The ABBTF was misquoted in Yesterdays telegraph article: Huge demand for brickies: Much moolah to be had for willing workers by NEIL KEENE, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, MARCH 03, 2015
Bricklayer Shortage and Rates
I wish to correct the report in the Sydney Daily Telegraph and syndicated across other press outlets in other states on bricklayer earnings.
Bricklayers do not earn $6,000 over four days as reported, as a bricklayer cannot lay 1,500 per day.
Bricklayers on average lay 300-500 bricks per day subject to weather conditions and the complexity of the job. The current rates in Sydney are around $1.50 per 1,000 and can be as high as $1.90. This is due to a shortage of bricklayers driven by a sharp rise in construction activity. Dwelling starts have increased by 67% in three years.
Rates are higher in the commercial market and Sydney has the highest proportion of commercial work in the country. Rates in regional New South Wales and other states are much lower than the Sydney rates.
The article does highlight the shortage and ABBTF are continuing their work in recruiting people for the trade across the country.
We currently have 200 apprentice vacancies and are conducting interviews, work ready courses and trials to improve apprentice starts.
Contact Geoff Noble on 03 9556 3033 or 1300 66 44 96 for the ABBTF office in your state.
Geoff Noble
ABBTF CEO
$1.50 per 1,000 bricks is a bit rough.
Im in south Australia and company are paying 85cents per brick that is rough . There are bricklayers who gave up the tools as it dosent pay .
That math isn’t right at all. $1.50 for 1000 bricks laid. At 500 bricks per day that’s less than a meal for 2 days work. I doubt you are getting anyone to work doing anything for that little money much less a skilled profession like brick laying. The people doing the job would not only be homeless but they would also starve toi death in a couple months. not to mention the wear and tear on their hands and backs from the work.
I’m a bricklayer who consistently lays over 900 bricks per day and my brother, also a bricklayer can lay over 1500 bricks on his own per day. We work extremely hard to achieve these amounts. However, it does take a toll on your body over the years. So it’s important to earn the most you can in the early years as you will need that money later on in life for your medical costs. I would not encourage anyone to take up this profession as the pitfalls far outweigh the rewards.
1500 a day hahaha where you working cos I need to see the quality of these jobs you peanut
I would love to say that yes I will lay 1500 plus bricks on a straight wall with high quality. And I back it up with paying 4$ for every brick that doesn’t meet the line.
Builders are still trying to screw brickies for $0.85-$1.00 per brick. Trying to run a crew with numbers of 300-500 bricks laid per day, per man, is not financially viable. Some even ask you to supply sand cement for those prices – it’s a joke! So many are leaving the trade because there is no regulation & so much sham contracting going on! As a boss you are working for less than a weekly wage by the time you have paid all your wages, insurances & other overheads. Hourly rate per man is the only way to make any money as a Bricklayer, along with charging extras. If they are laying straight continuous runs & working long ridiculous hours then maybe those numbers would be possible. Generally though this is not the case.
I live in the United States. I have been laying brick for over 30 years and .40-.45 cents a brick on residential homes in my area is max. I would love to get a dollar per brick.
I’m been a bricklayer for 37 years I have had two knees replaced Two back operations and I’m sick of people saying that bricklayers make to much money. To this day I have not seen anyone hesitate in paying a plumber or Sparky $100.00 per hr and they can still work when it is raining I would like to see a lot more people doing what bricks do day in and day out and see how hard it is to make a living so to all the critics you can all go and get stuffed because the way things are going there will be no one to lay your bricks soom.
I’m a brick layer from Texas not just brick. Cmu ston flag stone and stucco. I so it all I’m 32 years old and been on the trade since I was 15. I just want to say that being a mason takes art and loving what you do to actually be good and call your self a mason. After that I will say , I have yet to meet a fellow who can lay as much as I can in one day . And that goes for it all brick block and stone!
Im a bricklayer in Melbourne 20yrs experience im getting up 2 $1.30 a brick now and i will be pushing for more end of the year as whatvi have seen the last couple of years the standard has droped at a alarming rate i have 7small builder’s and also owner Builders, lay close to 800 a day consistently 10hr days thou laying 1500 in a day is bullshit rough as guts and u would need 2 laborers to keep up
I was a pro brickies labourer for 5 years solid ,as a gybrock flusher having good trowel finishing skills the bricklayer I was doing 1 on 1 feeding him good consistent mud and doing all other tasks ahead of him ,he was 45 years of age ,me I was 35 years old he’s 6 foot 5 inch built like tony locket the full forward of Sydney swans ,on a bloody great day from from string line on 10 hr day 1/2 hr for lunch two smoko breaks total 20 mins ,laying tumble roughies broom handle stick bedding in I’ll do all the finishing off setting up new walls ,we would lay a max of 1100 standard size face bricks ,cream yellow mud on red pinkys .but next day you doing little panels and big window frames take a lot of brick space lost a average day was 500 cheers captain fix it
That’s good to know that you’ve got 200 vacancies for apprentices. I’ve got a nephew who needs some job experience so I’ll pass this along to his dad. Thanks for the information.
Thank you Brayden