I have just built two pillars, 8 feet high by 1.1/2 feet square. The bricks i used to match were not cheap, even though, nothing like the costs you have got Chris.
Bricks, Cement, Sand, Ballast, 2 Sand Stone Pier Caps, I used scaffold poles as reinforcing inserts in the pillars.
Cost of materials was around £550 including foundations, no labour costs. The cost of the brick you use will be the biggest cost difference.
Hope you find a company to give you a fair price for the work.