FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
Join Us For The 75th Anniversary Midyear Meeting Sep 7-11 ↗

New Study Debunks Actual Cost of Brick Homes

Words: Lorelei HarloeAn independent study debunks common misperceptions of the actual cost to build a brick home versus competing exteriors.

RSMeans, North America's leading supplier of construction cost information, developed "The Installed Cost of Residential Siding" study for the Brick Industry Association (BIA). The October 2015 study compares RSMean's estimated construction cost of homes with brick veneer over wood framing with stone veneer, fiber cement, wood siding, wood shingles, vinyl siding and cement stucco in major metro areas throughout the U.S.

Nationally, RSMeans estimates that the average total construction costs of brick wall cladding is just 8 percent more than vinyl siding, 1 to 3 percent more than stucco and wood siding and 4 to 6 percent more than wood shingle and fiber cement siding. Moreover, brick is estimated at 13 to 15 percent less than comparable homes with stone veneer. In 11 of 17 major, selected U.S. markets, brick's cost is not only less expensive than stone in every single market, it is also less expensive than wood siding.

"The initial cost of a brick home is quite competitive, especially since most homes require less exterior cladding than people think," said Ray Leonhard, BIA's president and CEO. "An average 2,700- square-foot two-story house only needs 2,265 square feet of cladding material when accounting for windows, doors, etc."

Leonhard said the unparalleled benefits of brick more than offset the relatively small increase in the initial cost of a new a brick home, including little to no maintenance with no painting required; extreme durability with some 100-year manufacturer warranties; better fire and wind safety; non-fading color and reduced exterior noise with improved energy savings.

The metropolitan areas shown here include Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Detroit, Michigan; Houston, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Jacksonville, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Minneapolis, Minnesota; the New York City suburbs; Nashville, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; and the Washington, D.C. suburbs.
 0
Advancing Skill-Based Assessment in Masonry Education with 3D Wall Scanning
August 2025

Over the past year, we’ve had the opportunity to demonstrate a cutting-edge 3D wall scanner at a variety of masonry competitions and career exploration events across the region, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Students, instructors, and

Conner Birdsong
Industry News
Read More
How It’s Made: Clay Brick
August 2025

Going back to around 7000 B.C., when the first bricks were made from a combination of mud and straw (highlighted because mud and straw are not part of the defined parameters of masonry) and then dried in the desert sun, the general process of how brick is

Mat Tramel
Technical Talks
Read More
The Evolution of Women in Masonry
August 2025

The masonry industry was created by gathering common materials and utilizing these materials with convention. Historically, men have been at the forefront of this ancient craft, finding ways to create structures with stone, brick, and concrete units. The

Cassie Mejia
Industry News
Read More
Achieving Realistic Looks with Manufactured Materials: Elevating Aesthetics in Modern Masonry Projects
August 2025

In the evolving landscape of masonry design and construction, contractors are increasingly called upon to marry tradition with innovation. Homeowners, architects, and developers demand materials that not only perform well but also look indistinguishably a

Rob McKay
Technical Talks
Read More