Why Masonry Is a Strong Fit for Piece Rate
Masonry is one of the oldest trades in construction, and it's also one of the most naturally measurable. You can count bricks laid, blocks stacked, or square feet of stone installed. A skilled mason can lay two or three times as many bricks in a day as someone still learning the trade. That gap between fast and slow is exactly where piece rate pay makes sense.
I'm Tyson Faulkner. My background is in roofing, but I've worked alongside masonry crews on plenty of projects over the years. The contractors I've seen do well with piece rate in masonry share one thing in common: they set rates that reward skill and speed without creating an incentive to cut corners on mortar joints or plumb lines.
Get the rates wrong and you'll either bleed money or watch your best masons walk across the street to a competitor. This guide covers real rate ranges for brick, block, and stone work — plus the variables that move those numbers up or down.
Brick Laying Rates
Brick is the most traditional masonry material, and piece rate for bricklayers has been around for centuries. The standard unit of measurement is per brick, though some contractors prefer per square foot of wall face or per thousand bricks.
Rate Ranges for Standard Brick
Per brick (modular size, 3-5/8" x 2-1/4" x 7-5/8"):
- Standard running bond, single wythe: $0.40 to $0.60 per brick
- Standard running bond, double wythe: $0.50 to $0.70 per brick
- Complex bond patterns (Flemish, herringbone, basketweave): $0.60 to $0.80 per brick
Per square foot of wall face (approximately 6.75 modular bricks per sq ft):
- Standard running bond: $2.70 to $4.05 per square foot
- Complex patterns: $4.05 to $5.40 per square foot
Per thousand bricks (M):
- Standard running bond: $400 to $600 per M
- Complex patterns: $600 to $800 per M
The per-thousand rate is how many masonry contractors think about pricing. It's a clean number that accounts for the waste, the butter, and the rhythm of the work.
What a Bricklayer Should Earn Per Day
An experienced bricklayer working on standard residential veneer in running bond should lay 350 to 500 bricks per day. At $0.50 per brick, that's $175 to $250 per day. Some exceptional masons can push 600 or more bricks in a long day on straightforward walls.
If your bricklayer's daily earnings don't compare favorably to what they'd make at $28 to $40 per hour, your rates are too low. Use our Piece Rate Calculator to test different rate and production combinations.
Factors That Push Brick Rates Higher
Bond pattern complexity. Running bond is the baseline — it's the fastest pattern because the layout is simple and repetitive. Flemish bond, English bond, herringbone, and basketweave patterns all require more cutting, more attention to layout, and slower production. A Flemish bond wall might produce 25-35% fewer bricks per day than the same wall in running bond.
Corners and returns. Straight wall sections are fast. Every corner, return, or jog requires precise layout, more cutting, and careful alignment. Jobs with lots of corners should pay more per brick or include a per-corner add-on.
Height. Ground-level work is baseline. Once you're on scaffolding, production drops because materials need to be lifted, the mason is less stable, and setup time increases. Expect to add 15-25% for work above 8 feet and 25-40% for work above 16 feet.
Openings. Windows, doors, and arches all mean cutting, fitting, and installing lintels or arched headers. A wall with six windows takes significantly longer per square foot than a blank wall.
Mortar type and joint style. Standard concave joints are fastest. Raked joints, V-joints, grapevine, or weathered joints require more tooling time. Thin-set mortar applications are a different process entirely.
CMU Block Rates
Concrete masonry units — standard gray block, split-face, burnished, or ground-face — are the workhorse of commercial and industrial masonry. Block work is typically faster per square foot than brick because each unit covers more area.
Rate Ranges for Block Work
Standard 8" x 8" x 16" CMU:
- Single-story walls, standard gray: $1.50 to $2.50 per block
- Multi-story or reinforced walls: $2.00 to $3.00 per block
- Split-face or decorative block: $2.50 to $3.50 per block
Per square foot of wall face (approximately 1.125 blocks per sq ft for 8x16 block):
- Standard gray: $1.70 to $2.80 per square foot
- Decorative: $2.80 to $3.95 per square foot
12" CMU (thicker walls, heavier units):
- Standard: $2.50 to $3.50 per block
- Reinforced/grouted: $3.00 to $4.00 per block
The 12-inch block weighs about 55 pounds. That's real weight being lifted hundreds of times a day. The rate should reflect the physical demand.
Block Production Expectations
A competent block mason should lay 80 to 150 standard 8-inch blocks per day on straightforward walls. At $2.00 per block, that's $160 to $300 per day. Lead masons who are also laying out the walls, checking plumb, and directing the crew may produce fewer blocks personally but add value in quality and organization.
What Drives Block Rates Up
Rebar and grouting. Walls that need vertical rebar and grout fill every 32 or 48 inches add time. The mason has to align cells, the laborer has to fill grout, and the whole process slows down. Add 15-25% for heavily reinforced walls.
Bond beams. Horizontal reinforcing requires lintel blocks, rebar placement, and grouting at specific coursing heights. Bond beams at every 4 feet of height can add 10-15% to the per-block rate.
Precision tolerance. A warehouse wall and a school library wall have different standards. When the architect specifies tight tolerances on plumb, level, and joint width, production slows. Commercial and institutional work generally warrants rates 10-20% above residential.
Weather exposure. Laying block in 95-degree heat or 35-degree cold reduces production and increases fatigue. Mortar behaves differently in extreme temperatures, requiring adjustments and more attention. Some contractors apply seasonal adjustments to their rates.
Stone Veneer Rates
Stone work — whether natural stone or manufactured stone veneer — is the highest-skill, highest-rate masonry work. Every piece is a different shape, so the mason is constantly selecting, fitting, cutting, and adjusting. There's no repetitive rhythm like brick or block.
Rate Ranges for Stone Work
Manufactured stone veneer (cultured stone):
- Flat pieces: $8.00 to $12.00 per square foot
- Corners: $10.00 to $16.00 per linear foot
- Mixed (flats and corners): $9.00 to $14.00 per square foot
Natural stone veneer (fieldstone, limestone, ledgestone):
- Dry-stack or thin veneer: $10.00 to $15.00 per square foot
- Full-bed natural stone: $14.00 to $18.00 per square foot
- Complex patterns or custom fitting: $16.00 to $22.00+ per square foot
Flagstone and paving:
- Dry-laid flagstone: $5.00 to $10.00 per square foot
- Mortared flagstone: $8.00 to $14.00 per square foot
Why Stone Rates Are So Much Higher
The difference between brick at $3-5 per square foot and stone at $8-18 per square foot comes down to speed. A bricklayer might cover 50-75 square feet of wall face in a day. A stone mason might cover 20-40 square feet in the same time. Every stone needs to be individually selected, positioned, and often cut to fit. The skill level is higher, and the production rate is lower.
Factors Specific to Stone
Tight-joint vs. wide-joint. Tight-joint (dry-stack look) stone requires more precise cutting and fitting. Wide-joint work with visible mortar is somewhat faster because the mason has more tolerance.
Stone size and weight. Large, heavy pieces require more physical effort per square foot but cover area faster. Small mosaic-style stones have high piece counts per square foot and slow the work down.
Substrate type. Stone over concrete block is straightforward. Stone over wood frame with scratch coat adds steps — installing lath, applying scratch coat (or letting a plasterer do it), then the stone work itself.
Inside corners and outside corners. Corner pieces are premium because they require returns. Natural stone corners need careful selection and cutting. Manufactured stone corners come pre-formed but still take longer to install per linear foot than flat field stone takes per square foot.
Setting Up a Masonry Rate Card
The best masonry contractors I've talked to don't use a single flat rate. They build a rate card with tiers based on the type of work. Here's an example structure:
| Work Type | Unit | Rate Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick, running bond | per brick | $0.45-$0.55 | Baseline |
| Brick, complex pattern | per brick | $0.60-$0.75 | +35% for pattern |
| Brick, above scaffold | per brick | $0.55-$0.70 | +20% for height |
| CMU 8", standard | per block | $1.75-$2.25 | Baseline |
| CMU 8", reinforced | per block | $2.25-$2.75 | +25% for rebar/grout |
| CMU 12" | per block | $2.75-$3.25 | Heavier units |
| Stone veneer, mfg | per sq ft | $9.00-$12.00 | Manufactured |
| Stone veneer, natural | per sq ft | $12.00-$16.00 | Natural stone |
Post this rate card before each job starts. When your masons know exactly what they'll earn for each type of work, there are no arguments at the end of the week. For a deeper look at building rate structures that work across all construction trades, see our guide on setting fair piece rates in construction.
Sample Earnings Calculation
Let's say you have a two-person masonry crew working on a residential brick veneer job. The house has approximately 2,400 square feet of brick face in running bond with 40 linear feet of corners.
- 2,400 sq ft x 6.75 bricks per sq ft = 16,200 bricks
- Rate: $0.50 per brick
- Total piece rate earnings: $8,100
If the crew completes the job in 10 working days (two masons), that's $8,100 / 2 = $4,050 per mason, or $405 per day each. At 9-hour days, that's an effective hourly rate of $45/hour.
That's solid money for a skilled mason. And for the contractor, the labor cost is locked in at $8,100 regardless of whether the crew takes 9 days or 11. You can bid confidently because the number is predictable.
Try different scenarios with our Piece Rate Calculator to dial in rates for your specific market and crew speed.
Compliance Considerations for Masonry
Everything that applies to piece rate pay in general applies to masonry. But there are a few things worth emphasizing.
Track Hours — Every Day
Your masons need to clock in and clock out, even though you're paying by the brick or block. Federal law requires hour tracking for minimum wage verification and overtime calculation. This is one of the biggest mistakes contractors make with piece rate, and it's covered in detail in our article on common piece rate payroll mistakes.
Overtime Calculation
When a mason works more than 40 hours in a week, you owe overtime. For piece rate workers, the regular rate is total weekly earnings divided by total hours worked. Then you pay an additional 0.5x that regular rate for every hour over 40. Our guide on overtime for piece rate workers walks through the full calculation.
Weather and Non-Productive Time
Masonry is heavily weather-dependent. If your crew shows up and it's raining, or if temperatures drop below the minimum for mortar, they can't lay brick. How you handle non-productive time — whether you pay a separate hourly rate for waiting, send them home, or have them do prep work — needs to be clearly defined in your pay agreement.
Laborers vs. Masons
Most masonry crews include both masons and laborers. The mason lays the material; the laborer mixes mortar, carries material, sets up scaffold, and keeps the mason supplied. You need a separate rate structure for laborers. Some contractors pay laborers a flat hourly rate. Others pay a percentage of the mason's piece rate. Either works, but it needs to be transparent.
Regional Rate Differences
Masonry rates vary significantly by region, more so than many other trades. Here's what drives the variation:
Union vs. non-union markets. In cities with strong masonry unions (Chicago, New York, Philadelphia), piece rate is less common because union agreements specify hourly wages. In non-union markets across the South, Southwest, and rural areas, piece rate is the norm.
Material availability. In areas where brick is commonly used (the South and Midwest), there's more competition among masons, which can push rates lower. In regions where brick is less common, skilled bricklayers are scarcer and command higher rates.
Cost of living. A bricklayer in rural Alabama and a bricklayer in Northern Virginia both lay the same bricks, but the Virginia mason needs to earn significantly more to cover housing and living expenses. Adjust your rates to your local market.
Climate. In northern states, the masonry season is shorter due to cold weather. Masons need to earn enough during the working months to compensate for winter downtime. This can push seasonal rates 10-20% higher than in year-round markets.
Keeping Rates Competitive Long-Term
Review your masonry rates at least twice a year. Here's what to watch:
- Turnover. If you're losing masons, your rates are probably below market. Talk to your crew before they leave — not after.
- Bid accuracy. If your labor costs are consistently coming in over budget, either your rates are too high or your production estimates are off.
- Material changes. Switching from one brick size to another, or from standard block to split-face, changes production speed. Update rates when materials change.
- Quality callbacks. If mortar joints are sloppy, walls are out of plumb, or weep holes are missing, your crew might be rushing to maximize earnings. Tighten quality checks or adjust the balance between speed and standards.
Tracking all of this gets easier with the right system. If you're managing it on paper or spreadsheets, consider Piece Work Pro to automate production tracking, payroll calculations, and performance monitoring.
For more on how piece rate works across the full range of construction trades, check out our guide on piece work in different construction trades. And if you're running piece rate payroll for the first time, start with our walkthrough on how to run piece rate payroll.