How Much Does It Cost to Build a Brick House? [2026 Data]

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Cost Insights:
  • Building a brick house costs $350,000, though your total ranges from $88,000 to $1,650,000 depending on your home size and finishes.

  • Your choice between thin brick veneer and genuine brick wall construction significantly impacts costs, with veneer saving you thousands over traditional masonry.

  • Account for land acquisition, site preparation, building permits, and utility hookups when you create your complete project budget.

  • Hiring a local custom home building professional ensures your brick house meets building codes and helps the property retain maximum value.

In 2026, the national average cost to build a brick house is $350,000. Most homeowners spend between $150,000 and $600,000, with the spread driven by home size, brick type (veneer vs. double-brick wall construction), and finish level. Costs can run as low as $88,000 for a compact home with budget materials and thin brick veneer, or reach $1,650,000 for a larger build with premium finishes and full masonry construction.

Brick House Costs by Size: How Does Square Footage Affect the Price?

Square footage is the single biggest driver of your brick house budget, with costs running $110 to $550 per square foot to build from the ground up. The average lands at $165 per square foot, so every room you add meaningfully increases your total. Costs for building a brick house vary significantly by house size, as shown in the breakdown below:

House Size (Sq. Ft.)Average Cost in 2026Cost Range in 2026
800$132,000$88,000–$440,000
1,000$165,000$110,000–$550,000
1,500$247,500$165,000–$825,000
2,000$330,000$220,000–$1,100,000
2,500$412,500$275,000–$1,375,000
3,000$495,000$330,000–$1,650,000

Custom Homebuilder Costs: What You Pay a Pro

A custom homebuilder near you typically accounts for the largest share of your labor budget, with custom homebuilder costs averaging $140,000 to $210,000. Labor overall runs 40% to 60% of your total project cost, and custom builders bring on-staff contractors and specialists who handle everything from the foundation and framing to brick siding and interior finishes. See how the type of job affects your custom homebuilder costs in the breakdown below:

JobCost in 2026
Pouring the foundation$4,000–$14,800
Framing the house$1,400–$7,600
Roof installation$5,800–$13,200
Installing the kitchen$35,000–$95,000

Architect Costs: What You Pay for Plans

Hiring an architect to design your brick home costs an average of $6,600, though your total will vary based on how much of the build is custom and the specific services your pro provides. See how the type of service affects your brick home architect costs in the breakdown below:

ServiceCost in 2026
Drawing up blueprints$800–$2,700
Drafting as-built drawings$700–$1,300
Creating structural drawings$500–$2,000

Masonry Expert Costs: What You Pay for Walls

Genuine brick wall construction requires hiring a masonry expert near you, adding $6,000 to $20,000 to your total. Most custom builders can handle brick facades and veneer on their own, but true brick wall construction is uncommon in modern homes and is more frequently associated with a concrete block house, so a specialist is necessary if you want to go that route.

Additional Pro Costs: What Other Experts Charge

When you hire a custom homebuilder, you typically get a full suite of professionals who can build your home from start to finish, but if you manage the project yourself, you will need to contract each trade separately. Costs vary widely by specialty, ranging from $2 to $25 per square foot for flooring installation, up to $10,000 to $20,000 for plumbing. See how additional pros affect your total brick house cost in the breakdown below:

ProCost in 2026
Foundation contractor$5–$37 per sq. ft.
Roofing contractor$5,800–$13,200
Plumber$10,000–$20,000
Electrician$1,500–$10,000
HVAC technician$5,000–$12,500
Drywall installer$1,000–$3,200
Interior painter$2–$6 per sq. ft.
Flooring installer$2–$25 per sq. ft.
Landscaping pro$1,200–$6,300

Brick House Costs by Location: Where Prices Vary Most

Where you build significantly affects your total cost, with high-cost states like California averaging $507,000 and New York averaging $432,000, compared to lower-cost states like Georgia at $320,000. Local labor rates scale with the cost of living, and material availability in your area also influences what you pay to hire contractors to build a home. See how your state affects your brick house costs in the breakdown below:

StateAverage Cost in 2026
California$507,000
Florida$358,000
Georgia$320,000
Illinois$334,000
Michigan$323,000
New York$432,000
North Carolina$342,000
Ohio$332,000
Pennsylvania$332,000
Texas$324,000

Brick House Cost Factors: What Determines the Price?

Several additional variables can shift your brick house construction cost well above or below the average, so accounting for each one leads to a more accurate project estimate.

Type of Brick Construction

Your choice of brick construction type can swing your total well below or above the average, with brick siding options ranging from $3 to $10 per square foot for thin brick veneer up to $10 to $20 per square foot for real brick siding. Most modern brick homes are stick-built with a brick facade, and the table below shows how costs vary by masonry material.

Masonry MaterialCost Range (per sq. ft) in 2026
Face brick siding$4–$8
Thin brick veneer$3–$10
Faux brick veneer$4–$15
Faux brick panel$6–$13
Real brick siding$10–$20

Genuine brick construction, which involves laying brick and mortar over your foundation to construct real brick walls, is much less common in modern construction. If you do decide you want real brick walls, you can expect to add $6,000 to $20,000 to your total.

Permits

Building permits for new home construction typically cost $500 to $2,000, depending on your local municipality and what your building department charges. A single construction permit generally covers the build itself along with utility permits for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, so talk to your contractor before breaking ground to understand the full permit cost for your project.

Price Notice

Permits can actually be quite expensive. Talk to your contractors before starting your project to understand how much the required permits will cost you.

Land and Site Prep

Land itself costs $10,000 to $250,000 or more depending on location and size, and that figure is not included in any of the average build costs above. Depending on the condition of your lot, you may also need to budget for site preparation such as land clearing or grading, and costs for those tasks vary by what the land requires.

ItemCost in 2026
Land clearing $1,400–$6,200
Land grading$1,000–$3,400
Perc test$750–$1,900
Soil test$700–$2,200

Utilities

Running utilities to your build site for the first time adds $6,500 to $30,000, with costs climbing higher the farther your site sits from existing hookups. You will also need to budget separately for installing plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems inside the home, and costs for each system vary by type as shown below.

Home SystemCost to Install in 2026
Electrical$1,500–$10,000
HVAC$5,000–$12,500
Plumbing$10,000–$20,000
Septic$3,600–$12,400

Interior and Exterior Finishes

Finishing the interior and exterior of your new brick home costs $85,000 to $300,000 in total. Interior finishes such as drywall, painting, flooring, and kitchen and bathroom installation typically run $50,000 to $175,000, while exterior finishes including brick siding, gutters, trim, and landscaping add another $30,000 to $125,000.

Why You Should Hire a Custom Builder for Your Brick Home

Hiring a local custom builder for your brick house is beneficial because they have the expertise to manage the complex, time-consuming process of brick construction, ensuring a structurally sound and high-quality home. This includes using the right materials, coordinating with specialized subcontractors, and handling the intricacies of building regulations.

Here’s why it’s ideal to hire a custom homebuilder

Building a brick home is an intricate and time-consuming project that requires multiple pros. Here are some of the top reasons to work with a homebuilder in your area:

  • Custom builders know how to work with brick, ensuring the home is structurally sound, durable, and built to last.

  • Home builders have a network of reliable subcontractors for specialized tasks, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow from start to finish.

  • An experienced pro can provide more accurate cost estimates upfront, which helps prevent unexpected expenses down the line.

  • A well-built home can lead to lower energy bills due to brick’s insulation properties and may have lower insurance premiums because of its inherent durability.

  • Working with a seasoned pro means you avoid paying for features you don’t want and get the home you actually want.

Remodel vs. New Construction

Remodeling a home costs an average of $52,000, and most projects total between $19,000 and $88,000, so it’s a much more affordable option than building a new construction brick home. Even if you add the cost of brick siding to the total, you’re looking at an average of just $72,000, which is a far cry from the $350,000 you’d pay to build a new brick house from scratch.

While remodeling your existing home and adding brick siding is almost always going to be more affordable, there are some other things to consider. Remodeling means keeping your existing square footage, so you’ll be more restricted in what you can do. Remodeling may not have as much of an impact on home efficiency as building new construction, so long-term costs could end up being higher with a remodel, especially if you have an old home and live in an extreme climate.

How to Save on Brick House Construction Costs

Building a brick house can cost as much as $1,650,000 and will be 5% to 10% more expensive than building a standard home with vinyl siding. Luckily, there are a few ways you can save on your build costs.

  • Choose brick veneer over real brick construction: Modern brick homes are stick-built with affordable brick veneer on the exterior. Going this route over genuine brick construction can save you thousands.

  • Prioritize efficiency: Adding insulative brick siding boosts your home efficiency, and prioritizing efficiency when it comes to insulation, lighting, HVAC equipment, and roofing can help save you even more money on utility bills over time.

  • DIY what you can: It’s best to leave most aspects of home construction to professionals, but you can save thousands of dollars in labor by tackling some of the finishing work yourself, like installing drywall, painting, and laying flooring.

  • Choose more affordable materials: Materials account for 40% to 60% of your total, so going with more budget-friendly options at each step can save you tens of thousands of dollars, especially on larger homes.

Next Steps: Finalize Your Project With a Custom Builder
  • Discuss the over budget, what is included in the price, and the builder’s contract with your pro prior to construction starting.

  • Verify that the builder is licensed to build in your area and ask about their experience with similar brick homes.

  • Determine how questions and concerns will be addressed, who will be your point of contact, and how often you can expect updates or meetings.

  • Talk to your pro about which subcontractors they use and how you can expect them to manage work.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Modern brick houses are really stick-built homes with a brick facade for aesthetic purposes only, so most have framing. With genuine brick construction, most homeowners install furring strips over the interior of the brick and then install drywall over those strips to cover the brick wall, so they don’t have traditional framing.

Modern brick homes have a brick facade over standard framing and sheathing, so the brick offers minimal added structural stability. A home with traditional brick construction is more durable than a stick-built home, as the double-layer brick walls and rebar resist higher lateral wind loads and support heavier loads up top, as well.

Whether you’re installing brick siding over a traditionally-framed home or you’re using genuine brick construction to build, the biggest downside of a brick house is the higher cost you’ll pay for the materials and labor. Real brick construction also means your home build will take longer, as it’s more time-consuming to construct brick walls than it is to frame out your home.

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