‘Builders will adapt’: What buyers need to know about WA’s brick shortage

Rather than stopping new homes from being built, a brick shortage in Western Australia may ultimately point to another way forward: building homes differently.Double brick construction remains more popular in WA than in other Australian states. Image: GettyWA's new home-building market is contending with higher costs, economic uncertainty and softer buyer sentiment. Now, a shortage of bricks has added another pressure point.But the shortage may be less a roadblock than an accelerant for a broader change in the way WA builds homes. Industry figures say buyers should not be deterred, with builders turning to alternative construction methods to navigate the constraint – some of which can deliver homes up to 30% faster than traditional double brick.The squeeze can be largely attributed to an imbalance in supply and dmand: WA currently builds more homes than its local brick supply can comfortably support.Michael McGowan, executive director of the Housing Industry Association (HIA) WA, explained that the number of homes being delivered was growing by around 10% to 15%, while brick manufacturing capacity has not kept pace.Midland Brick, the state’s sole remaining local brick manufacturer,...