Robots on Site? Not Likely – Brickies Still Rule the Trade

Robot bricklayers are being hyped up again – this time with plans to trial them on UK construction sites. The machines, built by Dutch tech firm Monumental, are supposed to lay bricks and mortar using mechanical arms. But anyone who’s spent real time on a building site knows – this idea sounds better on paper than it does in practice.

Each robot can apparently lay around 500 bricks in an eight-hour shift, and yes, they can technically work longer. But let’s be honest – building real homes isn’t just about speed or repetition. It’s about judgement, skill, and adapting to unpredictable site conditions. These robots have only worked in the Netherlands so far, mostly doing clean, flat facades. British sites aren’t that simple – different bonds, irregular corners, scaffold work, tight access – you name it.

The first UK trials are set to happen with London contractor Galostar. Even they admit the robots won’t replace real bricklayers – just "help out." But let’s not kid ourselves: no robot’s crawling up and down scaffolding, battling wind, rain, and ever-changing site setups anytime soon.

Tony Chapman of Galostar says, “Robots don’t need breaks or days off.” Fair enough. But they do need expensive maintenance, human supervision, and perfectly pre-planned site setups to avoid hiccups. That’s not the reality on most UK sites.

Even Monumental’s own co-founder, Salar al Khafaji, admits they’re not selling these robots – they’re offering them as a contract service. So you’re not even buying a tool – you’re hiring a tech company to try and do a brickie’s job with a robot that’s never laid a cavity wall in the British rain.

And as for the claim that these machines can do fancy brickwork "just by programming it in"? That’s a laugh. Ask any proper bricklayer how long it takes to get decorative bonding right in real-world conditions. You don’t get that from punching a few keys on a screen.

Let’s be clear – this tech might help build simple, boring boxes. But when it comes to real bricklaying – the kind with character, precision, and built to last – robots just aren’t up to it.

We’ve heard all this before. First it was 3D printers, then prefabs, now bricklaying bots. But the trade is still standing because there’s no substitute for experience, grit, and the hands of a skilled brickie.

At Bricklayers Online, we’ll keep watching. But we’re not worried. Let them try – they’ll still be calling the real brickies when the job matters.