window openings." Complete estimate in under 60 seconds.
For a trade that has always been priced on experience and gut feel, AI-powered estimating is the biggest competitive advantage since the invention of the power saw.
The Bottom Line
Masonry pricing is about counting units, measuring surfaces, and knowing your crew's production rates. The mason who quotes accurately wins the profitable jobs. The one who guesses loses money or loses the bid.
Use EZ-Estimates to generate detailed masonry estimates with material counts and labor breakdowns. Send professional proposals from the job site.
Start your free trial of EZ-Estimates and price your next masonry project with confidence.
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