How Much Does a Brick Walkway Cost in 2024?

Average Cost to Build a Brick Walkway

Brick Walkway Cost Factors

Brick walkway costs depend on the materials you use and the cost to hire a professional brick installer. Here’s a closer breakdown of the two main brick walkway cost factors:

Materials

Assuming the area where you plan to build your brick sidewalk is clear and level, you won’t have many additional costs to worry about outside the cost of bricks.

However, there may be cases where you may need to do some prep before you can build your walkway and after you’ve put down your bricks. These are some common material costs to consider, in addition to the cost of the bricks.

Average brick prices will vary depending on the style of brick you choose and how many you purchase. Red clay bricks routinely cost between $0.30 and $0.90 each, or about $2 to $6 per square foot. When you buy them on sale or in bulk, you could pay as little as $0.25 each. Decorative brick or brick pavers in unusual sizes or shapes will cost more.

Labor

Professional brick walkway installers typically charge $50 to $100 per hour, which translates to about $6 to $11 per square foot.

In addition to building your walkway, installers can usually prep your work area, if needed. In extreme cases, this may include excavation and land grading. Labor for this prep work will add more cost to the project, though the amount greatly depends on how much work is needed to prepare the site.

Complexity

A standard, rectangular brick walkway will cost much less than a more ornate walkway with curves or an irregular shape. For more complex brick walkways, you’ll likely pay more in both labor and materials.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Brick Walkway per Square Foot?

The average cost to build a brick walkway is $9 to $20 per square foot. This breaks down to a materials cost of $4 to $7 per square foot (including bricks, sand, and other essential materials) and a professional installation cost of $5 to $13 per square foot. 

Assuming a straight-forward sidewalk design measuring 25-by-4 feet, you can expect the project to cost $900 to $2,000 with professional installation.

If you choose more expensive brick pavers, a unique brick pattern, or an intricate walkway design with curves and cuts, you could pay as much as $30 per square foot for materials and installation. The extra cost accounts for the skill of the local bricklayer who’s doing the work for you.

Assuming the same size walkway as the previous example, your total project cost jumps to $3,000 or more for a more complicated design.

Budgeting for Building a Brick Walkway

As outdoor home improvement projects go, brick walkways are relatively inexpensive. However, there are a few ways you can reduce the cost of this value-adding project even further. These include:

• Reduce Complexity and Size: The more complicated, irregularly shaped, or large your brick walkway is, the more it will cost. Reduce expenses by sticking to a smaller, rectangular brick walkway.

• Calculate Material Quantities: Save on materials costs by carefully calculating how many bricks you’ll need before starting the project. Multiply one brick’s width by 144 to find its square footage, then divide the total square foot area of your future walkway by that number to determine exactly how many bricks you’ll need. 

• Plan for Waste: We recommend buying 10% more bricks than you calculate to accommodate potential waste. It will be less expensive to buy extra bricks with the rest of your order than purchasing a handful later on, and any extras can be saved to reduce future brick repair costs.

• Consider Recycled Brick: Used brick can be a great way to reduce brick paver patio and walkway costs if you don’t mind a more rustic, vintage look. However, it can add labor hours because you may need to chip old mortar off each brick.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. After a project is complete, we survey real customers about the costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.