How to Buy Brick and Stone

Brick and stone are high-quality, low-maintenance materials for houses, pathways and walls. Whether doing the work yourself or hiring a mason, make sure to select the right materials.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Bricks
• Stones

1. Consider the area to be covered with brick or stone and calculate the square footage you require.
2. Make sure that you know the labor costs if you plan to have your brick or stone professionally installed. These costs can be considerable - fieldstone work will probably cost in excess of $15 per square foot for labor alone.
3. Visit several brick or stone dealers and see what types of stone and brick they offer. You can find dealers by asking your mason, checking with friends or looking in the yellow pages.
4. Check out the actual brick or stone you are considering - never place an order based on a picture or brochure alone.
5. Try to find a dealer who offers displays of the brick and stone as it appears when installed - this will usually take the form of small walls built of each material. It is important to consider the finished look - many materials look considerably different in large quantities.
6. Consider the variation in the material - many bricks and most types of stone vary considerably in color and texture. Make sure that you understand the range of color and texture in your chosen material.
7. Confirm the manner in which the material is sold. Brick is usually priced per unit, while stone is sold by the ton.
8. Check with the dealer on the coverage of each material. Stone is particularly variable - the number of square feet covered by each ton is different with the shape and density of each material.
9. Make sure that your final price quote includes delivery - masonry is heavy and these charges can be considerable.
10. Check with the dealer on the amount of cement required for the quantity of brick or stone you order.
11. Place the order and arrange for delivery.
12. Make sure the delivery truck can get to the area where you want the material dropped.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the price of materials is usually far less than labor costs.
• If you plan to have a brick or stone veneer applied to your house, make sure that there is a masonry ledge to carry the weight. If there is no ledge, you will have to have foundation work done. Discuss this with your mason and make sure you know all of the costs before proceeding.

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