Understanding the Cost to Build a Brick Garage
The cost to build a brick garage is higher than the cost of the same garage with wood, vinyl or fiber cement siding, because brick adds material, skilled masonry labor and a heavier foundation. The total depends on four things: the garage's size, whether the walls are a wood frame with brick veneer or solid masonry, the foundation your site needs, and the doors, windows and finishes you choose. National price-per-square-foot figures vary widely and are a poor guide for a specific lot in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, so the reliable number comes from a priced plan for your site.
This guide breaks down where the money goes so you can compare quotes on equal terms. Norman Builders, founded in 2007 by Ryan Norman and based in Newton, NH, designs and builds home additions across the Merrimack Valley, the North Shore, the Seacoast and southern New Hampshire. Our home additions page covers attached and detached garage additions along with other addition types.
Foundation and Framing
Brick is heavy. Whatever the wall system, a brick garage needs footings and a foundation sized for that weight and set below your town's frost depth, plus a concrete slab floor. Sites with ledge, a slope or poor soil cost more to prepare.
Most new "brick" garages are wood-framed with a single layer of brick veneer tied to the frame. The foundation then needs a ledge (a brick shelf) wide enough to carry the veneer. The other option is structural masonry: concrete block walls faced with brick, or solid brick. Masonry walls take longer and need more masonry labor, so they usually cost more than a wood frame with veneer.
Brick Material Costs
The brick itself is only part of what a brick wall costs. The price of the walls includes:
- The brick: price varies with the type (new, tumbled, thin brick or reclaimed), the color and the supplier.
- Mortar and accessories: mortar, metal wall ties, flashing, weep holes and a drainage gap behind veneer so any water that gets in can get out.
- Masonry labor: laying brick is skilled, slower work and often the largest share of the wall cost.
- Openings: each door and window needs a steel lintel or a brick arch over it and careful flashing.
Mortar joints also wear over time. Repointing (also called tuckpointing), which means raking out worn joints and refilling them, is a maintenance cost to plan for years down the road, not part of the build.
Comparing Brick Garages to Other Types
Pole Buildings
Pole buildings use posts set in the ground instead of a full foundation, which lowers the cost. They suit barns and storage buildings more than a garage that has to match a house, and towns may treat them differently under zoning.
Prefab Garages
Prefab and kit garages are made in a factory and put together on site. They can be cheaper and faster, but they offer fewer ways to match your house, and they still need a proper slab or foundation and a building permit. Some neighborhoods and homeowners' associations limit them.
Timber Garages
A wood-framed garage with clapboard, shingles or fiber cement is the standard in our area and usually costs less than brick. Wood needs more exterior upkeep over time (paint or stain and trim repairs), while brick veneer needs little beyond occasional repointing. Fiber cement lap siding with PVC trim, which we used on our White Cedar Way custom home in Newton, NH, is a lower-maintenance middle ground.
Also think about fit. In much of northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, houses are sided in wood, vinyl or fiber cement rather than brick. A brick garage beside a brick house looks original; next to a shingled Cape it can look out of place.
Factors Influencing the Cost of a Brick Garage
Location-Specific Costs
Regional variations. Labor and material prices differ by region and by how busy local masons are. Figures on national websites often blend very different markets, so treat them as rough at best.
Permits and regulations. A garage needs a building permit, and zoning sets setbacks, height and sometimes how much of the lot buildings can cover. Attached and detached garages can face different rules. See how to get a permit for an addition.
Climate considerations. In our region, footings must go below the frost line, the roof must be designed for local snow loads, and mortar work in freezing weather has to be protected, which can affect the schedule.
Design and Customization
Size and complexity. The number of bays, the depth, the ceiling height and the roof shape all change the cost. A garage just big enough for two cars is a very different project from one with a workshop.
Custom features. Insulated or carriage-style doors, openers, windows, extra electrical circuits for tools or an electric car charger, heat, floor drainage and interior finishes all add to the price.
Living quarters and apartments. Finished space above the garage turns it into a much bigger project: stairs, insulation, heat, plumbing, emergency exits and finishes, and in many towns extra zoning rules if it will be a separate living unit. Our guide to building a room over a garage covers this.
How to Get an Accurate Price
- Decide on the size, attached or detached, and veneer or masonry walls.
- Check zoning setbacks and any neighborhood rules.
- Have the site looked at for soil, slope, ledge and access for equipment.
- Ask each builder to price the same plan, with the foundation, brick type, doors and windows written out, so the quotes compare.
Material advice early on can save money. Al and Linda C. of Bradford, MA wrote about the deck and screen room we built for them: "They advised us on materials as well, and we really feel that allowed for the most bang for our buck."
For rough planning numbers on garages in general, see our guides on the cost to build a 3-car garage and adding a garage to an existing house, and try our home addition cost calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions about Building a Brick Garage
What is the most expensive part of building a brick garage?
The two biggest items are usually the brick walls, because masonry is skilled and slower work, and the foundation, which has to carry the weight of the brick. On a lot with ledge, a steep slope or poor soil, site work can cost as much as either one.
Does a brick garage need footings?
Yes. A brick garage needs footings below the local frost depth to spread its weight and prevent frost heave, which would crack the brick and mortar. A veneer garage also needs a brick ledge on the foundation to support the brick. Your town's building department sets the frost depth and inspects the footings.
How much does it cost to build a 2-car brick garage?
It depends on the site, the wall system and the finishes, so no single honest figure fits every lot. Expect a 2-car brick garage to cost more than the same garage with wood or fiber cement siding. For a sense of general garage costs, see our 3-car garage cost guide, then get a priced plan for your site.
Planning a Garage?
If you are planning a garage or another addition in the Merrimack Valley, the North Shore, the Seacoast or southern NH, call Norman Builders at (978) 833-7337 or request an estimate. You can read what homeowners say about working with us on our reviews page.
