Brickwork & Masonry · Manchester & Greater Manchester
Bricklayers Who
Build Walls That
Outlast The Mortgage.
Time-served brickwork and masonry across Greater Manchester — boundary walls, retaining walls, structural openings, full extension shells and stone restoration. Straight courses, tight joints, properly specified mortar.
FMB Member · Fully Insured (£2m PL & EL) · Fixed Written Quotes
Service Overview
Brickwork & Masonry —
The Brief, In Plain English.
What It Is
Brickwork and masonry is the load-bearing skeleton of almost every building you've ever stood in — boundary and garden walls, retaining walls, garage builds, single and two-storey extension shells, full new-build masonry, chimneys, piers, structural openings and feature brick. Stone restoration on period properties when called for.
Who It's For
Homeowners adding an extension or boundary wall; landlords needing structural brick repairs; self-builders running their own project who need a reliable bricklaying gang; developers and main contractors needing a sub-package priced and delivered on programme.
When You Need It
Once foundations are in and DPC level is set, for new work. For repairs, the moment you see stepped cracking, leaning, spalled bricks, blown render, or movement around lintels — leaving it always costs more than fixing it early.
Why It Matters
A bad bricklayer hides mistakes inside the wall. Wrong mortar mix, missed wall ties, dry joints, no movement joints, lintels with insufficient bearing — none of it visible until the cracking starts. Time-served brickies spec the right mortar, set out the bond before laying a brick, and document what's been done.
What Happens If You Wait
The Cost Of
Doing Nothing.
Brickwork failure is slow, then sudden. The signs sit there for years before something gives — but by then the fix is structural, not cosmetic.
Risks Of Ignoring It
- →Stepped cracking from missed movement joints — repairable early, structural rebuild if ignored.
- →Damp ingress where pointing has perished — internal plaster blown, timber rotted, insurance often rejects 'wear and tear' claims.
- →Leaning boundary or retaining walls — public liability if it falls on a neighbour's car or person.
- →Spalled face bricks from frost — brick face splits because the wrong mortar mix was specified.
- →Lintels with insufficient bearing — sagging above doors and windows, doors that won't shut.
Common Mistakes Customers Make
- ×Hiring on day rate instead of fixed price — incentive to slow down.
- ×Letting a generalist handyman lay brick — bond goes out, courses run off level.
- ×Skipping the gauge rod and string line — courses drift, you live with it forever.
- ×Cheap mortar instead of the right NHL or cement spec for the brick.
Our Process
First Call To
Final Sign-Off.
01
On-Site Survey
We measure up, check footings, set out the bond and confirm brick, mortar and lintel spec in writing.
02
Fixed Written Quote
Itemised quote with brick type, mortar mix, course count, scaffolding and programme — no day-rate ambiguity.
03
Setting Out
Gauge rod, string line and corner profiles set before a single brick is laid. Bond planned, openings marked.
04
Lay & Point
Wall ties, cavity insulation, lintels, DPC and weep vents installed as we build. Joints struck consistently.
05
Sign-Off & Handover
Walked round on completion, snags fixed same day, paperwork pack handed over.
Credentials
What Stands
Behind The Work.
Fully Insured
£2m public liability and £2m employers' liability cover.
FMB Members
Federation of Master Builders — verified profile.
Structural Work In-House
Carried out by Ultra Build's own team — not subcontracted out.
Garden & External Works
Handled in-house alongside the main build.
NAPIT-Registered Electricians
Electrical work carried out by our NAPIT-registered specialist subcontractors, with certification on completion.
Gas Safe-Registered Engineers
Gas work carried out by our Gas Safe-registered specialist subcontractors, with certification on completion.
The Team
Around 7 full-time staff, and 20+ including long-standing subcontractors we've worked with for 5+ years.
Why It's Worth It
What You
Actually Get.
Straight Lines, Tight Joints
Courses gauged off a rod, perpends plumb, joints struck to one consistent finish. Looks right because it is right.
Built For Northern Weather
Mortar specced for the brick and exposure rating — no spalling, no blown joints two winters in.
Structural Discipline
Wall ties at correct centres, movement joints designed in, lintels properly borne. No nasty surprises in 10 years.
One Price, In Writing
Fixed written quote — what we agree is what you pay, regardless of how long it takes us.
Insurance-Grade Paperwork
Receipts and spec sheets you can hand to a buyer's surveyor — brick, mortar, lintels and detailing all documented.
Workmanship Guarantee
Written Into
The Contract.
Every Ultra Build Northwest contract carries a workmanship guarantee in writing. It covers defects with the structural build and plumbing issues such as faulty fittings — not just a verbal promise.
10
Years
On Roofs
2
Years
On Extensions
Up To
5
Years
On Internal Renovation Defects
In Detail
Brickwork & Masonry —
Every Variation Covered.
Materials, methods and the situations each variation applies to — so you know what you're buying before you buy it.
Working across
Manchester · Cheshire · Oldham · Salford · Stockport · Alderley Edge · Altrincham & Hale
Full Service Area MapBoundary, Garden & Retaining Walls
From a low decorative garden wall in reclaimed stock brick to a 2-metre retaining wall with engineered drainage behind it. We design in expansion joints, weep vents and the right coping detail so water sheds off instead of soaking in. Engineering brick or class B below DPC, facing brick above.
Extensions & New Build Shells
Single and two-storey extension brickwork, full new-build shells including cavity walls, insulation install, lintels, padstones and DPC tray work. Coordinated with steel beams, joist hangers and roof plate so the next trade in walks onto a square, plumb structure.
Structural Openings & Knock-Throughs
Forming new openings in load-bearing masonry — needles and props, RSJ or pad-stoned beams, masonry rebuilt around the steel, lintel bearings to engineer's spec. Plaster make-good included as standard.
Repair, Repointing & Rebuilds
Cut out perished pointing and replace with a matched lime or cement mortar — never a smear of fresh stuff over the old. Brick replacement, stitch repairs across cracks using helical bars, full rebuilds where movement has gone too far.
Stone, Chimney & Feature Brickwork
Chimney rebuilds, brick arches, soldier courses, stone restoration on period properties, brick piers for gates and porches, reclaimed brick matching for Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Bond patterns set out cleanly so the detail reads from across the road.
Residential vs Commercial
Domestic work tends to be facing brick, traditional bonds and tight detailing for visibility. Commercial work runs more on engineering brick, blockwork inner skin and speed-to-watertight — we run both, with the right spec for each.
Questions
Straight
Answers.
Cost, timeline, guarantees, lifespan, emergency availability — the questions everyone asks, answered before you call.
Ask YoursHow much does brickwork cost per square metre?
+
Greater Manchester 2026: facing brick to a fair face £140–£190 per m² supply and lay (single skin), cavity wall £220–£290 per m². Boundary walls £160–£240 per m² depending on coping, foundation depth and brick choice. Fixed itemised quote.
How long does a boundary or garden wall take?
+
A typical 20m boundary wall (1.8m high, single skin, brick-on-edge coping) is 5–8 working days including foundation. Larger or retaining walls scale up — programme in writing with the quote.
Can you match existing brick on an extension or repair?
+
Almost always, yes — through brick libraries from Ibstock, Wienerberger, Forterra and reclamation yards. Where an exact modern match doesn't exist we source reclaimed stock to match the weathering. We show samples before order.
Do you do repointing as well as new build?
+
Yes — rake out and repoint perished joints in a matched mortar (lime for older properties, cement for modern), brick replacement, helical stitch repairs across cracks. We quote repointing by elevation, fixed price.
How long should brickwork last?
+
Properly built cavity brickwork on the right mortar lasts 100+ years with periodic pointing maintenance every 50–70 years. Boundary walls outlast the houses behind them when foundations and copings are right.
Do you handle structural openings and steel beams?
+
Yes — we co-ordinate the structural engineer's design, supply and install the beam, needle and prop the existing masonry, rebuild around the beam, and plaster make-good. Building Control notified and signed off.
Are you insured?
+
Yes — full public liability cover. Documents available on request with any quote.
Do you offer guarantees?
+
Yes — 12-month workmanship guarantee on all brickwork from completion, plus the manufacturer's brick warranty. Documented.
Do you cover all of Greater Manchester for brickwork?
+
Yes — Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Oldham and Cheshire. See service areas for full coverage.
Can you build retaining walls?
+
Yes — retaining walls up to 2m as a standard build, engineered above that with structural design, drainage behind the wall and proper foundation depth. Quoted on a site survey.
Next Step
Get Brickwork That Outlasts The House.
Free site survey across Greater Manchester, fixed written quote — no obligation. FMB member, fully insured with £2m public liability and £2m employers' liability, Manchester-based.
Related Services