A price per square metre is a fair way to compare brick walls, as long as you know what is and is not in that rate. Here is how the number comes together in Melbourne.
Single skin or double skin
The biggest single factor in the square metre rate is how thick the wall is.
- Single skin. One brick thick. Common for garden walls, fences and non load bearing work. Lower cost per square metre.
- Double skin. Two leaves of brick, often with a cavity. Stronger and used for structural and boundary walls. Roughly twice the brick and more labour, so a higher rate.
- Piers and reinforcement. Free standing walls usually need piers and steel, which add to the rate.
What the rate includes
A square metre price means little until you know what sits inside it.
- Brick choice. Common bricks are cheaper than face bricks, and recycled or heritage bricks cost more again.
- Footings. A wall is only as good as the footing under it, and Melbourne's reactive clay often needs more concrete and steel.
- Mortar and finish. A clean, struck face joint takes more care than a wall going behind render.
- Height and access. Anything above head height needs scaffold, and that is rarely in the base rate.
Comparing quotes the right way
A low rate per square metre can hide a thin footing, a cheaper brick or scaffold left off the quote. The cheapest rate is not the cheapest wall if it is built to fail.
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes: the brick, the footing, the finish and the access. Once those line up, the square metre figure tells you something real.
Measure the rough length and height, send a photo and your suburb, and we will give you a square metre rate that includes the lot, built dead level and built to last.