How much does a brick wall cost in the UK?
A Brick wall costs £1,000 to £6,000 in the UK, typically around £2,500 for a garden wall. What moves the price most is the length and height of the wall, so a simpler job sits near the bottom of that range and a larger or higher-spec one near the top. Prices reviewed June 2026.
Building a brick garden or boundary wall usually costs £1,000 to £6,000 in the UK, with most people paying around £2,500. It is priced by the wall area or per metre run, and the height, whether it is single or double skin, and the foundations are what move the figure.
Brick wall cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your Brick wall in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Brick wall cost breakdown
Typical Brick wall costs, by option:
| Size and type of wall | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Low or short wall (single skin, up to about 1m) | £900 to £2,000 |
| Standard boundary wall (10 to 15m, single or double skin) | £1,800 to £4,000 |
| Tall or long double-skin wall (1.8m+, piers and coping) | £3,500 to £6,000 |
What's included in the price?
Typical Brick wall prices include:
- A concrete strip foundation dug and poured
- Facing bricks supplied and laid in your chosen bond
- Mortar joints struck and pointed as the wall goes up
- Coping or capping bricks along the top
- Piers built in for strength on longer or taller walls
- Site tidy-up and waste taken away
What changes the price?
The things that move Brick wall prices most:
The length and height of the wall
Single-skin (half brick) or double-skin (one brick) construction
The facing brick you choose, from budget stocks to handmade
Foundation depth, which ground conditions and tree roots dictate
Piers, coping and any decorative bond or curve
Access, and your region
How the price is built up
A bricklayer builds the quote up from the foundation first, digging and pouring a concrete strip footing sized for the height of the wall. On top of that come the facing bricks, laid in a bond with struck and pointed joints, which is where most of the labour sits, then coping or capping along the top and piers built in on longer or taller runs. A single-skin (half-brick) wall works out around £110 to £180 per m², and a thicker double-skin (one-brick) wall £180 to £320 per m², because it uses twice the brick and a heavier footing. The brick you choose moves the figure too, from budget stocks up to handmade or reclaimed. London and the South East add roughly 15 to 25 percent, mostly on labour. Labour is the larger share on most brick walls, often around 55 to 70 percent of the total, since laying facing brick neatly is slow, skilled work. The bricks, mortar, foundation concrete and coping make up the rest, and that share rises if you pick a handmade or reclaimed facing brick over standard stocks.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Keep to a single-skin (half-brick) wall where the height allows, as it uses half the brick and a lighter footing than a double-skin wall.
- Choose a standard stock or wirecut facing brick rather than handmade or reclaimed, which can cost several times as much per thousand.
- Keep the wall low and straight. Height needs deeper foundations and piers, and curves and decorative bonds add bricklaying time.
- Get quotes from bricklayers based outside London and the South East where you can, as the regional premium adds around 15 to 25 percent for the same work.
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, a Brick wall typically costs around £3,300, about 30% above the UK average of £2,500. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £2,300.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £1,000 | £2,500 | £6,000 |
| London | £1,300 | £3,300 | £7,800 |
| South East / South West | £1,200 | £2,900 | £6,900 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £920 | £2,300 | £5,500 |
Guide prices for a garden wall, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Brick wall cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £850 | £2,100 | £5,100 |
| Birmingham | £980 | £2,500 | £5,900 |
| Bristol | £1,100 | £2,800 | £6,600 |
| Cardiff | £940 | £2,400 | £5,600 |
| Edinburgh | £980 | £2,500 | £5,900 |
| Glasgow | £900 | £2,300 | £5,400 |
| Leeds | £930 | £2,300 | £5,600 |
| Liverpool | £920 | £2,300 | £5,500 |
| London | £1,300 | £3,300 | £7,800 |
| Manchester | £960 | £2,400 | £5,800 |
| Newcastle | £900 | £2,300 | £5,400 |
| Sheffield | £920 | £2,300 | £5,500 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for Brick wall, not quotes.
London and the South East run around 15 to 25 percent above the national figures, mostly on labour. The North, Wales and Scotland are typically the cheapest for the same wall.
Common questions
How much does a brick wall cost?
Building a brick garden or boundary wall costs roughly £1,000 to £6,000 in the UK, and most jobs land around £2,500. Measured by area, a single-skin (half-brick) wall is about £110 to £180 per m², while a thicker double-skin (one-brick) wall runs £180 to £320 per m² including the foundation. A short, low wall sits at the bottom of that range, and a long, tall boundary wall with piers and coping sits at the top.
How much does a brick wall cost per metre?
Per metre run depends on the height. A 1m-high single-skin wall is roughly £120 to £200 per linear metre supplied and built, so a 10m run is about £1,200 to £2,000. A 1.8m double-skin boundary wall is more like £300 to £500 per metre, because it is twice the thickness, needs a deeper footing and often piers. Always confirm whether the quote includes the foundation, as that is a common gap between two prices for the same wall.
Is a brick wall cheaper than a fence?
No, a brick wall costs several times more than a timber fence up front. Fencing is around £60 to £140 per metre supplied and fitted, while a brick boundary wall is £120 to £500 per metre depending on height and thickness. What you get for the extra is a wall that lasts 50 years or more with little upkeep, gives better security and sound blocking, and does more for the look of a property. A fence is the cheaper and quicker fix, and brick is the long-term one.
Can I build a brick garden wall myself?
A confident DIYer can build a low wall, and the materials for a short single-skin wall are around £40 to £70 per m², so the saving over the £110 to £180 per m² fitted rate is mostly the bricklaying labour. The catch is that neat, level, plumb brickwork with consistent joints is a genuine skill, and a wobbly or badly bonded wall is unsafe and obvious. Foundations also have to be right for the height, so most people build only low walls themselves and leave anything over about a metre, or any wall near a boundary or highway, to a bricklayer.
Do I need planning permission for a brick garden wall?
For most garden and boundary walls, no. A wall up to 2m high is permitted development, dropping to 1m where it is next to a road or footpath used by vehicles. Listed buildings and conservation areas are the main exceptions, and a wall that sits on a shared boundary with a neighbour can fall under the Party Wall Act. If in doubt, a quick check with your local planning office costs nothing and avoids having to take a wall down later.
How long does it take to build a brick wall, and do I need foundations?
A short garden wall takes a bricklayer two to four days, and a long or tall boundary wall a week or more. Every brick wall needs a concrete strip foundation dug and poured first, sized for the height of the wall, and that footing is usually left about a day to cure before the bricklaying starts. That is why even a small wall runs across several days rather than a single visit, and why wet or freezing weather can stretch the job out, since mortar will not set properly in a hard frost.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.