Specialist brickwork explained: what a Master Bricklayer brings to your build

Brickwork is the part of your extension you'll look at every day for the next 30 years. It deserves proper craft.

What is a Master Bricklayer?

The Guild of Bricklayers is the professional body for bricklayers in the UK. Its Master designation — which I've held since 2012 — is awarded on the basis of demonstrated craft, experience and continuing standards. It's not a paid badge; it's a peer-reviewed standard.

What it changes in practice

• Bond and coursing are laid out from the start so features (openings, corners, chimneys) fall on whole bricks, not awkward cuts.
• Perp joints (the vertical ones) line up cleanly — you'd be amazed how many builds get this wrong.
• Mortar mix is matched to the brick, the setting and the era of the building.
• Feature brickwork — arches, corbels, soldier courses, decorative bonds — is actually built by someone who knows how.

Where it matters most

• Period property, where getting the bond and mortar wrong is instantly visible.
• Feature interior walls — an interior brick wall is a permanent design statement and you want it laid by someone who cares.
• Repointing, where getting the mortar composition right is the difference between preservation and damage.

If you're planning a project where brickwork will be the thing people notice, get in touch.