The brick veneer trap — why "brick" on a property record may misprice your rebuild
By Severance Calculator Editorial · Updated
The problem
Tax assessor records and many carrier intake forms simply ask "brick" or "frame" — they do not distinguish brick veneer from full masonry. The two construction types differ structurally and in rebuild cost. A frame house with brick veneer is 1.07× the frame baseline. A solid masonry house is 1.22× the baseline. The 15-percentage-point gap matters at total loss.
The data
A 2,000 sqft Middle Atlantic home at NAHB 2024 baseline $188/sqft: frame baseline $376,000; brick veneer $402,000; full masonry $459,000. Pre-1940 brick rowhomes in NYC and Philadelphia are typically full masonry; suburban 1960s-1990s "brick" homes are typically brick veneer. Misclassification at quote time → 15-25% Coverage A error.
What to do
Inspect the wall section at a window jamb. If you see two layers of brick or stone with wall ties (brick veneer = single course over frame; full masonry = double course or solid). Take photos. Match this to your carrier intake. If the carrier records "brick" without distinguishing, follow up in writing to clarify which subtype your home is.