How Much Does a Bricklayer Get Paid Per Brick in the UK?

Bricklaying is no joke. You’re up early, out in all weather, and working your back off to stack up a decent day’s pay. So, let’s answer the big one first: how much does a bricklayer get paid per brick in the UK?

In 2025, if you’re self-employed and working on price, you’re earning between £650 and over £5,000 per 1,000 bricks. That’s roughly £0.65 to £5 per brick, depending on what you’re laying, where you’re working, and how complex the build is. If you’re on the books and employed, you’re most likely getting a set hourly or daily wage instead.

This blog breaks down exactly how the money works, whether you’re on the trowel already or thinking of jumping into the trade. No fluff, no fancy words. Just numbers, grit, and truth.

What “Per Brick” Pay Really Means

Nobody’s counting bricks just for fun. “Per brick” pay, also known as price work, is the real deal for many self-employed bricklayers. You’re paid for what you put on the wall. Lay more, earn more.

Simple? Not quite. The rate you get per 1,000 bricks depends on the type of brick, the complexity of the job, and how much time it takes to do it right. Some jobs are quick and repetitive. Others are slower, technical, and full of details.

2025 Price Work Rates: What’s a Brick Worth?

Here’s what you can expect in 2025 if you’re laying bricks on price:

Common Bricks are the basic bread-and-butter stuff. Think straightforward house builds and boundary walls. These jobs typically pay £650 to £1,500 per 1,000 bricks. Not glamorous, but efficient and steady.

Engineering Bricks (Class A or B) are a step up. These bricks are used for strength and water resistance—often in foundations or retaining walls. They pay £650 to £1,790 per 1,000. They’re heavier, harder, and slower, but they pay more than standard stock.

Clay-Facing Bricks are where things get serious. These are the clean, visible ones you see on show homes, offices, or high-end builds. Jobs like this pay £2,260 to over £5,000 per 1,000 bricks. The work is slower, neater, and more demanding. But the money speaks for itself.

Most self-employed bricklayers earn around £1,220 per 1,000 bricks on average. That works out to £1.22 per brick. But averages don’t tell your full story. Speed, skill, and site conditions all play a part.

Bricklayer Salary UK: The Employed Route

If you’re employed, not on price, your pay works differently. You’ll earn a fixed hourly or daily rate, no matter how many bricks you lay. In 2025, employed bricklayers in the UK make between £18 and £20 an hour, which usually adds up to £145 to £160 a day.

A full-time employed brickie might take home between £31,000 and £40,000 a year. If you’re new to the game, you might start at £18.19 per hour, which is fair enough for someone still learning the ropes.

These rates are backed by BATJIC (the Building and Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council), which sets the standard wage agreements for UK building workers. For 2025–2026, a fully qualified NVQ Level 3 bricklayer should earn at least £16.66 per hour—a figure that keeps rising slowly with inflation and demand.

Daily Math: How Much You Can Pocket

Let’s break it down. You’re laying 500 bricks a day—a decent output for someone who knows what they’re doing. If you’re on the average price rate of £1.22 per brick, you’re taking home £610 a day.

Can you do that five days a week? Maybe, maybe not. That kind of pace needs a good site, good bricks, and no delays. Weather, dodgy mortar, and awkward builds can slow you down fast. Still, even on a bad day, price work has strong earning potential. Compare that to an employed daily rate of £150, and the gap becomes obvious.

Now imagine you’re on a high-end-facing job at £5 per brick. You wouldn’t be laying 500 a day—it’s slower work. But even if you lay 200, that’s a £1,000 day. These gigs are rarer but definitely out there for skilled brickies.

Self-Employed Bricklayer Wage UK: The Real Numbers

Being your own boss means better-earning potential—but also bigger risks.

Most self-employed bricklayers in 2025 charge £38 to £40 per hour, which works out to £300 to £320 per day. Over a year, that’s around £56,000 to £59,000 if you stay busy.

Sounds good, right? It is—but don’t forget the hidden costs.

You pay your own tax. You buy your own tools. You sort your own insurance. Your van? Your fuel? All on you. Get sick? No pay. Take a week off? That’s on your own dime. You’re trading safety for freedom, but for many, it’s worth it.

What Affects Your Bricklayer Wage UK?

Let’s be clear: not all bricklayers earn the same. A few key things make a massive difference to your take-home.

Experience is number one. Newbies won’t be as fast or clean. You’ll start on lower rates, and that’s fine. Once you’ve got speed and confidence, your value jumps. Master craftspeople can charge more because they handle complex builds and fix problems fast.

Location is a big one, too. In London and the South East, you’ll see the best rates. It’s busier, and there’s more money flying around. But that also comes with higher living costs and tougher competition. In the North East, Wales, or the Midlands, the rates are slightly lower, but so are the bills. It balances out, depending on your lifestyle.

The job itself matters. Building a simple block wall behind someone’s shed won’t pay like restoring a Victorian archway on a listed building. Commercial projects—especially ones with strict deadlines—tend to have higher budgets and pay better.

Brick type plays into that, too. Some bricks slow you down. Oversized, delicate, or decorative bricks take more care. If you’re working with bricks that crack easily or need exact alignment, your speed drops—but so should the job’s pace and rate.

Daily Targets: What’s Realistic?

Most decent bricklayers aim to lay around 500 bricks a day, depending on what they’re building. That number is based on common bricks, good weather, and a clean setup.

But some days? You’re lucky to hit 200. Bad weather, tight scaffolding, a muddy site, slow delivery times—all of that can ruin your pace. You might be laying an arch or dealing with curved corners. Or maybe your labourer’s not up to scratch, and you’re doing half the job yourself.

The point is the numbers aren’t always in your control, but the better you get at adapting, the more consistent your income becomes.

Should You Go Employed or Self-Employed?

It depends on your situation—and your appetite for risk.

Employed bricklayers get paid holidays, sick leave, and sometimes even pensions. You don’t have to chase invoices or deal with HMRC. You just show up, do the work, and go home. That security suits a lot of people—especially if they’ve got a family or bills to manage.

But there’s a cap. You’ll never earn price-work numbers if you’re on the books.

Self-employed bricklayers take the risk, but they also keep the reward. You set your own rates. You pick your jobs. You can scale up and even bring on a team. You just have to stay on top of your paperwork, tools, and schedule. And yeah, some weeks will be slower than others—but you’re in charge.

A lot of bricklayers start employed and go solo once they’ve got the skill, speed, and contacts. That’s a smart move. Learn the trade. Build a name. Then go chase the bigger money.

How Do You Become a Bricklayer in the UK?

You’ve got two main ways in. You can do a college course in bricklaying and aim for your NVQ Level 2 or 3. Or you can go the apprenticeship route, where you learn on the job and earn while you train.

Starting as a labourer also works. Many bricklayers begin by mixing muck, shifting bricks, and watching. Over time, they pick up the tools, lay a few rows, and work their way up.

Either way, you’ll need practical experience. The trade is physical. You’re lifting, bending, climbing, and working on your feet all day. You’ll also need a decent eye—bricklaying isn’t slapdash. Every line needs to be clean.

What’s the Future of Bricklaying Pay in the UK?

The trade isn’t going anywhere. Even with machines, modular builds, and prefab panels creeping in, bricklayers still hold strong. UK construction needs bricklayers. Full stop.

The BATJIC 2025 agreement saw a 3% pay rise across the board. That’s a solid sign. Demand is steady. Good brickies are still hard to find—and even harder to keep. If you’re good at what you do, there’s always going to be work. And where there’s work, there’s money.

Last Word: So, How Much Does a Bricklayer Get Paid Per Brick?

In plain English:

If you’re self-employed, expect anything between £0.65 to £5 per brick, depending on the job. That’s £650 to £5,000 per 1,000 bricks. The average? Around £1.22 per brick.

If you’re employed, you’ll make between £18–£20 per hour, which gives you a yearly bricklayer salary UK of roughly £31k–£40k.

The more skilled, faster, and adaptable you are, the higher you can climb. The question isn’t just “How much do I get paid?”—it’s “How much am I worth?”

Want to Learn More or Get Certified?

We’ve got the courses, training, and advice to help you move forward. Whether you’re starting fresh or ready to step up your game, check out our Bricklaying Course over at Course Cave. Learn your trade. Know your worth. Earn your rate.