Masonry pricing in 2026: block, brick, stone, and mortar
A standard 8x8x16 concrete block costs $2.30 to $3.60 in 2026, modular brick runs $0.63 to $0.98 apiece, and an 80 pound bag of mortar is $8.25 to $13. At roughly 6.75 modular bricks per square foot of wall with 3/8 inch joints, the brick in a wall costs $4.50 to $6.50 per square foot before sand, mortar, ties, or the mason's time. The rest of the material table is below, followed by installed masonry job ranges.
masonry material costs, national average
| Item | Unit | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete block | ea | $2.30 to $3.60 | 8x8x16 CMU |
| Concrete block, 12 inch | ea | $3.75 to $5.80 | |
| Modular brick | ea | $0.63 to $0.98 | |
| Thin brick veneer | sf | $4.85 to $7.50 | |
| Manufactured stone veneer | sf | $7.40 to $11.50 | |
| Natural stone | sf | $12.75 to $19.50 | |
| Mortar mix | ea | $8.25 to $13 | 80 lb bag |
| Masonry sand | cy | $40 to $62 | |
| Grout for CMU | cy | $160 to $250 | |
| Steel lintel | lf | $11 to $17 | |
| Rebar #4 | lf | $0.82 to $1.30 | |
| Wall tie | ea | $0.25 to $0.39 | |
| Flue liner | lf | $19.50 to $30 | clay, per 2 ft section equivalent |
| Chimney cap | ea | $128 to $195 | stainless, multi-flue sized lower |
Unit prices in the table are national-average masonry supply costs from the pricing dataset inside Staxen, the same defaults its AI estimator begins with before a mason replaces them with local yard pricing. They cover material only and include no labor, scaffold, equipment, or markup. Installed ranges are typical 2026 US contractor totals with labor for the scopes described. Aggregate and cement pricing shifts by region and season, so verify against a current supplier quote before bidding structural work.
What typical masonry jobs run installed
Chimney rebuild above the roofline: $2,500 to $8,000
Height above the roof, brick matching, flue liner condition, and staging. Steep roofs and tall stacks need scaffold that becomes a line item of its own.
Brick veneer, front elevation around 500 sf: $9,000 to $20,000
Brick selection, arches and soldier-course details, and whether the foundation has a brick ledge or needs angle iron. Detail courses slow production sharply.
CMU retaining wall, 40 lf: $6,000 to $14,000
Height drives everything: footing size, grout and rebar schedule, drainage behind, and engineering, which most jurisdictions require as walls approach 4 feet.
Tuckpointing, 200 sf of wall: $1,000 to $3,000
Joint depth being ground out, mortar color matching, and access. Historic soft-brick work demands lime-based mortar and a slower hand.
Stone veneer fireplace refacing: $2,500 to $7,000
Manufactured versus natural stone at nearly double the material cost, demo of the existing surround, and hearth and mantel details.
Brick and block are heavy and freight-sensitive, so pricing rises with distance from plants and quarries, and natural stone varies most of all by region. Skilled mason labor is scarce in most markets, which pushes installed prices up faster than material and rewards shops that estimate accurately and answer first.
Cost factors in masonry work
Coverage math
Standard CMU lays 1.125 block per square foot; modular brick lays about 6.75 per square foot with 3/8 inch joints. A bag of mortar lays roughly 35 to 40 brick or 25 to 30 block, and getting these ratios wrong compounds across a whole wall takeoff.
Structural requirements
Grouted and reinforced cells turn a cheap block wall into an engineered one: grout at $160 to $250 per yard plus #4 rebar at $0.82 to $1.30 per foot on the schedule the engineer sets. Retaining and foundation work is priced off the drawings, not the block count.
Mortar matching and type
Repointing with the wrong mortar destroys old brick: historic walls need softer lime mortar, not modern type S. Color matching takes test panels and patience, and the bid should say whether a perfect match is promised or approximated.
Scaffold and access
Masonry is staged work. Anything above 4 feet means scaffold, and chimney work means roof staging with tie-offs. Setup and teardown days surround the laying days, and small high jobs price accordingly.
Weather limits
Mortar placed below about 40 degrees needs cold-weather protection, and hot dry wind flash-sets joints. The workable season is a real constraint in northern markets, which concentrates demand and pricing into the warm months.
Frequently asked questions
Are these what I should charge for masonry work?
No. These are material costs, the floor of any real price. On top go skilled labor, scaffold and mixer time, sand and cement logistics, overhead, and profit. Masonry is labor-dominated: brick that costs $5 per square foot of wall in material routinely installs at $25 to $45 per square foot.
How many brick and how much mortar per square foot?
Figure 6.75 modular brick per square foot of wall with standard 3/8 inch joints, plus 5 percent waste for cuts and breakage. One 80 pound bag of mortar lays roughly 35 to 40 bricks, so a 500 square foot veneer takes about 3,550 brick and 90 to 100 bags, or site-mixed mortar off masonry sand at $40 to $62 per yard.
Why is a small chimney repair so expensive per brick?
Because the brick was never the cost. A rebuild above the roofline carries roof staging, tear-down and haul-away, flue liner work at $19.50 to $30 per foot, new crown and cap, and two or three days of setup around one day of laying. Small, high, and hard to reach is the most expensive combination in masonry.
Does Staxen work for a small masonry crew?
That is the shop it is built for. Eddie drafts priced estimates from these same national-average material costs while you describe the wall, your own pricing takes over as you edit, and the client signs from a text link with a deposit if you want one. It costs $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month for all three, and your first job is free with no card required.
Start free with Staxen: your first job is on us, no card required.