If you're in the business of installing bricks and pavers, you'll need the right supplies and equipment. Having a creative eye is half the battle, but you also must be able to execute the plan you and your customer decide on. You can do this by making sure you're prepared for each and every job.

Being prepared means having a few basic supplies to use. Sure, every job is different, but there are several tools you'll need on a regular basis, no matter who your client is or what kind of brick pavers he or she wants installed. Consider the following:

1. Use tools and equipment to dig out a trench to prepare for brick placement. You won't have to dig as deeply if you use thin brick pavers.

2. Take the time to install edging to hold the pavers in place. You may be able to pick this up from the brick supply company you use.

3. Make sure you trim the bricks and pavers to fit into the design your client wants. You can do this with a masonry saw.

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Prepare for installing brick pavers with tools for trenching

Digging out the trench to make room for the pavers is the most labor-intensive part of the process. You do have a few options here. You can use a sod cutter to rip up the grass, dirt and roots in the area. You can use a good shovel or trencher to dig everything up and create nice edges. You can use a power edger to cut straight lines along the sides of the trench. If you use a combination of these things, you'll move along much more quickly than if you tried to do it all by hand.

I recommend: Choose one of the sod cutters at Commercial Grounds Care to speed up your jobs. Lowe's carries a wide variety of shovels for excavating and trench digging, and with stores all across the United States, it is easily accessible. ECHO has a couple of professional edgers to choose from. If you want to make sure you're excavating properly, check out the how-to guide from Grounds Maintenance.

Install edging to hold paver stones in place

It's wise to use something to keep the pavers in place on each side. You can use two-by-fours, but it's better to use special edging that will support the bricks on the side as well as the bottom. These are installed much like traditional landscape edging: You hold it in place and drive a stake through it into the earth. They're well worth the trouble if you want your job to look professional for years to come.

I recommend: Consider using the metal edging at Dreamscape Outdoor Living & Garden, which is made specifically for holding brick pavers in place. You can find similar products at Valley View Industries as well as a handy installation guide.

Invest in a brick saw so you can cut brick pavers to the right size

Masonry saws can cost you a pretty penny. But if you want to run your business properly, you're going to have to have some way of cutting bricks and pavers. End pieces will all have to be trimmed to make nice, straight lines. These saws are essential for making sure you give the customer what he or she is looking for.

I recommend: Check out the different saws and helpful info at Master Wholesale. You'll find quite a few Husqvarna-Partner saws at mytoolstore.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Additional supplies for bricks and pavers include gravel and sand for leveling the area to be worked on, a compactor (rolling or flat) to tamp down the gravel and sand, string for mapping out patterns and a screed board for ensuring that you're working with a smooth surface.
• •  If you've found a vendor that sells wholesale brick pavers, you may be able to purchase supplies from the company as well. It's ideal to find a company that can act as a one-stop shop for your ongoing supply needs (i.e., pick up string, gravel and sand when you go pick up the pavers).

Bricks and pavers come in all shapes and sizes to suit the many tastes of the home or business construction customers to whom you cater. The difference between a brick and a paver is that pavers are designed for sidewalks and driveways, while bricks are designed for veneering. Pavers are denser and generally more expensive than brick because they take more of a direct beating than brick installed vertically on a wall.

Brick may have a higher up-front cost compared to vinyl or wood siding, but many of your construction customers will opt for this timeless, maintenance-free alternative, recognizing that it increases resale values down the road. Consider the following measures when planning and estimating your customers’ brick projects:

1. Get samples of brick styles and mortar colors from a brick supplier from which to have your customer choose.

2. Ensure your customers understand that oversized or handmade looking brick is more costly, while a square red brick, or modular brick, will be the least expensive.

3. Offer to use recycled or reclaimed brick for a building or paving project to add historical value and promote resource conservation to customers concerned with such details.

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Consider the many possibilities with bricks and pavers design

Brick can be a welcome addition to any new construction project, whether it's a new home or a business expansion. Brick can add beauty and value to the project. It's best to develop an ongoing relationship with your brick supplier to ensure you receive the best wholesale brick pricing for your customers' construction projects.

I recommend: Glen-Gery Brick offers many different brick styles to meet the demands of your customers. Check out Hanson Brick, which divides its offerings into styles that reflect different regions in the United States.

Pave your way to success with brick pavers

Pavers can be a beautiful addition to the landscape of any home that you're building, and can spruce up existing landscaping at businesses. Suggest to your business customers including a lovely curved path of brick pavers in lieu of a concrete sidewalk to welcome customers with class. If you're lucky enough to find genuine antique street pavers, snatch them up, but you can find new wholesale brick pavers in many attractive styles.

I recommend: Boral Bricks, the largest brick supply company in the United States, produces brick pavers in several styles, colors and sizes. The City Line of pavers from Belden Brick can provide a safe, attractive walking surface for the public. Stone City USA is a good place to find wholesale brick pavers for residential or commercial applications. Historical Bricks is the largest supplier of antique bricks in the United States.

Use imagination to create a beautiful veneer or sidewalk with bricks

Get creative with bricks and pavers and add visual interest to your customers' construction projects using techniques such as herringbone, basketweave or soldier coursing or bullnose (curved) brick to project the accents. Adding details will help to break up any monotony in a brick veneer. Confer with your brick supplier and your mason to research ideas and take advantage of their design tools.

I recommend: Triangle Brick prides itself on color consistency and a variety of brick choices, and allows you to see how the brick has been used on various projects in your area. Redland Brick has a "Virtual Mason" tool to demonstrate how their brick will look in different applications.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When writing a contract with a mason, make sure it specifies who will pay for the brick paver's supplies.

Bricks and pavers add a different type of beauty to buildings and properties; one that homeowners and businesses owners are willing to pay handsomely for. From brick veneer siding to driveways with interlocking pavers, you'll be well compensated for your time if you have the training to do the job well.

There are numerous ways to get the education you need, and it doesn't take long to learn this trade. By the time you order your first load of wholesale brick pavers, you'll be well on your way to success. Consider the following when looking for bricks and pavers education and training:

1. Get basic knowledge of pavers, bricks and masonry techniques. You'll need this before you can get to work.

2. Use manuals as guides when you stumble across something you're unsure about. Projects like installing indoor brick pavers are not very common, so you may need some extra guidance.

3. Check out instructional videos on how to properly install bricks and pavers. Watching someone else do a clean installation will give you the knowledge you need to execute a job.

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Learn the basics of working with bricks and pavers

Before you try to get a job or start your own company, you should be familiar with the basics. This includes everything from masonry and installing bricks to screeding and laying pavers. You'll need to know about planning and excavating, mixing mortar and grout and squarely laying bricks and pavers.

I recommend: Get certified with one of the programs offered by the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. There are also a variety of workshops you can take from the National Concrete Masonry Association. Both ICPI and NCMA offer classes around the country. If you have the time to travel, consider taking the course at the School for Advanced Segmental Paving, which is offered at the company's headquarters in Wisconsin.

Read technical notes and manuals regarding projects using bricks and pavers

To build upon your training, it's a good idea to take a look at some how-to guides. By expanding your knowledge, you can take on more jobs and make more money. Having these resources will help you immensely. A specialty brick supplier may also provide you with instructions on how to install their products.

I recommend: Check out the technical notes available from The Brick Industry Association. Use the online manual from PAVE TECH to help you get started on a project using pavers.

Watch instructional videos explaining how to lay thin brick, pavers and more

If you want to know more about a specific job, you can watch videos to find out how it's done. You can find videos on almost anything, and watching someone else perform a job give you the guidance you need.

I recommend: Watch the great video at YouTube that shows a paver job from start to finish. Check out the thin brick-laying technique of the mason featured on Vintage Brick Salvage.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Reclaimed brick is popular nowadays because of the movement to recycle and reuse products. If you ever order any used bricks or pavers, know how to spot the ones that may not be up to par for use in a job. Products with significant cracking and wear may not hold up very well.

Bricks and pavers key terms can be important to the professional or the home fix-it person alike. Whether you are a skilled masonry professional, you are the consumer in need of brickwork to be done, or you are going to attempt to do the work yourself, familiarizing yourself with the terminology will help you in all aspects of your project. You will be better able to communicate when you make your purchase as well as better understand any directions or information on the project.

Many bricks and pavers key terms involve the patterns laid out in the bricks. Brick patterns vary by what aesthetic look needs to be achieved as well as how much structural support is necessary. Knowing the terms and being able to discuss them will make you better suited to be a part of the project.

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Stretcher

When a brick is described as a stretcher, it means that it is being placed so that its two by six face is exposed, or meaning that it is being shown longways.

I recommend: Find out the many applications of stretchers at Watson and Sons Masonry.

Header

When a brick is described as a header, it means that it is being placed so that its two by three face is exposed.

I recommend: Find out more about header bricks from Carson, Dunlop & Associates.

Running bond, stack bond, stretcher bond

A running bond, also called a stack bond or stretcher bond, is a brick pattern that has the joins of each row of brick centered on the brick in the row beneath it. It is a common bond type, but is not very structurally strong or aesthetically interesting.

I recommend: Check out the sketch and info on the running bond comparative to other types of brick bond at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission.

Raking stretcher bond

The raking stretcher bond is like the running bond, except that instead of overlapping the bricks by a half a brick, it is usually only by a third or a quarter of a brick.

I recommend: Find out more about the raking stretcher bond from ReliableRemodeler.com.

Flemish bond

The Flemish bond is like a running bond, except it alternates stretchers and headers.

I recommend: Learn more about the Flemish bond at the Brick Industry Association.

Herringbone

Herringbone is a pattern that uses diagonal rows of bricks that are laid in alternating directions.

I recommend: Compare a herringbone to a traditional brick pattern at FireplacesNow.com.