My wife and I saved for seven years to build our own house. Seven years of no holidays, no new cars, no eating out often. When we finally got the plot and started construction, I thought the hard part was over. I was wrong. The hard part was understanding material prices, especially the most basic one. Bricks. You cannot build anything without bricks, and the bricks rate in Lahore changes like the weather.
The Shock of Fluctuating Brick Price in Lahore
When we got our construction estimate in January, the brick price in Lahore was around fourteen rupees per brick for good quality A grade bricks. By March, it had gone up to seventeen rupees. By May, some kilns were asking nineteen rupees. I almost cried. A house needs tens of thousands of bricks. Even a difference of two rupees per brick means fifty to sixty thousand rupees extra for a medium sized house.
I asked my contractor why this happens. He explained that brick kilns in and around Lahore depend on two things. One is the price of coal or gas to burn the bricks. The other is the weather. In winter, production slows down because drying takes longer. In summer, production is faster but transport becomes harder if it rains too much. And sometimes kilns shut down for weeks because of smog or government orders. All of this affects the bricks rate in Lahore almost weekly.
How We Managed to Not Overpay
I decided not to rely only on my contractor for brick purchases. I started calling different brick kilns myself. I found three kilns on the Multan Road side and two near Kala Shah Kaku. Each gave me a different rate. One thing I learned is that the brick price in Lahore is always negotiable if you are buying twenty thousand bricks or more. Kilns prefer bulk buyers.
I also learned to check brick quality myself. A good brick should have a uniform red colour, a sharp sound when you hit two bricks together, and no cracks. It should not break when dropped from waist height. I rejected one truckload because half the bricks were over burnt and twisted. The kiln owner was angry, but I did not care. Bad bricks make weak walls.
Final Advice for Anyone Building a Home
We finally finished our house last month. Looking back, I wish I had tracked the bricks rate in Lahore from the very beginning. I would have bought in bulk during a low price month instead of buying small quantities many times. Also, do not just ask for the brick price in Lahore. Ask for the delivered price. Some kilns quote a low brick price but then charge a lot for transport. Others include transport in the rate.
Building a home is already stressful. Do not let brick prices add more stress. Talk to at least three suppliers. Visit a kiln if you can. Check quality yourself. And if a price seems too good to be true, it probably means the bricks are B grade or C grade. Spend a little more on A grade bricks. Your walls will stand for decades. That is worth every extra rupee.
