Building a brick or stone wall around your house is an excellent method for enhancing the strength, aesthetic charm, and curb value of your property.

Expect to pay an average of $5,100 to put up a brick wall at the front of your property. This translates to an average price of $27.5 per square foot. Brick walls often vary in cost depending on their length, height, thickness and type.

Brick or stone walls also enhance the usefulness and aesthetic touch of lawns and gardens.

Although brick fences cost an average of $27.5 per square foot to put up, you could be forced to pay in excess of $40 per square foot. This is because of the base that brick fences usually need to support their weight

Service QuantityAverage Costs
Brick Fencing CostPer Linear Foot$150
Brick Fencing CostSquare Footage$27.5
Brick Fencing Labor CostPer Hour$90
Brick Fencing Labor CostPer square foot $40
Cost of Materials NeededPer square foot$4
Brick Fencing National Average Cost$5,100

Brick Wall Cost Calculator by Type

Brick Materials Cost per sq. ft.
Brick$36
Brick Veneers$20
Thin Brick Veneer$10
Hollow Bricks $35
Ornamental Brick Columns$1,250
Structural Brick Columns$4,500
Interior Brick Wall$10
Brick Garden Wall$30

Brick Wall

The cost to install a new brick wall is about $36 per square foot. You will, however, need to factor in a range of other supplies, such as cement and concrete for the wall’s base trench.

Brick Wall

Brick Veneers

Brick veneers will cost you an average of $20 per square foot. These brick walls, or wythes average a thickness of 4 inches and serve as a solid brick veneer, concealing wooden or steel frames.

Brick Veneers

Thin Brick Veneer

Thin brick veneers are a more affordable option than wythes. They cost an average of $to per square foot to install. They have a thickness of 1 inch and require processes like thinset to stick to walls. They are significantly lighter than wythes.

Thin Brick Veneer

Hollow Bricks

The cost to build a brick wall with hollow bricks is $35 per square foot on average. Hollow bricks are made up of an empty area in the middle of a durable shell which makes them quite distinctive. They are normally made using environmentally friendly materials which contribute to reducing the wall’s overall weight.

Hollow Bricks

Brick Columns

Ornamental brick columns cost an average of $1,250 per column to put up. Shorter ornamental columns could however cost you as low as $500 per column while longer ones can cost up to $2,000 per column. Tall ornamental columns with upgraded features like power and a gate are the most expensive.

Expect to pay an average of $4,500 per column for structural columns. They are normally used to provide structural support. This is the reason for their larger base that requires additional excavation. They also utilize a higher rebar-filled concrete with a higher pound per square inch.

Brick Columns

Brick Garden Wall

The cost of a brick wall for your garden is $30 per square foot on average for real clay. Veneer-coated concrete blocks will cost you an average of $15 per square foot to install in your garden wall. Expect to pay an average of $500 for a raised garden bed.

Brick Garden Wall

Interior Brick Wall

The cost to install a brick wall inside your house is $10 per square foot on average. Putting up an interior brick wall is, therefore, a great and cheap home improvement technique. This is because real bricks are almost never utilized in their construction. The small bricks used are about a third of the weight of a full brick veneer.

Their lightweight makes them an easy load to bear for your foundation and load-bearing walls. If you prefer to use real bricks, make sure your house has structural reinforcements to bear the increased weight.

Interior Brick Wall

Cost of Other Masonry Fences

Average Stone Wall Cost Per Square Foot

Material Average Material Cost Per Square Foot
Natural Stone$52.5
Stone Veneer$17.5

Natural Stone Wall

A natural rock wall will cost you an average of $75 per square foot to install inclusive of both materials and labor. The labor costs for such a wall usually average at $22.5 per square foot. Expect to pay $52.5 per square foot for materials.

When charged by the hour, the labor rates often differ depending on the skill level of the professionals engaged. Skilled masons will charge you an average of $90 per hour. The hourly rates for semi-skilled contractors are a bit lower at $40 per hour in average.

Natural Stone Wall

Stone Veneer

A stone veneer wall is a little easier to construct than a natural stone wall. It is also available in a variety of intricate designs. Expect to pay an average of $17.5 per square foot for materials and $12.5 per square foot on labor.

Stone Veneer

Average Dry Stack Stone Wall Cost

Dry stack stone walls are also known as fieldstone fences. They are made up of uneven stones which are put together without mortar to form a unified wall with rustic landscaping features.

They are mostly used for decorative purposes along property boundaries and garden lines. It will cost you an average of $50 per square foot in materials and $60 per hour in labor to put up a fieldstone fence.

Average Cost of Installing a Retaining Wall

If your property is located on uneven terrain, installing retaining walls is a great way to prevent excessive erosion. Retaining walls are quite stable in their position which is why they also act as a centerpiece and ideal seating on many properties.

Installing a retaining wall is usually quite expensive because of its structural constraints. Expect to pay an average of $8,500 to install a retaining wall made from natural stone. This price is inclusive of material, labor, drainage and foundation costs.

Average Cost of Block Walls

Cinder blocks are generally similar in cost despite their type. Although certain capstones are available at $1 each, cinder blocks will cost you $2 each on average. The average cost of installing a cinder block wall inclusive of labor is $10.5 per square foot. Standard cinder block walls of 120 square feet will therefore cost you an average of $1,260 to put up.

Expect to pay an average of $7 per linear foot to install a basic block wall. There is a wide variety of finishes that you can use on brick walls at an average cost of $9 per square foot. They include stucco, wood siding and thin brick siding.

Concrete Block Cost Guide

Width in InchesCost in $
4$1.75
6$1.75
8$2
10$2
12$3

These prices are for blocks with a standard 8-inch height and 16-inch length.

Cost Factors for Building Masonry and Brick Walls Bricks

The average cost of a single brick is $0.625. This cost can however vary depending on the type of brick you are using as shown in the following table.

Type of Brick Average Cost Per Brick
Common Red Bricks$0.65
Face Bricks $0.575
Engineering Bricks $0.65
Thin Bricks$1.225
Fire Bricks $2.35
Concrete Bricks$0.625
Glazed Bricks $4.65
Adobe Bricks$2.75
Bullnose$2

Foundation

Expect to pay an average of $25 per linear foot for masonry wall concrete footers. Retaining wall footers can however cost up to $55 per linear foot if the wall is over 4-inches tall.

Excavation

Trenching on difficult terrain to establish a foundation below the frost line will cost you an average of $15 per square foot. This cost can however vary depending on the size and weight of the wall. Hiring a structural engineer at $500 on average is usually recommended for both difficult terrain and level ground.

Permits

The cost of building and fencing permits ranges from $50 to $600 depending on the type, length and position of your wall. It is therefore advisable to consult your local code enforcement office for specific details on your wall permit.

Drainage

Drainage systems cost an average of $3,900 to install. This translates to $17.5 per linear foot especially when a French drain is installed. Every brick or stone wall requires adequate drainage to reduce flooding and erosion.

Land Survey

Land surveyors charge an average of $525 to conduct a property line survey. This is normally done to avoid any legal issues with the local authorities and your neighbors with regard to property lines.

Size and Design

Tall double layered walls with intricate curves and complex designs usually require more bricks, labor, planning and time to complete. They therefore cost more to install than short and simple single layered walls.

DIY Vs Professional Brick Wall Cost

Although laying your bricks by yourself is much cheaper than hiring a professional mason, brick laying is still done best when left to expert masons.

Hiring a professional will prevent you from making costly DIY mistakes that lead to removal and replacement of your wall. You should only construct your wall by yourself if you are doing a simple project that you are willing to deconstruct if you make a mistake.

Home Garden Guides  is a great tool that quickly matches you with the best brick fencing specialists in your locality. You can get three free estimates from local professionals in a matter of two minutes. Kindly follow the steps below to enjoy this great service:

  1. Scroll to the top of the page and enter your zip code.
  2. Answer questions about your brick fencing job.
  3. Your brick fencing details are forwarded to three local experts who will send you a free estimate for your job with some friendly advice.

FAQ's

To calculate the area of a single layer brick wall, multiply its length by its height. To calculate the number of bricks you will need, multiply the area by 60, then add 10% for waste.

Yes, it can. Other materials like wrought iron fencing, wood fencing and vinyl fencing to produce an elegant and rustic look for your property.

When properly installed and looked after, brick walls can last well over 100 years. Brick wears out slower than a majority of other fencing materials. It however suffers from cracking because of expanding over time. This often leads to fractures and defects on its walls in the course of time.

Yes, it is. Masonry fences are generally more expensive than other types of fences because they are harder to install, last longer and easy to maintain.

Benjamin McInerny
Author: Benjamin McInerny - is a qualified arborist and a DIY Home Improvement enthusiast. Ben has a extensive experience on renovation projects including, mold removal, painting, fence installation and more. Ben shares his skills with DIY and gardening enthusiasts.