Trade Estimating
Brick and block estimates measured by the metre, not the guess
We measure walls, openings and cavity build-ups from your drawings and hand back a branded brick and block estimate you can send straight out.
In short
A brickwork and blockwork estimate prices facing brick, blockwork, cavity insulation, ties, lintels and the mortar and labour to lay them.
We measure wall areas by the square metre, count the bricks and blocks, and deduct openings, then apply current UK gang rates.
You get a clear, itemised estimate branded as your own, with brick and block quantities you can hand straight to the merchant.
Who it's for
Bricklayers, brick and block subcontractors, and main contractors pricing the superstructure of an extension or new build.
Brick and block is priced by area and by the thousand, so the measure has to be tight. We work out the net wall area by the square metre, deduct the openings, then convert to bricks per square metre and blocks per square metre for the cavity build-up. That gives you a labour figure your gang can sign up to and a material schedule the merchant can quote against without you re-counting everything.
The face matters as much as the area. A standard stretcher bond in a common facing brick is a different rate to a gauged brick in Flemish bond, and special bricks for cills, soldier courses and brick-on-edge all slow the gang down. We pick up the bond, the pointing and any feature work from your elevations so the labour rate reflects the actual job rather than a flat metre rate.
The bits buried in the wall are easy to miss and expensive to forget. Wall ties to the right spacing, cavity insulation, cavity trays and weep vents, movement joints, and the lintels over every opening all sit inside the brick and block package. We count the openings and price the lintels, and we flag where a beam or a wide opening needs the structural engineer's detail before it can be priced properly.
What the estimate includes
What drives the cost
The numbers that move the price on a brickwork and blockwork job, and the detail we measure to get them right.
Wall area and number of openings
The net area drives the price, but lots of windows and doors slow the gang because every opening needs cutting, a lintel and careful work. A wall full of openings costs more per metre than a blank gable.
Brick type and bond
Handmade and gauged bricks, special shapes and decorative bonds all add labour and cost compared with a standard facing brick in stretcher bond. The face specification changes the rate.
Lintels and openings
Every opening needs a lintel, and wide spans or load-bearing situations need steel or specially designed lintels. The number and size of openings is a real cost, not a rounding.
Cavity build-up
Insulation type and thickness, wall ties, cavity trays and weep vents all sit in the wall. Full fill, partial fill or a wider cavity each change the materials and the tie length.
Scaffolding and lifts
Brickwork above the first lift needs scaffold, and the height of the build sets the number of lifts and the cost of access for the gang and materials.
Mortar and pointing
The mortar mix, the pointing finish such as a struck or recessed joint, and coloured mortar all affect both materials and the time the gang spends finishing the face.
Common pitfalls we help you avoid
- Pricing gross wall area without deducting openings, or deducting them and forgetting the lintels.
- Using a flat metre rate when the bond or special bricks make the work much slower.
- Leaving wall ties, cavity insulation and trays out of the materials.
- Forgetting the scaffold needed once the brickwork goes above head height.
- Under-ordering bricks by ignoring cutting waste around openings and features.
How it works
Send us the elevations and plans
Upload your drawings showing the walls, openings and the cavity build-up, and tell us the brick and block specification.
We measure and price
We work the net wall area, count bricks and blocks per square metre, price the lintels and ties, and apply current UK gang rates.
You get a branded estimate
We return an itemised brick and block estimate under your own name, with a material schedule ready for the merchant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a job that needs pricing?
Upload your drawings and we'll come back with a professional, branded estimate, a fixed fee and a turnaround time.
Upload Your Drawings