Is brick or stone more expensive?

Bricks have been used throughout the ages and are a very popular construction material.

They can be laid on top of each other and connected with mortar to form solid walls.

Many older buildings use brick exteriors and there is no doubt of the durability of the material.

Stone is extremely resistant to the elements and has an incredibly long life, even compared to brick.

Stone can potentially last several centuries.

It is also extremely hard to disfigure stone with scratches, chips and dents.

A sledgehammer will do more damage to bricks than to stones.

In this article we will mostly be using Natural Stone and Manufactured Stone interchangeably since in most cases the differences between the two are not that significant.

Natural stone

• Natural stone is a little tougher and performs better at carrying weight.
• It is also heavier and less flexible.
• Manufactured stone is almost as durable as natural stone, but it may lose color over time and start to fade.

Pricing of both materials varies depending on several factors. Natural stone is slightly harder to find and tends to be more expensive than brick. Manufactured stone price is very close to brick in price.

However, natural stone is actually cheaper to install than brick.

The cost of installing a natural stone wall is $10 to $20 less per hour than a brick wall installation.

The same goes for siding, although the amount saved is closer to $8 per hour.

Conclusions

Taking this into account, natural stone can be slightly more expensive than brick even if it is cheaper to install.

On the other hand, manufactured stone may be the same price as brick, or even cheaper.

All things considered, neither material is conclusively more expensive.

You should know, however, that brick is more likely to require repairs than stone. These repairs can be very expensive. Consequently, advantage should be given to stone on the price front as it is more durable than brick.

Whenever the price is similar the better option is stone due to its superior durability.

Manufactured stone should be about equal to brick in price while providing better results.

Natural stone may be a little more expensive but certainly helps you to avoid potentially expensive repairs costs in the near future.