HOW TO HIRE · TRADES & CONSTRUCTION

How to hire a bricklayer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to bricklayers; the building work and shared walls are regulated. The checks, the questions and what to look at before paying.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a bricklayer in five steps

  1. Describe the wallGarden wall, extension, repair or repointing — height, length and bricks.
  2. Match the bricks and mortarNew bricks to match, and lime mortar for older walls where it is needed.
  3. Ask about approvalWalls in building work go through building control; boundary walls may need party wall notice.
  4. Day rate or job priceWith materials and labour shown apart.
  5. Check the jointsEven courses, clean joints, wall plumb.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

For the bricklaying there is no register to search: bricklayers need no licence anywhere in the UK, and the law bites through building regulations approval, or Scotland's building warrant, when the work calls for it. Expect public liability cover for the bricklaying, and ask for the insurer's name and the limit. Because you are buying from a trader, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies to the bricklaying; agreed in your home or at a distance, it usually carries a 14-day cancellation right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, although work you asked to begin early is paid for and made-to-measure goods are excluded (regulation 28).

Before work starts, ask who will apply for any approval the bricklaying needs. Before booking the bricklaying, ask to see current insurance and check the Locufy profile for its trader and ID badges. gov.uk →

Building regulations approval

Walls built as part of an extension or alteration are building work needing approval; a free-standing garden wall usually is not, though height and the boundary still matter. If the bricklaying is approved on full plans in England, expect building control's completion certificate within about 8 weeks of the finish, as long as it complies.

Ask for the building control application or reference for the bricklaying up front. gov.uk →

Party wall notice

If the bricklaying touches a shared wall or is close to the boundary in England or Wales, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 means notifying the neighbours first; this is separate from building regulations, and Scotland follows other rules.

Find out who is handling party wall notice for the bricklaying and the timing. gov.uk →

Building warrant (Scotland)

If you live in Scotland and the bricklaying needs a warrant, getting it is your job as owner — the council can fine you and have unwarranted work removed. In Northern Ireland, notify the council's building control ahead of the bricklaying.

Check the warrant (Scotland) or the building control reference (Northern Ireland) is in place before the bricklaying. mygov.scot →

VAT

VAT on bricklaying on an existing home is charged at the standard 20%, and any business turning over more than £90,000 a year in taxable sales has to register, add it to the price and set it out on its own line.

Ask for the VAT number, and look for VAT as its own line on the brickwork quote, labour and bricks alike. gov.uk →

“Is the bricklaying part of work needing approval?”

A good answer: A clear answer: extension walls go through building control, a garden wall usually does not.

“Which bricks and mortar will the bricklayer use?”

A good answer: Bricks matched to the existing, and lime mortar for older soft brickwork.

“Is the wall on the boundary?”

A good answer: If so, in England and Wales party wall notice may be needed before the bricklaying starts.

“What foundations will a new wall have?”

A good answer: Depth and width for its height and the ground.

“Day rate or fixed price for the bricklaying?”

A good answer: A fixed price for a defined wall, a day rate with an estimate for repairs.

“Who clears the waste and cleans the face?”

A good answer: Included, with mortar cleaned off the brick face.

Getting the quote right

  • Wall length, height, bond and brick named
  • Foundations if a new wall
  • Mortar type — cement or lime
  • Materials and labour shown separately
  • Who actually attends — the bricklayer and any labourer, employed or subcontracted — and the business's VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown as its own line

Walk away if

  • Hard cement mortar on soft old bricks
  • No foundations for a new garden wall
  • Boundary wall started without telling the neighbour
  • No written price
  • Cash only
LOW
£200
TYPICAL
£300
HIGH
£380

What a bricklayer costs: £200–£380 per day

Bricklayers charge a day rate or a price for the job; location, the size of the gang and specialist work move it, with bricks and mortar on top. Bricklayer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Bricklayers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Set outWall line and levels marked.
  2. FoundationsTrench dug and concrete poured for a new wall.
  3. BuildCourses laid to line and level, with ties and damp-proof course.
  4. PointJoints finished to the agreed profile.
  5. Clean and protectFace cleaned, wall protected while mortar cures.

Course
One horizontal row of bricks.
Bond
The pattern the bricks are laid in.
DPC
Damp-proof course, a layer that stops damp rising.
Wall ties
Metal ties linking the two leaves of a cavity wall.
Lime mortar
A softer, breathable mortar for older brickwork.
Pointing
The finished face of the mortar joint.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and any approvalBuilding control paperwork if the wall was part of approved work.
Check the wallPlumb, level, joints full and clean.
Protect it from frostFresh mortar needs protecting in cold weather.
Leave the reviewOnly booked jobs can be reviewed on Locufy, so yours carries weight; if the bricklaying falls short, use the make-it-right step first and the provider is asked to fix it before the review is published.

STEP 1Tell the bricklayer, in writingSay what is wrong with the bricklaying and what you want done about it. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a trader must carry out the bricklaying with reasonable care and skill, and if they did not you can ask for it to be redone or for a price reduction.
STEP 2Use Locufy's make-it-right stepRate the bricklaying under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then the review goes up.
STEP 3Unapproved or dangerous workWork like the bricklaying that should have had approval and did not is for the council — building control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the building standards service in Scotland, where a missing warrant is the owner's problem. For a dispute about the bricklaying with the trader, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeIf the bricklaying is still not settled, you can claim without a solicitor: the small claims track takes claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a bricklayer: questions people ask

No licence or register applies; the building work they do may need approval.

If it is part of an extension or alteration, yes; a free-standing garden wall usually is not, though boundary rules can apply.

£200–£380 a day, typically around £300. Location, the size of the gang and specialist brickwork move the day rate. Read the Bricklayer price guide for what is in and out of the price, and use the postcode search above to find local bricklayers.

In England and Wales, building a wall on the boundary line can need notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

For older soft brick, lime is usually right; ask the bricklayer why they choose either.

Protect fresh work from frost and heavy rain for the first days.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in trades & construction

How to hire: BuilderHow to hire: StonemasonHow to hire: House ExtensionHow to hire: GroundworksHow to hire: RenderingHow to hire: Chimney RepairHow to hire: Concrete & Foundations SpecialistHow to hire: Garage ConversionAll 701 hiring guides →

Bricklayers near you

Bricklayers in LondonBricklayers in ManchesterBricklayers in BirminghamBricklayers in GlasgowBricklayers in BelfastAll bricklayers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  2. gov.uk — building regulations: how to apply
  3. gov.uk — party walls and building work
  4. Party Wall etc. Act 1996
  5. mygov.scot — if a builder is doing the work for you
  6. nidirect — how to apply for Building Regulations approval
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  9. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — the 14-day cancellation period
  10. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  11. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started within the cancellation period
  12. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track limit (England and Wales)
  13. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — making a claim under simple procedure
  14. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  15. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  16. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  17. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register