Applying German smear to a house is cheap if you want to do it independently. An 80-pound bag of premixed mortar costs about $10. Assuming that you need to cover an area of 1,000 square feet, that means using three 80-pound bags of mortar - a total of $30. However, if you want to hire a local contractor, expect the brick staining cost to significantly increase - anywhere between $1,500 to $3,500, depending on where you live. You can always ask for a quote from your local contractor to get an estimate.