How Much Do Brick Wall's Cost In South Africa?

Supply and Demand

While the type of brick you purchase has an impact on the price - more often than not, the cost of bricks will be heavily dictated by consumer supply and demand. For instance, the UK has been experiencing a brick shortage, with some companies waiting for more than 12 months for delivery. This not only slowed down property development but also increased the price of bricks due to the limited supply.

The origins of the brick shortage can be traced back to the 2008 recession, where a decline in the housing market resulted in many small brickworks closing permanently or becoming mothballed. While the industry has since recovered to reasonable levels, the Government's ambitious target of building 300,000 new homes by mid-2020 and implementation of the 'Help-to-Buy' scheme (used to address the UK housing shortage) placed a significant strain on local manufacturers and ultimately put a spotlight on UK brick production. If this has impacted you we may be able to help with our nationwide brick quotation service.

Manufacturing Process

Another contributing factor to the cost is the way that bricks are manufactured. Today, bricks are mass-produced in factories using machines to automate most of the process, including mixing / forming the clay, drying the bricks, and firing / cooling in a kiln. These advances in technology have led to more efficient manufacturing techniques and substantially lowered the cost of bricks. Large manufacturers can produce tens of thousands of bricks each day, making them much more accessible and affordable for end customers. Machine-made bricks (also known as wire-cut) typically start at £400/1000.

However, there is a growing demand for handmade bricks. Handmade bricks are very labour-intensive, and therefore, substantially more expensive to make (they can easily cost up to 4 x times more than machine-made). Using traditional methods, handmade bricks require skilled craftsmen to prepare the clay manually, fill individual moulds, and stack the bricks into a kiln for firing. Handmades have a unique appearance and rich character. They are a good choice when matching bricks to a specific period or when standard-sized bricks can't be used (e.g. an existing structure with imperial sizes).

Type of Brick

The type of brick you need will also impact your overall cost. Common bricks are generally the cheapest, ranging anywhere between £200/1000 to £400/1000. However, they're only suitable for internal structures and not designed for weight-bearing courses. Engineering bricks (Class A or Class B) have high compressive strength and offer protection against water / frost. These bricks are used for foundations and damp courses - not chosen for their looks - and you can expect to pay around from £400 per 1000 bricks.

Facing bricks are the type of brick most people are familiar with. They are used to improve the aesthetics of masonry buildings. There are many types of facing bricks on the market - offered in different colours, textures (e.g. smooth, rough), and materials (e.g. concrete vs. clay). As such, the pricing can vary significantly depending on the type of facing brick you're after. For instance, concrete facing bricks are generally cheaper than clay, and costs vary with the different manufacturing techniques required. Facing brick costs can be anywhere from £400/1000 to £1200/1000 depending on all these factors.

Another consideration is your special-shaped bricks (e.g. plinth or bullnose bricks, for instance). You could potentially have to pay up to £5 per brick for these, as they are specially made. Typically you won't need very many in your projects though.

How to Price Your Masonry Project Understand the Type of Brick You Need The first step is to understand what type of brick you will need. Bricks have different technical properties, and, depending on the type of masonry project, certain types of brick are more suitable than others. While you can save money by using common clay bricks when building internal non-load-bearing walls or sourcing cheap bricks for garden walls, you will need to use engineering bricks for any load-bearing structures or if water / frost is a consideration. Facing bricks are what you need for any visible exterior wall.