May 28^th, 2025

Most houses in the UK are still built with brick, but there is a growing trend towards timber due to its environmental benefits and build efficiency, with around 23% of new homes built being with timber and a whopping 85% in Scotland!

 

In addition, the UK Government has published a roadmap that outlines efforts to increase timber use in construction, aiming to meet net-zero targets. So, with a growing trend, important to understand cost implications.

 

In this guide, we’ll break down the typical costs of building a timber-frame home versus a brick/block home. We’ll look at the cost of building by region and review average costs per square metre to help you budget accurately.

Brick & Timber Frame Cost Calculations

In terms of build specification, BuildPartner gives you three broad options to choose from:

 

• Basic spec is a basic finish; e.g., Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Standard spec is a standard finish; e.g., Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• Premium spec is a high-spec finish; e.g., Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

 

In this article, we’ve provided a breakdown of the cost of converting a garage to a standard specification. In addition, we have provided three different benchmarks to show the range of pricing you can expect among different contractors. These are:

 

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.
• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.
• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

 

The costs in this guide are based on building a two-storey home comprising 95m². The figures cover the cost of constructing the external shell only and exclude internal finishes, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and flooring.

Cost Of Building A Timber Home

The table below shows the average cost of building a home using a timber frame:

3-Bed Detached - Timber	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£194,352	£217,320	£238,522	£2,046	£2,288	£2,511
Greater London	£211,159	£244,465	£256,137	£2,223	£2,573	£2,696
Inner London	£215,059	£242,501	£252,841	£2,264	£2,553	£2,661
Midlands	£188,611	£210,901	£231,477	£1,985	£2,220	£2,437
North England	£185,031	£206,898	£227,084	£1,948	£2,178	£2,390
Northern Ireland	£190,391	£206,454	£232,261	£1,992	£2,173	£2,445
Scotland	£191,532	£214,167	£235,062	£2,016	£2,254	£2,474
South East	£190,779	£212,155	£236,683	£2,183	£2,427	£2,679
South West	£190,748	£221,309	£242,935	£2,084	£2,330	£2,557
Wales	£183,549	£205,242	£221,042	£1,932	£2,160	£2,327
Average	£194,121	£218,141	£237,404	£2,067	£2,316	£2,518

All costs exclude VAT.        

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a home with a timber frame:

 

• It costs 9% more to build a timber-framed home in Inner London.
• The minimum cost is £183,549, and the maximum cost is £256,137.
• The total average cost is £216,556, or £2,300 per square metre.

 

Start your free trial with BuildPartner to get a bespoke estimate of your construction project within minutes.

 

Cost Of Building A Brick/Block Home

The table below shows the average cost of building a home using brick/block:

3-Bed Detached - Brick/Block	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£193,292	£216,135	£237,222	£2,035	£2,275	£2,497
Greater London	£208,178	£246,594	£253,233	£2,191	£2,596	£2,666
Inner London	£210,823	£238,631	£247,456	£2,219	£2,512	£2,605
Midlands	£187,235	£209,363	£229,789	£1,971	£2,204	£2,419
North England	£181,899	£203,396	£223,239	£1,915	£2,141	£2,350
Northern Ireland	£186,692	£203,383	£228,806	£1,962	£2,141	£2,408
Scotland	£186,949	£209,043	£229,437	£1,968	£2,200	£2,415
South East	£188,007	£209,058	£230,735	£2,151	£2,392	£2,640
South West	£188,933	£219,603	£241,063	£2,068	£2,312	£2,538
Wales	£181,444	£202,888	£218,388	£1,910	£2,136	£2,299
Average	£191,345	£215,809	£233,937	£2,039	£2,291	£2,484

 All costs exclude VAT.

 

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a home using brick/block:

 

• The minimum cost is £181,444, and the maximum cost is £253,233.
• The total average cost is £213,697, or £2,271 per square metre.

 

Comparison Of Stages

The table below shows the costs associated with the different stages of the two types of construction methods:

Timber				Brick/Block
Total	£242,501	100.0%		Total	£238,631	98.4%
External wall structure and lining	£64,085	26.4%		External wall structure and lining	£61,560	25.4%
Foundations and substructure	£38,429	15.8%		Foundations and substructure	£38,429	15.8%
Roof structure and coverings	£35,192	14.5%		Roof structure and coverings	£35,192	14.5%
Preliminaries	£32,233	13.3%		Preliminaries	£34,414	14.2%
Floor structure and lining	£24,576	10.1%		Floor structure and lining	£21,402	8.8%
Drainage and pipework	£15,036	6.2%		Drainage and pipework	£15,050	6.2%
Internal wall structure and lining	£13,167	5.4%		Internal wall structure and lining	£13,167	5.4%
Steel and structural supports	£10,762	4.4%		Steel and structural supports	£10,396	4.3%
Ceiling structure and lining	£3,995	1.6%		Ceiling structure and lining	£3,995	1.6%
Wiring and fuseboards	£2,777	1.1%		Wiring and fuseboards	£2,777	1.1%
Demolitions	£1,373	0.6%		Demolitions	£1,373	0.6%
Heating and cooling	£877	0.4%		Heating and cooling	£877	0.4%

All costs exclude VAT.

 

• The total cost for the timber build is £242,501, compared to £238,631 for brick/block—making timber about 1.6% more expensive overall.

 

• External wall structure and lining cost £64,085 (26.4%) for timber, versus £61,560 (25.4%) for brick/block, indicating higher material and fabrication costs for timber frames.
• The floor structure and lining is less expensive in the brick/block build at £21,402 (8.8%), compared to £24,576 (10.1%) in the timber version.

 

Comparison Of Elements

The table below shows the costs associated with the different elements of the two types of construction methods:

 

Timber				Brick/Block
Total	£242,501	100%		Total	£238,631	100%
External wall lining	£26,972	11.1%		External wall structure	£48,999	20.5%
External wall finishes	£21,020	8.7%		External wall finishes	£  -	0.0%
Foundations	£19,726	8.1%		Project management	£20,595	8.6%
Project management	£18,532	7.6%		Foundations	£19,726	8.3%
Floor structure	£18,130	7.5%		Floor structure	£14,955	6.3%
External wall structure	£16,093	6.6%		External wall lining	£12,560	5.3%
Roof lining	£12,396	5.1%		Roof lining	£12,396	5.2%
Structural supports	£10,332	4.3%		Internal wall structure	£10,167	4.3%
Internal wall structure	£10,167	4.2%		Roof coverings	£10,014	4.2%
Roof coverings	£10,014	4.1%		Structural supports	£9,966	4.2%
Excavation	£9,732	4.0%		Excavation	£9,732	4.1%
Roof structure	£9,263	3.8%		Roof structure	£9,263	3.9%
Scaffolding	£7,050	2.9%		Scaffolding	£7,050	3.0%
Waste pipework	£6,486	2.7%		Waste pipework	£6,486	2.7%
Floor lining	£6,447	2.7%		Floor lining	£6,447	2.7%
Hardcore	£4,938	2.0%		Hardcore	£4,938	2.1%
Rainwater drainage	£4,447	1.8%		Rainwater drainage	£4,461	1.9%
Ceiling lining	£3,995	1.6%		Ceiling lining	£3,995	1.7%
Internal wall lining	£2,999	1.2%		Internal wall lining	£2,999	1.3%
Access points	£2,866	1.2%		Access points	£2,866	1.2%
Waste disposal	£2,304	1.0%		Waste disposal	£2,304	1.0%
Fascias	£2,250	0.9%		Fascias	£2,250	0.9%
Reinforcement	£2,170	0.9%		Reinforcement	£2,170	0.9%
Cabling	£1,732	0.7%		Cabling	£1,732	0.7%
Machinery / Equipment	£1,632	0.7%		Machinery / Equipment	£1,632	0.7%
Light demolition	£1,373	0.6%		Light demolition	£1,373	0.6%
Blinding	£1,263	0.5%		Blinding	£1,263	0.5%
Hot and cold pipework	£1,237	0.5%		Utilities	£1,243	0.5%
Utilities	£1,126	0.5%		Hot and cold pipework	£1,237	0.5%
Pipework	£877	0.4%		Pipework	£877	0.4%
Hoarding	£857	0.4%		Hoarding	£857	0.4%
General allowances	£732	0.3%		General allowances	£732	0.3%
Fuseboards	£723	0.3%		Fuseboards	£723	0.3%
Flashing	£626	0.3%		Flashing	£626	0.3%
Damp proofing	£601	0.2%		Damp proofing	£601	0.3%
Bargeboards	£541	0.2%		Bargeboards	£541	0.2%
Padstones	£430	0.2%		Padstones	£430	0.2%
Electrical certification	£321	0.1%		Electrical certification	£321	0.1%
Roof ventilation	£102	0.0%		Roof ventilation	£102	0.0%

 

Here are the key takeaways from the cost comparison between timber and brick/block construction:

• Brick/block spends £48,999 (20.5%) on external wall structure—almost double the £25,972 (11.1%) spent in the timber build. However, timber allocates more to internal wall components and finishes.
• No budget is allocated for brick/block for external wall finishes, while timber includes £21,020 for finishes. The brick façade is structural and finish in one, while timber needs cladding added separately.
• Timber shows higher costs in project management (£18,532 vs £15,395) and floor structure (£18,130 vs £14,596) due to the complexity of assembling prefabricated components on site.
• Several elements, such as scaffolding, roof structure, ceiling lining, access points, and fascias, have the exact same costs, showing standardisation across both methods for these elements.
• Timber spends slightly more on roof coverings, floor lining, and internal wall structure, indicating a focus on finish quality and extra insulation needs.

 

Average Cost Of Building With Brick & Timber

So, what’s the average cost difference of building with brick/block versus timber in the UK? Based on building a two-storey property comprising 95m², it costs on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Two-storey timber-frame build: £218,141, or £2,316 per square metre.
• Two-storey brick/block build: £215,809, or £2,291 per square metre.

So, overall in the housing sector, timber and masonry builds show near price parity once all construction factors are taken into account.

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Please remember that all costs exclude VAT.

Frequently Asked Questions About Building With Brick & Timber

Explore answers to frequently asked questions about building with brick/block and timber.

What are the benefits of building with brick and timber?

Brick has a higher thermal mass, meaning it retains heat during the day and releases it slowly, which helps keep your home warm in winter and cooler in summer. It’s also great at blocking out noise, which is great if you live near a road or in a busy area. In addition, brick doesn’t need much looking after and tends to outlast alternatives like timber cladding.

Timber is much better for the environment, with a much lower carbon footprint than brick. It also offers lots of design options, from precise geometrical shells to a variety of looks including clean, contemporary, rustic, traditional, and weathered. It can be quicker to work with, especially if you’re using prefabricated sections.

Are there any fire safety concerns when using timber frames?

Timber is a combustible material, whereas brick and block are non-combustible and therefore fire-resistant. So, fire safety must be carefully planned. Quite often, engineered timber is used, which chars predictably and maintains structural integrity longer when exposed to heat and flames.

Building Regulations typically require additional fire safety measures such as fire-rated cladding, treated timber, and internal fire doors. While sprinklers are only mandared on domestic buildings over 4 storeys or in Wales for new-builds, it’s still a good idea to install them.

How durable is brick and timber construction?

Brick is extremely durable and can last over 100 years with minimal maintenance; it’s also resistant to fire, pests (insects such as woodlice), and weather.

On average, you can expect to replace timber cladding every 20 to 40 years depending on the climate and the type of wood (hardwoods like oak typically last longer than softwoods like pine). If the property is in a damp, coastal, or harsh climate, the timber cladding is likely to need replacing sooner due to exposure to moisture, salt, and weathering.

Why does timber need careful storage on site?

Timber needs to be carefully stored on site unlike brick/block. Once it’s delivered, you’ve got to keep it dry and properly protected. Too much moisture causes warping (especially without airflow), and if it’s not stacked right, it can bend and get scratched.