Cost of labourers

I need to move around 18 cubic metres of mixed sandstone lumps and dirt from beneath our deck, where I plan a new workshop.

Whilst I could DIY, times precious, so I plan to get it done. No room for a bob cat or any like machine, its a hand job, so to speak.

If you say 6 x barrows to a cubic metre thats 108 barrows. The rubble is only being moved around 10 metres away - on the flat. I'm thinking 6 barrows an hour for a 6 hour day = 36 per day, so a total of about 3 days.

I'm told a labourer will take $20/hour cash. Alternatively a rubbish remover landscaper will want $40, but comes with insurance etc and supervision.

The costs are either circa $400 or circa $800.

I'd appreciate any comments or advice, particularly on my calculations

You would be lucky to find someone to work for $20 an hour these days, maybe the neighbours kid ?
$30 to $40 is more like it. How much do you earn per hour and dont forget all the add ons.

A builder I worked for hired a new labourer. First day he showed up in a Merc. Later that day the builder told him to stay out of a particular room because he was throwing bricks down there. Ten minutes later we heard a scream, and the labourer was clutching his head. I saw it, and it was just a scratch (that he obviously put there himself), but he was whingeing like there was no tommorrow. The boss insisted that he drive him to the hospital, but he wouldn't have a bar of it, and he jumped in his Merc and sped off.
Of course the boss gets a letter from his solicitor, and it was on. I had to go to court three times as a witness, and the last time I wasn't working for the same bloke, so I lost a days pay as well.
The bloke lost the claim in the end, partly because it turned out that it was his fifth compo claim.

You'd better be careful if you've got no insurance. There's a lot of ratbags out there, and it could cost you your house if someone puts their back out :rolleyes: on your job.

I wouldn't do it for $20 an hour.

When you say there is no room for a bobcat does that mean the guy can not stand upright or what.
I think your calculations are way out,from what you say IE sandstone lumps he has to lift each one into the barrow, that in itself is not easy over a six hour period, are the lumps lying on the surface or has he got to dig them out.

It may be a good idea to try it yourself over a 4 hour period and then that will give you some idea of the time it will take.

i dont think its going to be as straight forward as you think.
good luck anyway.

what about a dingo loader, they're quite narrow

You are being overly generous with the barrow loads I rekon, six per metre is a pretty big barrow. Best way to move this amount of material from hard to get places is contact the local footy or rugby club. Offer them cash donation in return for the fella's moving the rubble. Put on a BBQ for lunch and everyone is happy. This is quite a common way to get labour for digging pools in difficult places. Club is happy as it is a good money earner and many of the guys will show up with a barrow and shovel if you say you need them.

i have used job placement businesses before.
like , "Skilled " etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Burnsy

You are being overly generous with the barrow loads I rekon, six per metre is a pretty big barrow. .

---

Good point. There's 25 barrows to a metre of concrete, and a builder's barrow is 95 litres, so to do a metre in six barrows you'd have to pile it up to double its capacity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bodgy

I need to move around 18 cubic metres of mixed sandstone lumps and dirt from beneath our deck, where I plan a new workshop.

---

We use to work on about 12 barrows to the m3...

Post a picture or two of the proposed work area, it maybe that a 2 -4t onne excavator could do the digging / moving of the materials ... or perhaps a dingo, about $200 a day hire rate last I looked (12 months ago)

not sure if Dingo will work for your space or not, but i hired one for this weekend, and i am more than happy with it. its just great to work on narrow places.

i have this ally on left of my house about 1100mm and Dingo is 1050mm, it worked great in that ally.

paid $200 for whole weekend to RiteWay Hire, Sussex Street, Coburg North.

You can get labourers for that price down at your local backpackers lodge if you have one nearby. Normally pretty good as long as you supervise.

Thanks for the responses.

1. You can get labourers for $20 hour, my son and his mates get that
2. Yes, all the info on wheelbarrow capacity is very vague, maybe 12 per cubic mt is closer to the mark
3. Good idea re the Rugby club, pity its summer. I doubt cricketers would have the same enthusiasm
4. No room even for a dingo, also the area is adjacent to the pool, and I don't want the tiles cracked. The posts preclude manouvering room, and I'd hate to think what happens if you accidentally take one out. See pics
5. Plenty of head room for a labourer

What I think I'll do is offer $1000 for the job, providing they carry their own insurance,

Echidna, I wouldn't pay you $20 an hour!

Are you taking it right back to that white brick wall I see under the verandah and level with the tiles on the lower level? That is alot of digging not impossible but alot of digging question if you are going to that white wall I can see and level to the tiles are you not going to be below the footings of that brick wall and you will almost certainly have to put up a retaining wall I am just going from the pics!I first looked at the middle post holding up the verandah and thought if you take all that dirt out you will come very close to exposing the footing but now I look at the lot and i think you will come close to exposing all of them or are you going to do away with the posts and put in a spreader beam through? BIG JOB who ever is digging it!

Hi Bodgy

Just going on the machine suggestion. There looks to be enough room for a machine in there from the photos and if you use a rubber tracked machine then there would be less chance of tile cracking than people walking on it.

How much space is there between the pool and workface. I recently moved my water tank (again :rolleyes:) and used a dingo to dig it out and we had the machine in the hole to dig it.

Worth a thought :D ..... damn those anti slavery people :wink:

Also, what happens if an uninsured fellow does a back injury, are you liable. If so it would probably cost a bit.

Personally, I would be using a 2 - 4 tonne digger with rubber tracks or a dingo for the job.

but thats just me :)

Good point made before about exposing the house footings...how far down do those light colour bricks go? If above your finished excavation level you will need to get some plan to retain and protect the house edge...may need engineering? not sure...

I would suggest like Terrian- get a mini rubber track excavator (smallest you can get like a 1.4 Kobelco) to sit side on and dig out, then a dingo to come in from the side, wiihout the need for turning, and grab the dirt that comes out, then take it once away from tiled area

you know, the more I look at those pics the more I think to myself that it looks like a cut & fill site, and digging down to the level you want will be below the foundation of the house.

Can you stand up under the house (as shown in the picts) ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bodgy

Thanks for the responses.

1. You can get labourers for $20 hour, my son and his mates get that
2. Yes, all the info on wheelbarrow capacity is very vague, maybe 12 per cubic mt is closer to the mark
3. Good idea re the Rugby club, pity its summer. I doubt cricketers would have the same enthusiasm
4. No room even for a dingo, also the area is adjacent to the pool, and I don't want the tiles cracked. The posts preclude manouvering room, and I'd hate to think what happens if you accidentally take one out. See pics
5. Plenty of head room for a labourer

What I think I'll do is offer $1000 for the job, providing they carry their own insurance,

Echidna, I wouldn't pay you $20 an hour!

---

I think you have the answer to your problem in line marked 1,
tax free for them as well and a barbie and a slab thrown in.

Cheers Fred

Thanks again for the suggestions.

The pictures are a little misleading. The stuff to be moved is just rubble, I'm guessing from when the pool went in. The house sits on brick piles built straight onto the sandstone bedrock. The actual footings for the white brick wall are well below the area I'm clearing. All I'm doing is removing the rubble. Either end of the rubble pile you can clearly see the bricks go down well below the level I'm planning.

Regarding the Dingo, that certainly sounds the best option, if it can be manouvered. I'll see if I can get a quote with brave operator. I can see myself and the Dingo taking a swim - its only 2 metres to the pool edge.

Fred, you're correct, using the kids is the first thing one would consider, however the idea of trying to keep my boy focussed and working is laughable. He'll work hard for strangers, but the old man! Hah Hah.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zelig

You can get labourers for that price down at your local backpackers lodge if you have one nearby. Normally pretty good as long as you supervise.

---

Thats the way to get cheap help. I've done this a few times and a mate has done it even more, Its always worked out great. Only problem is transport but I always offer to pick up from the local train station.

Hey bodgy

I am rambling here so grab a stiff whisky or look away.........now...

Yep 2metres is tight :oo:.

This is the smallest of the dingos and its specs are as follows.

http://www.dingo.ws/html/images/k93b.jpg

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">Dimensional Specifications

</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">A. Overall

</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">1050mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">B. Overall Length:

</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">1565mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">C. Overall

</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">1200mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">D. Maximum Operating Height

with 4 in 1 Bucket:

</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">2080mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">E. Turning Radius with 4 in 1 Bkt:

</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">1300mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">F. Angle of Departure:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

20º

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">G. Wheel Base:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

710-800mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">H. Ground Clearance: </TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

135mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">I. Dump Height with Std Bkt:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

1240mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">J. Reach Fully Raised Std Bkt:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

600mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">K. Dump Height with 4 in 1 Bkt:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

1750mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">L. Reach Fully Raised 4 in 1:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

600mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">M. Height to Hinge Pin: </TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

1680mm

</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#fdfee9><TD noWrap width="50%">N. Machine width with 4 in 1 Bkt:</TD><TD noWrap width="50%">

1050mm

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

they also make a dumper for material dumping as well but havent seen them around up here perhaps in the city they do

http://www.dingo.ws/html/images/dumpa3.jpg

I reckon that if you could get a hold of the dumpa from a hire place for probably $200 a day (Dingo would know where) and then get in a mini excavator and operator at about $75ph would be the best machine option available. there are now 750kg mini me excavators around.

The good thing with the excavator is they are only 900mm wide and can turn their bucket around so they are scooping from the bottom. Dingos and loaders just move stuff around and cant dig so if the stuff is solid it will bog down and not do anything.

Mr excavator dumps it in the dumpa and you take it out to the skip. That way the lack of width is much less of a problem and the son can have a play as well. I dont think the excavator man would be too keen on dumping into a barrow as it would keep falling over I reckon.

You can come back now:D or finish the scotch.

cheers and good luck

There are mini bobcats out there as well. Toyota make the Huski brand and there is a type called the number four. From memory its about half the size of an 8 which is your standard bobcat. Case also have mini excavators that that have a system that allows the tracks to contract and expand to a certain width with the flick of a switch. There might be some one in your area that has mini gear. They should be able to clean up, take it away and cut your pad all for one job.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bodgy

Thanks for the responses.

Echidna, I wouldn't pay you $20 an hour!

---

I am relieved :rolleyes: