Managing Brick Shortages

If you’re building or planning to build in Western Australia, you may have heard about the current brick shortages affecting the residential construction industry.

Brick supply has been under pressure for some time, particularly across certain face brick ranges. More recently, these supply constraints have extended across other clay brick products, including maxi bricks commonly used for internal walls in double-brick construction.

For a state that relies heavily on brick construction, this can have a noticeable impact. Around 68% of detached homes in WA are built using brick construction, considerably higher than other parts of Australia. With continued demand for new housing placing pressure on local production, some brick products are experiencing extended lead times and limited availability.

So, what could this mean for your build?

The biggest consideration is timing. Brickwork is a major stage of construction, and if the required bricks aren’t available when a home is ready for them, it can affect the construction schedule and potentially have a flow-on effect on the trades and stages that follow.

That doesn’t mean every build will experience the same delays. Availability can vary depending on the brick selected, quantities required, when materials are needed and what stock is available at the time.

For us, the focus is on what we can control.

We’ll continue working closely with our suppliers, monitoring brick availability and planning our ordering and construction schedules as proactively as possible. Where particular products are experiencing significant delays, we can also work with our clients to understand the available options and determine the most practical way forward.

As a custom builder, every home is different, so there isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution. Sometimes it may mean adjusting selections, while in other cases it may simply mean allowing additional time within the construction program.

Industry-wide material shortages aren’t something a builder can completely avoid, but good planning, clear communication and flexibility can help minimise their impact.

Our approach remains simple: stay informed, plan ahead and do everything reasonably possible to keep each build moving forward.