The most common question we get before anyone agrees to a site visit is some version of: 'Just give me a rough idea of what this costs.' It's a fair question, and the masonry industry isn't great at answering it clearly. So here's an honest breakdown of what masonry work costs in Metro Vancouver in 2026, what the ranges look like, and what actually moves the number up or down. These are real-world figures from jobs we quote and build in the Lower Mainland, not national averages from a website in Toronto.
Repointing and brick repair: $400 – $3,500+
A straightforward repointing job on a single wall face — say, the front of a detached home — typically runs $800 to $2,000 depending on the size of the wall and condition of the joints. Small spot repairs start around $400. Full-perimeter repointing on a larger home, or a job where some brick replacement is involved, can climb past $3,000.
What moves the number: scaffold requirements (anything above one storey adds staging cost), the age of the wall (heritage lime mortar work takes more time and sourcing), and how badly deteriorated the joints are. A wall that needs the joints raked to full depth across the whole face costs more than one with localized failure.
Chimney repair and rebuild: $600 – $8,000+
Crown replacement or minor repointing on a chimney: $600 to $1,500. A full above-roofline rebuild on a standard residential chimney: $3,500 to $6,000. A full chimney rebuild from the firebox up, or a chimney on a two-storey home needing significant staging: $6,000 to $8,000 or more.
The roofline is the hinge point. Work below it doesn't need roofing access; work above it does. That's why a chimney job that looks small from the ground can still run a few thousand dollars by the time you factor in the safe access.
Retaining walls: $120 – $350+ per linear foot
Retaining wall pricing is almost always quoted per linear foot because the wall length drives material and labour more than anything else. A simple segmental block retaining wall in the 0.6 to 1.0 metre height range runs roughly $120 to $200 per linear foot installed. Natural stone walls cost more — $200 to $350 per foot is typical — because they take longer to build and the material itself is pricier.
Add height and the number goes up quickly. Walls over 1.2 metres that need engineering and a permit carry that cost too, usually $1,500 to $3,000 for the engineering on a standard residential wall. It's real cost, but it's non-negotiable above that height in most Metro Vancouver municipalities.
New bricklaying: $25 – $60+ per square foot
New brick walls, facades, columns, and features are typically priced by the square foot of finished masonry. A straightforward garden or garden wall runs $25 to $40 per square foot. Architectural brickwork on a home facade, feature piers, or detail work that requires precise coursing and matching runs $40 to $60 or more.
The footing is usually separate. A properly sized poured concrete footing for a brick wall adds $80 to $150 per linear foot depending on depth and soil conditions. Don't hire anyone who tries to skip the footing.
Stone veneer: $35 – $80+ per square foot installed
Manufactured stone veneer on a properly prepped wall (weather barrier, drainage mat, lath, scratch coat) runs $35 to $55 per square foot installed. Natural full-bed stone veneer runs $55 to $80 or more per square foot, partly for the heavier material and partly for the additional skill involved in fitting irregular stone.
If the wall behind the veneer needs prep work — new sheathing, better waterproofing, rotten framing — that adds cost before the stone even arrives. A proper drainage layer behind the stone is not optional in our climate; it's the part that makes the wall last.
What makes any masonry quote go up
A few things consistently add cost to any masonry job, regardless of type:
- Scaffold or rooftop access — any work above a single storey needs safe staging
- Heritage or specialty mortar — lime and NHL mortars cost more and take more care to mix and apply
- Difficult site access — narrow lanes, tight urban lots, no laydown area
- Matching existing brick — sourcing reclaimed or matched brick adds time and material cost
- Winter work — cold-weather masonry requires blankets, heating, and often slower cure times
What a good quote looks like
A written scope-of-work that lists materials, method, and what's included is the baseline. Vague single-number quotes with no breakdown make it impossible to compare bids or know what you're actually getting.
The cheapest quote is usually cheap for a reason. On masonry, the hidden steps — proper footing depth, gravel drainage, correct mortar — are what you pay for and can't verify once the job is done. Three quotes with written scopes tells you a lot more than three numbers.
