Walk through any residential estate in Accra or Kumasi and you will find the same pattern: houses built with sandcrete blocks a decade ago now look tired — peeling paint, stained facades, cracked plaster. The owners are spending money every two to three years on repainting and repairs. Meanwhile, the handful of homes built with burnt clay bricks look as good as the day they were finished, with zero maintenance.
This article breaks down the real cost of each option over a 10-year period, so you can make an informed decision for your build.
What are sandcrete blocks?
Sandcrete blocks are the most common walling material in Ghana. Made from a mixture of cement, sand and water, they are moulded and left to cure (rather than fired). They are widely available, relatively cheap per unit and easy to lay. However, they have significant long-term drawbacks in Ghana's climate.
Sandcrete has a porous surface that absorbs moisture and dirt. In Ghana's combination of tropical heat, heavy rainfall and harmattan dust, the surface deteriorates quickly. Exterior walls require painting to look presentable, and that paint begins to peel, fade and crack within two to three years.
What are burnt clay bricks?
Burnt clay bricks are made from natural clay that is shaped and fired at temperatures of 1,000°C or more in a kiln. The firing process permanently fuses the clay particles, creating a dense, durable material. The colour comes from the clay itself — it is not applied to the surface and cannot fade, chip or peel.
Burnt clay bricks are maintenance-free. They do not need to be painted, sealed or coated. They are resistant to moisture, heat and the kind of weathering that degrades painted sandcrete surfaces.
The 10-year cost comparison
The table below compares the costs for a typical three-bedroom residential exterior wall in Ghana (approximately 400 m² of walling surface). All figures are indicative based on current market rates and should be used as a guide only.
| Cost Item | Sandcrete Blocks | Burnt Clay Bricks |
|---|---|---|
| Initial material cost | GH₵ 18,000 – 24,000 | GH₵ 32,000 – 48,000 |
| Plastering & rendering | GH₵ 6,000 – 10,000 | Not required |
| Initial painting (Year 1) | GH₵ 4,000 – 8,000 | Not required |
| Repaint Year 3 | GH₵ 5,000 – 9,000 | GH₵ 0 |
| Repaint Year 6 | GH₵ 5,500 – 10,000 | GH₵ 0 |
| Repaint Year 9 | GH₵ 6,000 – 11,000 | GH₵ 0 |
| Crack repairs (Years 1–10) | GH₵ 3,000 – 6,000 | GH₵ 0 |
| Total 10-year cost | GH₵ 47,500 – 78,000 | GH₵ 32,000 – 48,000 |
The numbers show clearly: what appears cheaper on day one becomes more expensive over time. The savings in initial material cost are eaten up entirely by the ongoing maintenance cycle within the first three to four years.
The hidden costs that don't appear in the table
The table above captures the direct financial costs. But there are additional factors that compound the advantage of burnt clay bricks:
- Time and disruption: Repainting a house means scaffolding, temporary relocation from rooms, and days or weeks of disruption. Over a decade this happens three or four times.
- Kerb appeal and property value: A house with a well-maintained brick facade consistently commands a premium resale value compared to a painted sandcrete building that shows its age.
- Ghana's climate acceleration: The combination of UV exposure, humid heat and harmattan dust in Ghana degrades painted surfaces faster than in temperate climates. The maintenance cycle is shorter, not longer.
- Labour cost inflation: Painting and plastering labour costs in Ghana have risen significantly year-on-year. Each repaint cycle will cost more in real terms than the one before it.
- Peace of mind: A brick facade simply requires no thought. There is no calendar reminder to schedule repainting, no negotiating with painters, no worry about matching the original colour.
The bottom line: Burnt clay bricks cost more upfront, but the lifecycle cost over 10 years is lower than sandcrete blocks with their associated maintenance. By year 4, most brick projects have broken even. By year 10, the brick building is cheaper — and looks far better.
When sandcrete blocks may still make sense
For internal partition walls and non-visible structural elements, sandcrete blocks remain a practical choice. The maintenance argument applies to exterior-facing surfaces — internal walls do not face the same weathering pressures. Many builders use a hybrid approach: sandcrete for the main structure, with clay brick or terracotta tile cladding on the exterior.
What to ask your builder
If you are at the planning stage, ask your contractor to price both options for the exterior walls — including not just the material cost but the plastering, rendering and initial painting for the sandcrete option. When the full year-one cost is visible side by side, the gap narrows significantly. Add in three repainting cycles and the clay brick option wins on cost alone.
Ready to price your project with burnt clay bricks?
Bricmates supplies premium burnt clay bricks and terracotta tiles across Ghana. We provide free project consultations and will advise on quantities, specifications and pricing for your specific build. Contact us via WhatsApp or the contact form and we will respond within 24 hours.