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Building and renovation

Blocklaying and masonry

Walls, piers, openings and repairs in block, brick or stone.
Post a task Blocklaying and masonry by county

Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

No licence required

Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer

Irelandwww.cru.ieChecked

Blocklaying and masonry: what the job involves

Walls, piers, openings and repairs in concrete block, brick or stone: boundary and garden walls, pillars for gates, building up openings, and repairing cracked or damaged masonry. Done by a blocklayer or bricklayer; render and capping finish most walls in Ireland.

Also asked for as: blocklayer · bricklayer · garden wall · boundary wall · block wall

How the job is usually done

  1. Set out the wall line, check the boundary with the neighbour and any planning limits.
  2. Dig and pour a foundation or check the existing one; a garden wall without a footing will crack.
  3. Lay the block or brick to line and level, with piers or ties at intervals, and damp-proof course where it meets a building.
  4. Build in any gate pillars, lintels over openings, and movement joints on long runs.
  5. Cap the wall and render, point or face it as agreed.
  6. Clean down, and take away spoil and offcuts.

Blocklaying and masonry: what is included

Usually included

  • Setting out and foundations as quoted
  • Laying the block, brick or stone
  • Capping and the agreed finish
  • Cleaning down and removing waste

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • Demolition of an old wall, unless agreed
  • Painting the render
  • Gates, railings and electric gate wiring
  • Removing a hedge or tree roots in the line of the wall

Materials and who supplies them

  • Concrete blocks, brick or stone, cement, sand and ready-mixed concrete — usually supplied by the builder
  • Capping stones or blocks, render and wall ties

How long it takes

A few days for a garden wall; long walls, stone facing, demolition of an old wall or a wet spell for render make it longer.

When to book

Avoid frost: mortar and render should not be laid when it is freezing, so late spring to early autumn is best.

Blocklaying and masonry: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • A boundary wall around a house is exempt from planning permission up to 2 m high, or 1.2 m in front of the building line, provided a wall facing the road in front of the house is capped and concrete block faces are rendered or plastered. Walls on a protected structure or blocking a sightline at an entrance may need permission.

    Applies to: the homeowner

    Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. 600 of 2001), Schedule 2, Class 5 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • Ireland has no separate party wall act: work to a wall, chimney or boundary shared with a neighbour is covered by the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act. The owner doing the work must make good any damage and may need the neighbour’s consent, or a court works order if consent is refused.

    Applies to: the homeowner

    Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009, sections 43 to 47 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • A single blocklayer building a garden wall over a few days usually needs no project supervisors; once there is more than one contractor, a particular risk or work longer than 30 days, the homeowner must appoint them in writing.

    Applies to: the homeowner, as client

    Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 — HSA guide for homeowners · hsa.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

Grants

  • Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme

    Grants to remediate homes damaged by defective concrete blocks (mica or pyrite), covering up to 100% of the remediation works within the scheme’s caps, through the local council.

    Who qualifies: Owners of homes in the designated counties, including Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Sligo, whose blocks are confirmed defective by an engineer’s report.

    citizensinformation.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What blocklaying and masonry costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Length and height of the wall
  • Foundations: new footing or building on an existing one
  • Finish: rendered, fair-faced block, brick or stone-clad
  • Demolition and removal of an old wall
  • Access for a mixer and deliveries
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced 13.5% rate by a VAT-registered builder, unless materials are more than two-thirds of the price (Revenue’s two-thirds rule)
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • A receipt describing the wall, foundation and finish
  • Written agreement with the neighbour where the wall is on or near the boundary

Safety

  • A free-standing wall can topple: long or high walls need piers or a proper design, and a cracked or leaning wall should be kept clear of children.
  • Cement and wet mortar burn skin; keep children and pets away from mixing.
  • Cutting block with a saw makes harmful dust; it should be cut wet or with extraction.

Blocklaying and masonry: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • What foundation will you put under it?
  • Is capping and rendering included?
  • Who takes away the soil and old wall?
  • Is VAT included?

What you can do yourself

A low garden-bed wall is within a competent householder’s reach; boundary walls over a metre and anything structural are best left to a blocklayer.

What to put in your task

  • What do you need built or repaired?
  • How long is the wall?
  • How high?
  • What finish do you want?
  • Does an old wall or fence need to come down first?

Photos that help

  • The line of the new wall or the damaged wall, from both ends
  • The ground along the line, showing slopes, roots or drains
  • Any existing wall it needs to match, close up

Blocklaying and masonry by county

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Questions about blocklaying and masonry

Does blocklaying and masonry need a licence in Ireland?

No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.

Do I need planning permission for a boundary wall?

Not usually for a wall up to 2 m at the side or rear, or up to 1.2 m in front of the house, as long as a front wall is capped and block walls are rendered. Higher walls, walls on a protected structure, or a new entrance onto the road need permission.

Why has my garden wall cracked?

Most often a weak or missing foundation, tree roots, or no movement joints on a long run. A crack that is widening or a wall that leans should be looked at before it falls. In Donegal, Mayo and some other counties, crumbling blocks may be defective blocks, which have their own grant scheme.

Who owns the wall between me and my neighbour?

Check your title documents and Land Registry map. A wall that divides two properties is usually a party structure, and work to it needs agreement with your neighbour. Agree in writing before building or rebuilding.

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