If you've ever ordered brick, block, or stone for a project, you know that sinking feeling when the delivery arrives and something is wrong. The wrong color blend. The wrong mix of shapes. The correct product but the wrong project.
My first year handling orders for acme-brick—that was 2017—I made a mistake that cost us $1,200. Not in materials. In the redo: the labor to return the pallets, the delay on the job site, the expedited freight to get the replacement. The worst part? It was something super simple. I'd written down the wrong SKU from a product sheet that was outdated.
I keep a running log of our team's errors now. Since 2022, we've maintained a pre-order checklist. It's caught 47 potential errors in the past 18 months. Not all would have been expensive. But some would have been a pain to fix.
Here's the checklist. It has six steps. If you're ordering masonry supplies—brick, block, tile, stone, thin brick, whatever—this is meant for you. It's not theoretical. I tested it by making mistakes so you don't have to.
How This Checklist Works
This is for when you're placing an order with a supplier like acme-brick. (Though I should note—we've used this with a few other vendors too, and it works there as well. The categories are pretty universal for masonry supply orders.)
The flow is: confirm the project → confirm the product → confirm the quantity → confirm the color and finish → confirm the delivery details → confirm the backup plan. That's it. But each step has a gotcha that's easy to miss.
Step 1: Confirm the Project Specs (Not Just the Product Name)
Here's the mistake I made back in 2017. I had a project file that said "acme-brick, Standard Red." I ordered Standard Red. The brick arrived and it was the right product. But the project called for a specific blend from a specific kiln run, and Standard Red wasn't it. The architect had specified a different color code that was, in the documentation, listed under a different line.
What to do instead: Match the product SKU to the project spec sheet, not to what you think the product is called. Brick lines like acme brick have specific numbers for each color blend. Write down the number. Then check it again. Then have someone else check it.
Oh, and here's the part I missed: some blends are regional. What's available at the acme brick location in Montgomery, AL might not be the same blend as what's stocked at the Rapid Falls location. The name can be the same. The actual fired color? Can vary. I should add that we learned this after another $450 wasted on a different order.
Step 2: Confirm the Product Type and Dimensions
This sounds basic. You know what you're ordering. But—
From the outside, it looks like "it's just brick." The reality is brick varies in size, texture, and intended use. A modular brick is different from an engineer brick. Thin brick is a whole different category. And if you're ordering block or stone, the tolerances are even more critical.
The check: Make sure your order clearly states the actual dimensions and whether it's structural, veneer, or decorative. Because if you order "brick" and the product arrives as thin brick meant for adhesive application but your crew is ready to mortar it as a structural wall—that's a redo.
I get why people skip this step. Everyone assumes they know what they're ordering. But I've seen a $3,200 order where the mix of full brick and half-brick was wrong because someone just typed "brick" into the order form. The project needed a specific ratio. The supplier shipped what the SKU said. The crew couldn't work with it. That was a fun conversation.
Step 3: Confirm the Quantity with a Waste Factor
This is where a lot of rookie mistakes live. You measure the wall area, calculate the square footage, divide by the brick size, and get a number. That number is wrong. Always.
Industry standard is to add a waste factor of 5-10% for brick, depending on the complexity of the project. For stone? Up to 15% sometimes, because natural stone has more variation and breakage. But here's the thing: the waste factor needs to account for cuts, breakage during delivery, and breakage during installation. These are three separate categories of waste, and they add up.
People assume the waste factor is just about breakage. What they don't see is how much is lost to cuts, especially on a project with windows, doors, or corners. The more complex the layout, the more waste you need.
The rule we use now: Calculate the base quantity. Add 5% for general waste. Then add another 2% if the delivery is going to a site with limited access (because damage from handling goes up). Then if the project has more than 10 corners or openings, add another 3%. Total: 10% minimum. And make sure the order's quantity line shows the total including waste, not the base count.
Step 4: Confirm the Color and Finish (The One Everyone Screws Up)
This is the step I missed in 2017. And it's the one I've caught the most errors on since we started the checklist. 15 of our 47 catches were color or finish related.
Here's why it's tricky: brick color varies by kiln run. Even within a single blend, you get variation. That's by design—it's what gives brick its character. But if you're ordering a second batch to match a first batch, you need to check the lot number. If the lot numbers don't match, the color can be noticeably different.
Acme brick's color names (Silver Creek, White, various custom blends) are consistent. But the actual fired product? Can shift. That's not a flaw in the product. That's the nature of clay and firing. But you need to plan for it.
The check: Request a physical sample of the current production run, not just a catalog sample. A catalog sample might be from a year ago. The current run might look slightly different. And if you're matching to existing construction, bring a sample of the existing brick to compare. Delta E of 2 is noticeable to anyone who cares. Delta E of 4? That's visible to most people. (Per Pantone color matching standards, Delta E < 2 is the target for brand-critical colors. For brick, which is less uniform, you have more tolerance—but you still want to be in the ballpark.)
Step 5: Confirm the Delivery Details (Including Access)
This sounds like common sense. But common sense gets skipped under deadline pressure.
Things to confirm with the supplier and the job site:
- Delivery date and time window (and what happens if they miss it)
- Where the truck will offload (curbside? into a driveway? onto a lift?)
- Site access: Is there enough room for a delivery truck? Are there low-hanging wires? Is the ground solid enough for a lift gate?
- Who is responsible for moving the material from the drop point to the work area
- Whether the pallets need to be wrapped or covered for weather protection
I've seen a delivery arrive, and the truck couldn't get closer than 200 feet from the work area because of a gate that was too narrow. That cost the crew half a day in labor moving pallets by hand.
Granted, this requires more upfront communication. But it saves time later. And seriously, it's way less stressful to answer these questions before the truck shows up.
Step 6: Confirm the Backup Plan
Every order needs a backup plan. Not because the supplier is unreliable—acme-brick has been pretty solid in my experience. But because things happen. Production delays. Weather. Trucks breaking down. Inventory running out on a popular blend mid-season.
The backup plan checklist:
- What is the lead time for a reorder if we need more?
- Is the product we're ordering in stock, or is it a special order?
- If it's a special order, what's the return policy if the project changes?
- Who do I call if the delivery doesn't show up on the scheduled day?
- Is there a secondary supplier who stocks the same or equivalent product within a reasonable distance?
I learned this in September 2022—the "three-day delay that turned into a 10-day delay" incident. A truck broke down crossing a state line. The product was on it. The replacement had to be produced from scratch because it was a special order blend. We lost a week. The crew was paid to stand around.
Common Mistakes I Still See (Even from Experienced People)
I keep a log of these. Some of the highlights:
- Ordering without a physical sample. Looking at a screen doesn't tell you what the brick actually looks like in natural light. Get a sample. Hold it next to the existing structure or the mortar you're planning to use.
- Misunderstanding the difference between face brick and common brick. Face brick is graded for appearance. Common brick has more variation. If your project calls for a clean, uniform look, common brick might not cut it.
- Not accounting for mortar joints in the quantity calculation. Mortar joints take up space. If you calculate brick count based on a wall's full surface area, you'll overestimate. The typical mortar joint is 3/8 inch. That adds up over a whole wall.
- Assuming all "red" brick looks the same. Ask anyone who's tried to match a blend from two different suppliers. It rarely works. The color, texture, and size all drift.
- Skipping the delivery access check. I already mentioned this one. It's worth mentioning again because it's the most common avoidable issue we see.
A Note on Pricing and Transparency
This pricing was accurate as of Q4 2024. The market changes fast, so verify current rates before budgeting. But here's something I've learned: the vendor who lists all fees upfront—even if the total looks higher—usually costs less in the end. Because when you see the full price, you budget for it. When you see a low price and then add rush fees, delivery surcharges, and color-match premiums, the total is often more than the "expensive" transparent quote.
I've learned to ask "what's not included" before "what's the price." That one question has saved me a ton of trouble. Not just with brick suppliers. With everyone.
The Final Check
Before you hit submit on that order, run it through this list one more time:
- Does the SKU match the project spec sheet (not just the product name)?
- Are the dimensions and product type confirmed?
- Is the quantity calculated with a proper waste factor (10% minimum)?
- Is the color confirmed with a physical sample from the current production run?
- Are delivery details and site access confirmed?
- Do we have a backup plan if something goes wrong?
I should add that this checklist isn't perfect. Every project has its own quirks. But it's a solid starting point. And if it saves you one redo, it's worth the 15 minutes it takes to go through it.
Trust me on this one. I spent $1,200 to learn how much 15 minutes matters.
Leave a Reply