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Better Communities Begin with Brick, Block & Stone

MASONRY ORDINANCES PROTECT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Brick Helps Maintain Quality Construction in High-Growth Areas

"A builder only owns a home as long as it takes to sell it. A buyer may own the home for 5-7 years. But our community owns the home forever. No one has a greater stake in the quality of what's built in our city than we do." -- City Planner, Aurora, Colorado

Some call it new urbanism. Some call it green building, and others call it just plain smart. However it's termed, communities throughout America (and Colorado) are enacting masonry ordinances to combat substandard construction and manage the quality of new development. Local governments favor masonry standards because they provide a tangible way to guarantee the durability, safety and curb appeal of new buildings in their communities. Masonry guidelines ensure that new homes and schools are built to last and to require little or no exterior maintenance. Masonry guidelines guarantee that apartments and town homes are built to resist fire, hail and wind. And last but not least, masonry requirements leave plenty of room for individual - expression and design choices.

Citizens like the standards, too, because they are an insurance policy of sorts on the future direction of their neighborhood or community. Well-built homes and commercial buildings retain their value and add to the prestige of the community, and that translates into safer, more desirable neighborhoods and higher resale values for homeowners.

If you would like to put a stop to "disposable buildings" in your community, please contact Larisa LaBrant at the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute for more information or to request a presentation on masonry guidelines.

For community case studies and sample masonry ordinances, click here.
For Frequently Asked Questions on building homes with brick, block and stone,
click here.
Download a simple worksheet to help you determine what it costs to build your home with brick (instead of vinyl, hardboard or synthetic stucco).
Watch a video presentation on the benefits of establishing masonry guidelines in your community (Approx. 10min). Select the appropriate connection speed below to view the video. Please be patient -- the download may take a few minutes.

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