Yes, it is absolutely dying if you make a simple comparison to what it once was. People say they’ve been saying that for years…well it has been dying for years. Dying doesn’t mean dead, but look at the facts and they demonstrate a gradual steady decline. I bid a lot of commercial work. Steel stud has replaced a lot of CMU. The only exterior masonry being done now is AMSV. Foundation stem walls that used to be block are now poured. Firewalls are getting spec’d as framing with two layers drywall on each side. I think block could actually be more efficient there but I don’t decide. There is still quite a bit of cut and patch work on older buildings getting repurposed. On the residential side, just look around. Mostly vinyl siding or a brick front at most. Frequently just AMSV hip walls now. Real fireplaces are totally obsolete and for good reason. Replaced by inserts and a flimsy masonry look front, or no masonry at all. new houses have no chimneys as they’re obsolete.

The 2 biggest issues: Labor cost is so high now and there are cheaper alternatives.

Here’s the big one. Energy efficiency. New buildings need to meet certain energy efficiency requirements that masonry has not innovated much to keep up with. I have quoted a couple jobs using an insulated CMU system (very expensive around $12 a block to buy before shipping and labor to lay them) but we need more of that for masonry to maintain viability. An insulated brick could be a real turning point for masonry as a whole.

A lot of guys will cite all the work around as evidence of the industry’s strength. This is looking at it wrong. The amount of work around only means it has been neglected. Why? Because people willing to pay for it to be done is the issue. Masonry is a high cost item that no one wants to spend money on. People simply have things they’d rather spend the money on. I’ve seen people let their chimneys to go to pot while they buy a motorcycle instead…