Bricklayer Gold Coast
"Building the Goldie, Brick by Brick."
Tony Steenson
WHAT IS BRICKLAYING?
The Gold Coast is Exploding
The imprint of a bricklayer stays long after the project is complete. On the Gold Coast – where architects are genuinely ambitious about what brick can do and homeowners expect their builds to reflect it – Gold Coast bricklaying is not a commodity service. It requires someone who has spent years learning the difference between work that passes and work that holds up for hundreds of years.
Steenson Brick & Blocklaying works across the Gold Coast and surrounding suburbs – Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach, Robina, Broadbeach, Varsity Lakes, Coolangatta and Tweed Heads – on residential and commercial projects of all scales.
OUR APPROACH
The Steenson Gang approach to Gold Coast Bricklaying
Tony Steenson, of Steenson Brick and Blocklaying has been working in the industry for decades, across all of Australia. But the Gold Coast is where he now calls home. He is proud to have worked on some of Australia’s best and most beautiful homes for leading builders, architects and their customers.
To Tony bricklaying is a privilege. He works long days and weekends to get the jobs done. He is the first on site in the morning, and ensures the site is tidy and ready to go for the next day before he drives home. A great bricklayer works fast and accurately so having the site set up means the whole team can be efficient from the very first moment of the next morning.
If you’re a builder or a private client and you want to get the Steenson gang on your project then give Tony a call. Tony will discuss the plans, the job any challenges or complexity upfront in his friendly and transparent way.
THE CRAFT (OUR PHILOSOPHY)
"Nothing is difficult in the building industry to me. I don’t have to work out how I’m going to do it. I just know."
Tony has been around bricklaying his whole life. His father was a bricklayer – a quiet, quality-first tradesperson who taught him early that speed is something that follows, not something you chase. By the time Tony finished his four-year apprenticeship at twenty-one, he was proficient across every aspect of the trade. Over thirty years later, that foundation has only deepened.
The Gold Coast suits the way he likes to work. It draws architects who push at what brick can do – long, unique format bricks, deliberate shadow effects, ornamental patterning, feature arches, and curved walls are just some of the bricklaying trends in Southeast Queensland. Curved walls are one of Tony’s favourite things to lay. He describes it simply: if it doesn’t flow, it doesn’t work. That’s the kind of intuition that comes with a lifetime of experience.
“You give me a monkey and I can teach him to lay a brick in a week,” he says. “But the this type of work – having the skills to pull that off – that’s something else.”
Hit-and-miss screens, dog-toothing, stacked bond curves, deliberate lipping for shadow effect: the current generation of Gold Coast architects asks for all of it, and Tony loves the challenge.
CONSIDERATIONS
Things worth knowing before you hire a blocklayer.
Face brick or render – which way is the Gold Coast going?
Face bricks are back. After a long run of rendered finishes, house bricks have been returning to style across the Gold Coast for the last decade or more. Long-format, European-style bricks – up to 460mm long and just 50mm high – have become a marker of architectural ambition on the coast. If you’re building or renovating, it’s worth having an inspirational conversation about what’s possible with brick before defaulting to render.
What mortar finish suits your project?
White mortar with fine, clean sand is the dominant look on the Gold Coast right now – bright, clean, and well-suited to the light and the coastal aesthetic. But mortar can also be kept flush for a smoother face, raked out to create depth and shadow between the bricks, or sponged to soften the finish. Oxides can shift the colour if a specific tone is needed. There are many options available to give your home it’s unique character.
Curved walls, arches, and ornamental work – what's involved?
Decorative brickwork requires a different level of skill and takes more time than standard laying. Curved walls are done entirely by eye and feel – there’s no string line – and tight curves often require bricks to be cut into halves or thirds. Arches, dog-toothing, hit-and-miss screens, and intentional shadow effects are all achievable, but complexity can slow things down if you don’t have the right team on the job. If your plans include any ornamental detailing, talk to Tony – he has the experience to help it flow.
How do you spot quality brickwork?
It’s all about the lines. Consistent joint sizes – both the horizontal bed joints and the vertical joints where bricks meet should be even throughout. If your eye is drawn to something that looks crooked, out of line, or inconsistent, something is off. Tony also pays attention to how a crew keeps their site. A messy work site is usually a warning sign. People tend to work the way they live.
Face brick or render – which way is the Gold Coast going?
Face bricks are back. After a long run of rendered finishes, house bricks have been returning to style across the Gold Coast for the last decade or more. Long-format, European-style bricks – up to 460mm long and just 50mm high – have become a marker of architectural ambition on the coast. If you’re building or renovating, it’s worth having an inspirational conversation about what’s possible with brick before defaulting to render.
What mortar finish suits your project?
White mortar with fine, clean sand is the dominant look on the Gold Coast right now – bright, clean, and well-suited to the light and the coastal aesthetic. But mortar can also be kept flush for a smoother face, raked out to create depth and shadow between the bricks, or sponged to soften the finish. Oxides can shift the colour if a specific tone is needed. There are many options available to give your home it’s unique character.
Curved walls, arches, and ornamental work ...
Decorative brickwork requires a different level of skill and takes more time than standard laying. Curved walls are done entirely by eye and feel – there’s no string line – and tight curves often require bricks to be cut into halves or thirds. Arches, dog-toothing, hit-and-miss screens, and intentional shadow effects are all achievable, but complexity can slow things down if you don’t have the right team on the job. If your plans include any ornamental detailing, talk to Tony – he has the experience to help it flow.
How do you spot quality brickwork?
It’s all about the lines. Consistent joint sizes – both the horizontal bed joints and the vertical joints where bricks meet should be even throughout. If your eye is drawn to something that looks crooked, out of line, or inconsistent, something is off. Tony also pays attention to how a crew keeps their site. A messy work site is usually a warning sign. People tend to work the way they live.
WHY STEENSON BRICK AND BLOCKLAYING?
Work he can drive home feeling great about
Tony knows the feeling at the end of a job where everything is right. That feeling matters to him, it’s a standard he has carried since he learned the trade from his father.
Builders on the Gold Coast who work with Steenson regularly come back because they know what they’re getting. If you’re building something worth building, reach out.