How Much Does it Cost to Build a Brick House?

Updated on August 24, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 9 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Building a brick house costs about $350,000 on average in 2026, with a broad range of roughly $88,000 to $1.65 million depending on house size, location, finishes, and what “brick house” means. Current brick-house construction data puts the average at about $165 per square foot, with a wider range of $110 to $550 per square foot.

For a 2,000-square-foot house, the same midpoint produces a construction estimate of about $330,000. The low end of the national range describes a small home using thin brick veneer and budget finishes, while the high end reflects luxury construction that can include double-brick walls and expensive interior work.

The brick-specific cost is much smaller than the whole-house number for most modern U.S. homes. Current brick exterior pricing puts full-size face-brick veneer at about $12 to $18 per square foot of exterior wall, while thin brick veneer runs about $8 to $18 installed. Floor area and brick wall area are different measurements, so a 2,000-square-foot house does not automatically need 2,000 square feet of brick.

Article Highlights

• The current average to build a brick house is about $350,000 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 5.6 years of full-time work, before taxes).
• A 2,000-square-foot example works out to about $330,000 at the current $165-per-square-foot midpoint.
• Full-size face-brick veneer costs about $12 to $18 per square foot of wall.
• Thin brick veneer costs about $8 to $18 per square foot installed.
• Current clay brick prices run about $0.35 to $1.20 per brick, or roughly $350 to $1,200 per 1,000 using that unit range.
• Repointing old mortar can eventually cost $3 to $20 per square foot, but it is usually a decades-apart maintenance event rather than an annual bill.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Brick House?

Cost item	Current range	What the number measures
Whole brick-house construction	$110 to $550 (about 0.5 to 2.3 full-time workdays at $30 per hour) per sq. ft.	Floor area, including the full house rather than only masonry
Average whole-house benchmark	$350,000	Current national brick-house construction average
2,000-sq.-ft. house at midpoint	$330,000	2,000 × $165 per sq. ft.
Thin brick veneer	$8 to $18 per sq. ft.	Installed exterior-wall area
Full-size face-brick veneer	$12 to $18 per sq. ft.	Installed non-load-bearing real brick veneer
Brick siding on a whole exterior	$8,000 to $27,000	Typical 1,000 to 1,500 sq. ft. exterior-wall project
Individual clay bricks	$0.35 to $1.20 each	Material only before mortar, delivery, waste, and labor
Masonry labor	$50 to $125 per hour	Current small-project bricklayer benchmark

The whole-house range should not be compared directly with siding prices. NAHB’s latest Survey of Construction analysis puts median 2024 floor-space pricing at $166 per square foot for contractor-built custom homes and $153 per square foot for spec homes after excluding improved lot values in its square-foot price analysis.

What You’re Actually Building

Most modern U.S. houses described as brick homes are framed structures with brick on the exterior rather than load-bearing solid-brick buildings. Anchored face brick is normally a non-load-bearing veneer tied back to the structural wall. Thin brick is an adhered finish installed over an approved backing system. Structural masonry is a different assembly in which masonry carries building loads. The Brick Industry Association maintains separate guidance for anchored veneer, thin brick, structural masonry, drainage, flashing, ties, and code requirements in its brick construction technical notes.

This distinction explains why two homes that look similarly “brick” from the street can have very different budgets. A framed house with a single exterior veneer layer can stay near normal residential construction pricing. A true structural or double-brick design uses far more masonry and labor and can move toward the top of the national range.

How Much of a $350,000 House Is the Brick?

Current brick-siding data puts thin brick or face-brick installation around $8 to $18 (about 16 to 36 minutes at $30 per hour) per square foot, with a typical full-house exterior of 1,000 to 1,500 square feet costing about $8,000 to $27,000. These wall-area figures are different from the home’s interior floor area, which is the correct way to estimate the masonry portion.

Take a house with 1,500 square feet of exterior wall area. Full-size face-brick veneer at $12 to $18 per square foot produces an installed brick budget of $18,000 to $27,000. Against a $350,000 total build, the brick exterior represents about 5.1% to 7.7% of the construction budget because $18,000 ÷ $350,000 = 5.1% and $27,000 ÷ $350,000 = 7.7%.

That is the key pricing distinction. The house may cost $350,000, but the brick finish itself may account for only a few tens of thousands of dollars. Foundation, framing, roofing, windows, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drywall, cabinets, flooring, bathrooms, site work, permits, and labor make up the rest. Our broader house-building cost guide breaks down those non-brick components.

Brick, Mortar, and Masonry Labor

Current retail and contractor data puts standard bricks at about $0.35 to $1.20 each, with an average near $0.67. Masonry labor runs about $50 to $125 per hour for many projects, according to July 2026 brick-price data.

Using the unit range, 1,000 bricks cost roughly $350 to $1,200 before delivery, mortar, ties, flashing, lintels, waste, equipment, and installation. Suppliers often price common brick closer together than specialty handmade, glazed, oversize, or historic-match units.

Waste matters because damaged cuts and breakage are normal. A 15% material allowance turns a 10,000-brick calculated requirement into an order of about 11,500 bricks. At an assumed $0.67 average per brick, those extra 1,500 bricks add about $1,005 before freight.

Land, Utilities

The average brick-house figure normally excludes land. Current brick-house estimates put land anywhere from about $10,000 to $250,000+ depending on location and acreage, while first-time utility connections can add about $6,500 to $30,000. Site clearing, grading, soil testing, septic work, driveway construction, drainage, and difficult access can add more.

NAHB’s latest construction-cost survey found that actual construction represented 64.4% of the sales price in its typical new-home sample, while the finished lot represented 13.7% and builder profit 11%, as detailed in the 2024 construction-cost survey. The figures reinforce why masonry alone cannot explain the final sales price.

The foundation can also become a larger expense when soil, slope, frost depth, or structural loads require more engineering. Buyers comparing foundation options can review our pier and beam foundation cost guide.

Long-Term Mortar Work

Brick itself can last for generations, but mortar is a maintenance item. Current repointing prices run about $3 to $20 per square foot, and a 2,500-square-foot brick house can cost roughly $5,000 to $40,000 when extensive mortar work becomes necessary. HomeGuide says repointing commonly lasts about 25 to 30 years, depending on climate and exposure, in its 2026 repointing cost data.

That is more useful than treating brick as having a fixed annual maintenance bill. A homeowner may spend very little on the masonry for years and then face a five-figure repointing project decades later.

Sealing is also not a universal annual expense. Brick needs to release moisture, and an inappropriate non-breathable sealer can trap water in the wall. Current brick sealing guidance recommends evaluating the wall’s actual moisture condition rather than automatically applying a coating every year.

Three Brick House Budgets

Small veneer home: An 800-square-foot house with thin brick veneer and basic finishes can sit near the published low end of about $88,000. That figure describes a small budget home with a brick finish, not an 800-square-foot structural double-brick house.

2,000-square-foot mainstream build: Using the current $165-per-square-foot midpoint gives a constructed price of $330,000. If 1,500 square feet of exterior wall receives full-size face brick at $12 to $18, the brick portion is roughly $18,000 to $27,000.

Luxury masonry build: A high-end home using double-brick construction, custom arches, premium windows, expensive roofing, and luxury interiors can move well beyond $1 million. Angi’s current high-end brick-house model reaches $1.65 million, showing how construction type and finish level dominate the upper end.

Worked example: a 2,000-square-foot brick-veneer house

Start with the current midpoint construction estimate of $330,000 for 2,000 square feet. Assume 1,500 square feet of full-size face-brick veneer at the midpoint of $15 per square foot. The brick exterior equals $22,500. That is about 6.8% of the total because $22,500 ÷ $330,000 = 6.8%. If the lot costs another hypothetical $75,000, the property-plus-build figure becomes $405,000 before financing costs and furnishings. The example shows why “brick house cost” and “cost of the brick” are not interchangeable.

Who This Cost Makes Sense For

Makes sense if:

• You separate exterior wall square footage from interior floor square footage when pricing brick.
• You know whether the plans specify thin veneer, anchored full-size veneer, or structural masonry.
• You compare contractor quotes using the same foundation, insulation, wall system, windows, roofing, and finish level.
• You budget for land, site preparation, utilities, and permits outside the headline construction figure.

Does not make sense if:

• You compare a whole-house brick construction price with a per-square-foot vinyl or fiber-cement siding price.
• You assume the $88,000 low-end example represents a traditional load-bearing brick house.
• You select a masonry system only from material price without accounting for labor, moisture detailing, structural support, and local code.
• You count on a federal homeowner energy credit for a new 2026 build.

The last point is now especially relevant. The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit only applied to qualifying property placed in service through December 31, 2025 and was for existing homes rather than new construction, according to the current IRS rules. Local or builder incentives may still exist, but they need to be checked by location.

What We Verified

• Checked the current $350,000 national brick-house average and the $110 to $550 whole-house square-foot range.
• Confirmed that the published $88,000 low end uses thin brick veneer rather than structural double-brick construction.
• Cross-referenced brick veneer pricing against current wall-area costs of about $8 to $18 for thin brick and $12 to $18 for full-size face brick.
• Verified current brick material and masonry labor prices rather than carrying forward the old $400 to $700 per 1,000 material range.
• Checked that the federal home-improvement credit is unavailable for property placed in service after 2025 and did not apply to new-home construction.

Related Home Construction Costs

A brick exterior is only one component of a new build. Our guides to house framing costs, guest house construction, and the full cost to build a house can help separate the structure, exterior finish, and finished-property budgets.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a 2,000-square-foot brick house cost?

At the current $165-per-square-foot midpoint, a 2,000-square-foot brick house works out to about $330,000 before land. Location, wall type, finishes, utilities, and site conditions can move the price much higher or lower.

How much does it cost to put brick on a house?

Brick veneer typically costs about $8 to $18 per square foot installed. A 1,000- to 1,500-square-foot exterior commonly costs about $8,000 to $27,000.

Is brick veneer the same as a solid brick house?

No. Brick veneer is a non-load-bearing exterior layer attached or adhered to a structural wall. Structural brick masonry carries building loads and follows a different design and cost model.

Does a brick house need annual sealing?

No universal annual sealing schedule applies to every brick house. Moisture conditions, brick type, climate, and prior coatings matter. Any sealer used on masonry should be compatible with the wall and allow proper moisture movement.

Does brick automatically raise resale value?

No fixed national percentage applies. Brick may be attractive in some markets, but resale value depends on location, condition, design, energy performance, neighborhood demand, and the rest of the property.