Update 2022: The cost of construction work has skyrocketed over the last 18 months with some news outlets stating that building materials are costing 40 – 60% more than they did pre-pandemic, we’ve even confirmed this with our own research. The garden wall prices on this page were updated in April 2022 and reflect the going rate for materials and labour. If you would like a custom price for wall building, please fill out this form with details of your project.
The Going Rate For a Garden Brick Wall
On this page we’ll provide with:
- An example price for a 5m x 1.2m wall.
- Pricing for the bricks, sand, cement, coping stones etc.
- A guide price per square metre of wall constructed plus another guide price for the cost of the materials per square metre.
- A form so you can submit details of your garden wall project and compare quotes from local tradespeople.
For the cost example shown on this page, we assume the following:
One brick wall: 215mm wide x 5 metres in length and 1.2 metres in height.
For the avoidance of doubt: A half brick wall is the slimmest at 100mm but is only suitable for very low-level walls. A full brick wall is 215mm wide and when combined with piers is suitable for longer and taller walls such as those found at a boundary. More information about brick and wall thicknesses can be found here.
What Thickness is Best?
For walls up to 500mm in height, you can build a half brick wall with multiple piers for added stability.
For walls above 500mm in height, the thickness should ideally be a full brick, with piers for added strength.
Retaining walls above 900mm in height should be designed by a structural engineer. They will take into account the location of the property and potential wind conditions etc.
Any wall above 1.8 metres should also be designed by an engineer for safety reasons.
How May Piers/Pillars?
This depends on the height, width and length of the wall.
For a 5 metre wall, one pier would usually be constructed at each end and another in the centre.
Piers should also be constructed on either side of a gate.
Which Materials Are Needed For a Five Metre Wall?
Below is a list of all the key materials used in the construction of a 5m x 1.2m half brick garden wall.
We have included the materials required including the piers and the foundations, the prices were updated in 2022:
| Materials: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Bricks | £900 |
| Sand | £120 |
| Cement | £75 |
| Plasticiser | £5 |
| Wall/pier coping stones | £100 |
| DPC - damp proof course | £10 |
| Total Cost of Materials for a Full Brick Wall | £200 per square metre |
| Looking for a Custom Quote? | Get a Custom Price Here |
What About Labour Costs?
A wall of this size would normally take around three days.
Day 1 – Dig and lay foundations and allow to dry.
Day 2 – Start bricklaying.
Day 3 – Finish bricklaying and finish off with concrete coping stones on top.
The above guide assumes that two workers are on the project, that’s one labourer and one skilled bricklayer.
If an existing wall or fence needs to be removed or if there’s substantial excavation work required, then add extra time to the project.
| Item: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Labour 3 x days (bricklayer) | £500 - £750 depending on location |
| Labour 3 x days (labourer) | £300 - £360 depending on location |
| Get a custom price: | Get a Custom Price Here |
Guide Price For a Garden Wall Per Square Metre
Based on the current cost of standard brick, sand, cement and coping stones, as well as the current going rate for labour, we think the cost of a garden wall in 2022 is:
| Item: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Standard brick wall one brick thick, including foundations, materials and labour | £375 per square metre |
| Get a custom price: | Get a Custom Price Here |
The prices above may differ from what the going rate is in your area for tradespeople and they don’t include any profit margins/markup a larger company would add to the costing. Also, due to the economics of scale, a smaller project may cost more per square metre than a larger wall.
Want to know how much tradespeople earn per day in 2022? We researched that too and the answer can be found on this page.
Extra Costs to Consider
If you have a lot of earth that needs excavating or an old wall or fence to be removed then you’ll need to pay for waste disposal or skip hire as well as more labour costs.
See how much skip hire costs here.
Also, our price guide on this page assumes mid-range, mid-quality facing bricks. If you want to use decorative garden bricks, perhaps to match a patio then expect to pay more for the materials.
If your wall is a retaining wall, then it will need deeper and wider foundations. In many cases, the base of the wall will also be wider and there will be more piers/pillars. This means more bricks and time is required. Also, one side of the retaining wall will be shielded from excess moisture by either waterproof tanking, a waterproof felt layer or both.
Further down the page, you’ll find some handy calculators so you can work out how many bricks, sand, cement and other materials are needed to construct your wall. It’s then just a case of finding a supplier online and getting a price. Many suppliers now offer instant pricing online.
Get a Fixed Price Online
The prices on this page were updated in May 2021. To get an up to date price for your specific garden wall project, hit the link below:
More:
This website has a great calculator so you can work out how much sand, cement and how many bricks are required for either a single or double skin wall:
Jewsons also have a brick calculator, you'll need to make an extra allowance for pillars/piers and double the figure for double skin walls.
This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.
Don’t forget; we have price guides for hundreds of home improvement projects.
Explore our full list of detailed price guides here.
