Brick piers or gate pillars cost UK 2026
The going rate for brick piers or gate pillars in 2026 is £200–£600/pier (total, ex VAT). Below: a calculator, what the job involves, materials at three price levels, and the prep that changes the price.
Brick piers or gate pillars calculator
Market band source: BookaBuilderUK.
What the job involves
| Stage | Task | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| ground | Dig and pour pier footing | 2 h per pier |
| build | Build pier, fix gate hinges if needed | 5 h per pier |
| build | Bed pier cap | 0.75 h per pier |
| build | Brush down, clear site | 1 h |
Some stages wait for materials to cure first, which can mean a return visit — that's why the worked example has 2 visits.
Materials at three price levels
| Material | Budget | Trade | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facing bricks (pier) brick | £1 Machine-made facing brick — Checkatrade: common £650–£1,500 per 1,000 | £1 Standard facing brick — BookaBuilder: facings £500–£900 per 1,000 | £1 Handmade / stock facing — BookaBuilder: handmade over £1,500 per 1,000 |
| Mortar (per m² of wall) per m² | £4 Site-mixed 4:1 + plasticiser — MyJobQuote: sand, cement and plasticiser | £6 Coloured mortar / washed sand — Better joint colour | £8 Premixed silo mortar — Consistent colour |
| Strip footing concrete (per m) per m | £12 Site-mixed ballast and cement — T2B: 300 mm deep × 450 mm wide | £15 Ready-mix / bagged concrete — T2B: strip foundation £40–£90/m installed | £22 Ready-mix with rebar — Soft or made ground |
| Pier cap each | £20 Concrete pier cap — BookaBuilder: pillars £200–£600 | £35 Reconstituted stone cap — Crisp finish | £70 Natural stone ball cap — Gate feature |
Trade prices ex VAT, estimates checked 2026-09-27. Log your receipts in Grafto and your own prices replace these.
What changes the price
- Pier size? 1 brick square · 1.5 brick square big effect
Prep to look for
| Condition | Check | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Pipes or cables in the way | Cable/pipe detector over the dig line: anything? | Scan before digging or drilling; hand-dig near services |
Questions
How much does brick piers or gate pillars cost in the UK in 2026?
The researched market band is £200–£600/pier (total, ex VAT), from BookaBuilderUK. A worked example of 2 pier comes to about £928–£1,450 across budget, trade and premium materials.
How long does brick piers or gate pillars take?
The worked example of 2 pier takes about 1.5 working days over 2 visits (waiting for materials to cure in between).
What changes the price of brick piers or gate pillars?
Mainly pier size, plus any prep found on site: pipes or cables in the way.