Self-employed bricklayers in the UK typically charge £28 to £45 per hour for standard domestic work in 2026, with London and the South East pushing that to £50–£70/hour. If you’re trying to figure out what to charge per hour — or wondering whether hourly pricing even makes sense for your work — this guide breaks it down.
According to MyJobQuote’s 2026 trade rate data, the average self-employed bricklayer charges around £38 per hour nationally for residential work. But bricklaying is one of the few trades where hourly pricing isn’t always the default — many bricklayers quote by the day, by the thousand bricks, or by the linear metre depending on the job.
Key Takeaways
- Self-employed bricklayers typically charge £28–£45/hour for domestic work; London rates run £50–£70/hour
- Experienced bricklayers often prefer per-1,000-brick pricing (typically £400–£650 per 1,000) for straight runs, rather than hourly charging
- Employed bricklayers earn significantly less — around £19–£22/hour PAYE — compared to self-employed equivalents
- Holding a CSCS Gold Card and NVQ Level 3 gives you leverage to charge at the higher end of the range
- Most bricklayers set a minimum half-day charge to cover travel and set-up on small jobs
- According to Checkatrade’s 2024 trade data, apprentice bricklayers earn around £6.30–£12/hour; newly qualified bricklayers earn around £18–£22/hour
Bricklayer Hourly Rates by Experience Level
Experience and qualification level are the main drivers of what you can charge.
| Experience Level | Hourly Rate Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice (0–2 years, on NVQ) | £6.30 — £12/hr | Legal minimum applies; most earn £8–£12 in practice |
| Newly qualified (NVQ Level 2) | £18 — £25/hr | Building reputation and reviews |
| Established (3–7 years, NVQ Level 3) | £28 — £38/hr | Steady site and domestic work |
| Experienced (7–15 years) | £35 — £45/hr | CSCS Gold Card, strong referral base |
| Specialist / foreman-level | £45 — £65/hr | Architectural, heritage, or management roles |
Sources: MyJobQuote Trade Rate Data 2026, Checkatrade Bricklayer Earnings Guide 2024, AbleSkills UK Trade Rates 2025.
The Checkatrade figures for employed bricklayers — around £19.28/hr average — reflect PAYE workers on site. Self-employed bricklayers on domestic work typically earn more than that, because your rate has to cover your own National Insurance contributions, tools, public liability insurance, vehicle costs, and the hours you spend quoting and chasing payment that you’ll never bill.
Bricklayer Hourly Rates by Region
Location affects what clients will pay and what the local market can bear.
| Region | Typical Self-Employed Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| London | £50 — £70 |
| South East (excl. London) | £40 — £58 |
| East of England | £35 — £50 |
| South West | £30 — £45 |
| West Midlands | £28 — £42 |
| East Midlands | £27 — £40 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £26 — £38 |
| North West | £26 — £40 |
| North East | £24 — £35 |
| Scotland | £26 — £40 |
| Wales | £24 — £36 |
| Northern Ireland | £20 — £32 |
Source: Bark.com regional trade rate data 2025, WiseCampus UK Bricklayer Rate Index 2026.
If you’re working in areas with higher costs of living — especially London — your rate needs to reflect that. Van insurance, parking, fuel, and public liability insurance all cost more in high-cost regions.
Per-Brick and Per-Metre Pricing
Bricklaying is one of the few trades where hourly charging is often not the standard approach. Many experienced bricklayers quote by output, not time.
Per-1,000-brick pricing is common on straight runs, house builds, and block paving work:
| Type of Work | Typical Rate per 1,000 Bricks |
|---|---|
| Standard blockwork (e.g., cavity wall) | £300 — £450 per 1,000 |
| Facing brickwork (external, residential) | £400 — £600 per 1,000 |
| Decorative or heritage brickwork | £500 — £800 per 1,000 |
Per-linear-metre pricing is common for garden walls, boundary walls, and retaining walls:
| Wall Type | Typical Rate per Linear Metre |
|---|---|
| Single-skin garden wall | £80 — £130/m |
| Double-skin (half-brick) boundary wall | £120 — £200/m |
| Retaining wall with footings | £180 — £350/m |
These rates are labour only — materials are billed separately or quoted as a total package.
The advantage of output-based pricing is that a fast, efficient bricklayer earns more for the same amount of time. A skilled bricklayer laying 500 bricks a day at £0.50 per brick makes £250 in day labour; at £350 per 1,000 they’d earn £175. Speed matters, and pricing by the brick rewards it.
Hourly Rate vs Day Rate vs Fixed Price
Bricklayers typically use a mix of all three, depending on the job type.
Charge hourly when:
- The scope is genuinely uncertain (e.g., repointing where you don’t know how much is damaged until you start)
- The job is small and won’t fill a full day
- You’re doing emergency repairs or call-out work
- A client asks for a per-hour figure rather than a day rate
Use a day rate when:
- The job will clearly run to multiple full days (extensions, house builds, garden landscaping)
- You want to avoid disputes about time spent on-site
- You’re subcontracting to a builder who budgets by the day
Fixed price works best when:
- The scope is clearly defined (build a 12m x 1.5m garden wall to a specific spec)
- You want to protect yourself from slow-decision clients dragging a job out
- The client is more comfortable with a known total cost
Most bricklayers doing domestic work use fixed-price or day-rate quoting for the majority of jobs, and only fall back to hourly for reactive or small-scope work. For how comparable trades approach this, see our builder day rate guide.
How to Work Out Your Minimum Hourly Rate
Many bricklayers underprice their work because they calculate what they want to take home, rather than what they need to charge to actually take that home. If you’re self-employed, every hour you work has costs beyond your time.
A rough way to calculate your floor rate:
- Target annual earnings (what you want after tax and NI): e.g., £35,000
- Add rough tax/NI liability at sole trader rates (roughly 25–30% for basic rate): adds ~£12,000
- Add overheads (van, fuel, tools, insurance, phone, marketing): estimate £6,000–£10,000/year
- Divide by billable hours — a realistic 40-week year, 35 billable hours per week = 1,400 hours
- Floor rate = (£35,000 + £12,000 + £8,000) ÷ 1,400 = £39.29/hour
Most bricklayers who run this calculation find their floor rate is higher than they thought. You’re not just charging for the time on-site — you’re covering tools that wear out, insurance that runs year-round, and the quotes that don’t convert.
What Affects Your Rate as a Bricklayer
CSCS Card Level
Main contractors require a valid CSCS card to work on-site. The level you hold affects the rate you can command:
- CSCS Green Card (Labourer): minimum accepted level for site work
- CSCS Blue Card (Skilled Worker): NVQ Level 2 equivalent — standard for site-entry bricklaying
- CSCS Gold Card (Advanced Craft): NVQ Level 3 — opens doors to higher-value contracts and better subcontracting rates
According to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), which oversees the CSCS scheme, holding a Gold Card is widely used by main contractors as a proxy for quality and experience. For a full breakdown of the different card levels and how to get yours, see our CSCS card guide.
Type of brickwork
Standard blockwork and cavity wall construction commands lower rates than decorative or heritage work. If you’ve built a niche in stonework, listed building restoration, or architectural brickwork, your hourly equivalent rate should reflect that — these skills aren’t widespread and clients will pay a premium.
Location and travel
Jobs that involve longer travel or overnight stays should include that cost in your rate. Some bricklayers add a travel surcharge above a certain radius; others build it into their day rate.
Building Your Online Presence as a Bricklayer
Bricklaying work comes from two main sources: builders and developers you subcontract to, and direct homeowner enquiries. If you want more of the latter — garden walls, patios, extensions, driveways — you need to be findable online.
Most bricklayers who get direct enquiries have at least a basic web presence: a Google Business Profile and a simple website showing their work. Potential clients search “bricklayer near me” or “garden wall bricklayer [town]” before they ask for a recommendation. See our public liability insurance guide for bricklayers if you’re also sorting out your cover.
At Digital Tradies, we build websites specifically for bricklayers and tradespeople — from £49/month, no upfront cost, live in three days. If you’re getting all your work through word of mouth and want to change that, it’s worth taking a look.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a bricklayer charge per hour in the UK in 2026?
Self-employed bricklayers typically charge £28–£45 per hour for standard domestic work. London and the South East run higher — usually £50–£70/hour. Employed bricklayers earn around £19–£22/hour on a PAYE basis, which is lower because the employer covers National Insurance and other costs.
Is it better for a bricklayer to charge by the hour or per brick?
It depends on the job. Hourly charging suits small, uncertain-scope work like repointing or repairs. For longer runs of straight brickwork — garden walls, house extensions, blockwork — many bricklayers prefer per-1,000-brick or per-linear-metre pricing because it rewards speed and efficiency.
What is a fair day rate for a bricklayer in the UK?
A typical self-employed bricklayer charges £200–£350 per day for domestic work in 2026. Specialist or experienced bricklayers in London and the South East may charge £350–£500/day. According to WiseCampus’s 2026 data, experienced bricklayers commonly charge £240–£320 per day on residential jobs.
Do I need a CSCS card to work as a bricklayer?
You don’t legally need one, but most building sites and main contractors require a valid CSCS card before you can start work. The standard card for qualified bricklayers is the Blue Card (Skilled Worker), which requires NVQ Level 2. Many subcontracting bricklayers aim for the Gold Card (NVQ Level 3) as it opens more doors and supports higher rates.
Why is the PayScale or national average bricklayer rate so low?
Figures like the PayScale average of £14.30/hour reflect employed bricklayers, including part-time workers and apprentices. Self-employed bricklayers doing full domestic or commercial work typically earn significantly more than the employed average, because they’re billing at commercial rates and carrying their own overheads.
