Bricklayer · Repointing
How much does repointing cost?
What repointing brickwork costs per square metre in the UK in 2026, what changes the price, what a proper repointing job involves and how to get an accurate quote.
per square metre
Published UK trade day rates and merchant material prices, September 2026. Not yet based on Hard Hat Way quote data.
What changes the price
- Area. Repointing is priced by the square metre, so a gable end costs more than a garden wall
- Height and access. Anything above a single storey needs a tower or scaffold, which is a separate cost
- Condition of the old mortar. Hard cement pointing takes far longer to rake out than soft, crumbling lime
- Mortar type. Lime mortar for older houses costs more in materials and time than a sand and cement mix
- Joint finish. A plain weather-struck or flush joint is the baseline; tuck pointing and other decorative finishes are specialist work
- Brick repairs. Spalled or cracked bricks found during raking out have to be cut out and replaced
Repointing is replacing the mortar between bricks when the old mortar has weathered, cracked or crumbled. It’s routine maintenance on older houses and one of the best-value jobs you can do, because failed pointing lets water into the wall and that leads to damp, frost damage and spalled bricks that cost far more to fix.
What drives the price
Repointing is priced by area, so the first question is how many square metres. A single elevation of a semi might be 40 to 60 square metres; a garden wall a few metres. Then it’s about how hard the old mortar is to get out. Soft lime that’s already crumbling rakes out quickly. Hard cement pointing put on in the 1970s has to be ground or chiselled out joint by joint, and that can double the labour.
Access is the other big one. Ground-floor work can be done off a hop-up. Anything higher needs a tower or scaffold, and on a full gable end the scaffold can cost as much as the pointing. Ask whether it’s in the quote.
Mortar type matters for older houses. Lime mortar costs more and takes longer to work with, but it’s the right material for anything built before the 1920s. And if raking out reveals cracked or blown bricks, they’ll need cutting out and replacing, which is usually priced per brick on top.
What a good job includes
- Old mortar raked out to a proper depth, typically at least twice the joint width, not just scraped over the surface
- Joints brushed clean and dampened before new mortar goes in
- A mortar that matches the original in strength, colour and type, lime for older brickwork
- Joints filled fully, not just faced over, and finished to match the existing style
- Damaged bricks cut out and replaced with a match
- The wall brushed down and left clean, with no mortar smears on the brick faces
- Only the failed areas repointed, if that’s what was agreed, with a clean edge where new meets old
The tell-tale sign of a rushed job is new mortar smeared over old without raking out. It looks fine for a year and then falls off.
How to get an accurate quote
Photograph the whole wall from a distance so the area is clear, then close-ups of the worst joints so a bricklayer can see how far gone the mortar is. Say how old the house is and whether it’s ever been repointed before. Mention the access: is there a path along the wall, a conservatory in the way, a neighbour’s garden? That’s enough for an honest starting price per square metre. The final price comes after a site visit, when they can test the old mortar and measure properly.
These figures are a guide, not a promise. Post the job with photos and get real quotes from local bricklayers whose work is rated by other bricklayers.
Common questions
How do I know if my brickwork needs repointing?
Look for mortar that's crumbling, cracked or recessed well behind the face of the bricks, and for damp patches inside on the same wall. Run a key along a joint. If it powders out easily, it's ready. Sound mortar doesn't need touching, and a good bricklayer will only repoint what's failed.
Should I use lime or cement mortar?
If the house was built before about 1920, it was almost certainly built with lime mortar and should be repointed with lime. Hard cement on soft old bricks traps moisture and makes the bricks spall. Newer houses are fine with sand and cement. A bricklayer who asks how old the house is before quoting is asking the right question.
Does repointing include scaffolding?
Not usually. Scaffolding or a tower is normally priced separately because it depends on the height and the access. Ask whether the quote includes it and make sure every quote treats it the same way before you compare them.
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