How Much Does Brick Veneer Cost in Massachusetts?

National cost guides put full brick veneer at about $12 to $18 per square foot installed. Thin brick, the adhered kind, runs about $8 to $18. A Massachusetts job can price higher, because masonry wages here run about 46 percent above the national average.

These are market numbers from public sources, not anyone’s price list. Where a quote for brick veneer installation lands depends on the wall: its height, openings, access and season.

What does brick veneer cost per square foot?

Two national cost guides, updated in March and June 2025, agree on the core ranges. Both figure cost by exterior wall area, which differs from a home’s floor area.

Why do Massachusetts quotes run higher?

Labor carries much of the price. One national guide puts it at 40 to 60 percent of a brick job. In 2025, federal wage data put the average brickmason and blockmason wage at $48.01 an hour in Massachusetts. The national average was $32.83, and the Boston metro area came in at $49.67.

The same guide names the Northeast among the priciest regions for mason wages. Brick is heavy, and the brick industry’s notes say distance from the plant drives shipping cost. So a local quote can land in the upper half of a national range, or above it.

How do wall height and openings change the price?

Tall walls need scaffolding. One national guide adds 25 to 35 percent to labor on a two-story home. It adds 10 to 20 percent more for hard access or a sloped lot.

Openings add labor and parts. Massachusetts bases its residential code on the 2021 International Residential Code. Under it, brick over each window and door rests on a noncombustible lintel, such as a steel angle. Openings over 16 inches in either direction get extra ties near their edges. One guide prices a 6-foot arch over a window at $400 to $700 in labor.

What do ties, flashing and weep holes add?

Metal ties hold the brick to the wall, while flashing and weep holes drain water that gets behind it. The code spells out all three. Each tie holds no more than 2.67 square feet of wall. Ties sit no more than 32 inches apart across and 24 inches apart up the wall.

A nominal 1-inch air space separates the brick from the sheathing. Flashing goes under the first course above the foundation and at lintels and shelf angles. Weep holes sit just above the flashing, no more than 33 inches apart.

Ask that the quote name the flashing material. The brick industry’s maintenance guide estimates 20 to 75 years before metal flashing needs repair. For plastic flashing, it estimates 5 to 25 years. Veneer over a concrete block (CMU) wall ties into the block instead of studs. That wall has its own costs, covered in what a concrete block wall costs.

Does severe-weathering brick cost more?

Facing brick comes in two grades under its national standard, ASTM C216. Grade SW means severe weathering, and Grade MW means moderate. The grades rate how well brick resists freezing while wet. The Massachusetts residential code lists the state’s weathering risk as severe.

Most facing brick sold in the United States is already Grade SW, the standard’s default grade. That makes SW the baseline. Special shapes and custom brick add cost, per the brick industry’s notes and one national guide. Larger units also mean fewer bricks and usually less labor. The standard warns that even SW brick may spall where water and salts get in, so drainage details still count.

What does winter work add?

The brick industry’s cold weather guidance treats anything below 40 degrees as cold. Below 40, mortar materials get heated and new brickwork gets covered for 24 hours. Below 25, the masonry gets heated, with windbreaks or enclosures in winds over 15 mph. Below 20, the work moves inside a heated enclosure kept above freezing.

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals put Boston’s average monthly temperature below 40 degrees from December through March. Tents and heaters add cost that the national ranges above leave out. Ask for winter protection as its own line on the quote. On commercial buildings, the building code makes these cold weather steps mandatory. They apply to brick and block alike on commercial masonry jobs.

Does thin brick cost less than full brick veneer?

Often, but the ranges overlap. Both national guides list thin brick at $8 to $18 per square foot installed. Full veneer runs $12 to $18. Thin brick is a slice of fired brick, 3/8 to 1 inch thick, adhered to the wall.

Full veneer is a single layer of full-size brick, 3 to 4 inches thick. It sits on a foundation ledge or a steel angle at its base. If the foundation falls short, one guide adds $5 to $15 per square foot to modify it. Thin brick skips that ledge, which makes it common on re-siding jobs.

A third route is solid, structural brick masonry. One national guide puts solid brick at $14 to $30 per square foot installed.

How does brick veneer compare with siding over time?

Siding costs less up front. One national guide lists vinyl at $2 to $12 per square foot installed and fiber cement at $5 to $22. It rates vinyl at 20 to 40 years and fiber cement at 25 to 50. It rates brick veneer at 50 to 100 years or more.

The brick industry’s maintenance guide estimates 100 to 150 years or more before brick walls need repair. It puts mortar at 50 years or more. Sealant joints, such as those around windows, need attention sooner, every 5 to 20 years.

What should a brick veneer quote include?

A clear quote lists the wall area and every opening. It names the brick and its grade, plus any match to existing brick on an addition. It spells out the ties, flashing, weep holes and lintels. It also covers scaffolding and winter protection. If old siding comes off first, the quote should say who removes it.

MJ Masonry builds brick veneer over wood frame and over concrete block, on homes and on commercial buildings. We work across the South Shore and Greater Boston. We look at the job and put the quote in writing. See our brick veneer work around Weymouth, or call or text (617) 838-0280.