Cutting bricks 20 percent more expensive | Economie

The Limburg Vandersanden Group informed its customers at the end of August that brick prices would rise by 20 percent from September 1. “We can’t account for all of the cost increases,” CEO Rudy Peters says. “But we need a minimum margin to run the plant.”

Competitor Weinerberger is on the same path. After the brick giant has already gone through a 6 percent price increase on May 1, the company will increase prices for all products again from January 1, 2023. The average increase is 22 percent for facing bricks, quick-build bricks, and clay pavers. For roof tiles, the price increases by 20 percent. The company faces more expensive energy and labor costs, but its suppliers have also raised prices. “We can absorb some of the price increases ourselves, but that won’t last in the long term,” says Catherine Notbert, commercial director at De Tijd.

Advertisements are causing disruptions in the construction industry. After the Corona crisis caused the prices of building materials to rise sharply and disrupted the supply of materials, the war in Ukraine threw an additional key in the works. Raw materials and materials from Ukraine and Russia, such as steel or aluminum, are becoming more and more rare and more expensive. Since June, prices have calmed down and there has been “stability at a high level”. But materials that require a lot of energy to produce are becoming much more expensive. In addition, delivery times for bricks, roof tiles and glass products are also increasing.