What a bricklayer checks before quoting a wall or extension

Before quoting a garden wall or an extension, a bricklayer needs to see the ground, measure the run and height, check access for materials and skips, and agree the bricks with the client. Look at the soil, slopes, trees and drains that affect the footings, ask whether the design has drawings or approvals, and find out what the client expects the finished wall to look like next to existing brickwork. Then write a quote that separates groundwork, materials and labour, and says plainly what is excluded.

Measure the length, the height and the number of returns, piers and openings such as gates or windows. For a garden wall, discuss copings, piers at intervals and whether the wall will retain soil, which changes the construction entirely. For an extension, work from the architect's drawings where they exist and check the dimensions on site; note the levels relative to the house floor and the damp-proof course.

A wall that holds back earth is a structure, not a garden feature. If the client wants to raise a bed or level a slope, explain that drainage behind the wall and the right design matter more than the bricks on show, and say when an engineer should be involved.

New brickwork next to old is judged by how well it blends. Look at the existing bricks in daylight, their size, colour range and texture, and the mortar colour and joint style. Bring samples or photos of options, and agree the choice in writing. Reclaimed bricks can match old work better but vary in quality and supply, so say so before the client falls for them.

The mortar is a large part of how a wall looks. Note the colour of the existing joints and their finish, whether flush, bucket-handle or recessed, and whether the old wall was built in lime. Matching the joint matters as much as matching the brick.

Front walls by a road, tall boundary walls and extensions can need permission or building control approval. Ask what the client has already done and be clear that obtaining approvals is their responsibility unless your quote includes it. Note any party wall matters with neighbours.

Separate groundwork and footings, bricks and blocks, mortar and copings, labour, waste and any hire. Give a range for the days on site and explain that frost and heavy rain stop bricklaying, so dates can move. State what isn't included: drainage changes, roofing, windows, plastering, landscaping. Photos from the visit help you write it accurately the same day.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a "Quote visit" service and open slots at times that fit around your sites, such as early morning or late afternoon. Clients pick a slot, book with their name, email and phone, and describe the project in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email. In the description, ask them to have drawings and photos of the existing brickwork ready, and to write the address in the note. Once the quote is accepted, book the working days yourself from your calendar.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If you need to move a visit, reschedule it from your bookings list and tell the client yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.