Man-Made Stone vs. Brick Costs

Material Costs

• The cost of brick varies depending on your geographic location and the local availability of brick; it can be competitive in price with man-made stone or more expensive. Both materials are priced by the square foot. However, when the high shipping costs based on the weight of brick are figured into the price, brick is generally more expensive because man-made stone is lightweight.

Labor Expenditures

• Building a brick house is more labor intensive than using man-made stone, and professional masons must install brick. Man-made stone quickly and easily attaches to almost any type of exterior building surface and requires minimal professional skills. Brick exteriors require repetitive and time-consuming stacking of bricks and mortar. More labor is needed to build stronger foundations for brick houses. Labor costs for interior projects are typically higher for those using man-made stone. The breakdown for labor and materials for man-made stone projects is about 50-50. Exterior and interior brick jobs are based on the complexity of the design. The material cost usually makes up one third of the total expenditures and the cost of labor the remaining two thirds.

Associated Expenses

• The weight of brick necessitates reinforced footers and foundations to support it, which adds to the cost of labor and materials when it is used as an exterior house covering. If you are having the home built in the winter, freshly built brick exteriors have to be covered with insulated tarps to prevent the mortar from freezing. Energy costs for homes covered with man-made stone are typically higher than brick structures because man-made stone does not provide the insulation level of brick.

Other Considerations

• Neither man-made stone nor brick requires maintenance. Once these materials are installed either on the outside or inside of a building, they never need staining, caulking or painting. Both materials are fireproof, which can lower homeowner insurance rates. Brick is a better barrier against sound than man-made stone. Homes with man-made stone exteriors generally have lower resale values than brick homes. If the quality of man-made stone is high enough to make it look real, the home will have about the same level of market appeal as brick.