Compare Bricklaying Prices

[Blocklayer]

Biting Midge

So what is your alternative, cyclone resistance wise, to the old (tried and true) steel reinforced, ugly, concrete filled, rough as guts blockwork?

[bitingmidge]

For commercial building, tilt slabs. That's the stuff they make bomb shelters out of!

For home units, there are a number of systems avialable, like Rapidwall as an example, which require minimum scaffolding, and have the potential to create huge time savings.

These seem expensive if you just compare square metre rates, but take off the plaster work, scaffold, install them a metre higher than floor level in one hit and you don't even have to provide handrails.

It will be a while before these systems are economical on housing generally, but once block rates get to a certain point there will be a crossover.

Anything that can reduce the number of hours of on-site work for wet trades (brickies, plasterers, tilers) will reduce building costs! (sorry! )

Cheers,

P

[Grunt]

I think the pertinent question here is how much would you pay to have Al for an hour?

[Blocklayer]

BitingMidge

Oh No! Its just like 20 years ago when they said Hebel blocks would put us all out of business!!
Funny how steel reinforced, ugly, concrete filled, rough as guts block walls always end up outperforming prefab recycled coke bottle walls in cyclones.
Ever been through a cyclone?

[journeyman Mick]

Blocklayer,
have you heard that Tommy Hedley has got a permanent tiltslab yard going? I've also hears that someone (can't remember who) is doing prefab tilt slab panels for project homes in Cairns. Good thing you're not laying blocks anymore I'm sure there will always be work for brick and block layers, just as there will always be work for carpenters, but the nature and amount of work has certainly changed and will continue to change, and not neccesarily for the better.

Mick

[bitingmidge]

BitingMidge

Oh No! Its just like 20 years ago when they said Hebel blocks would put us all out of business!!
Funny how steel reinforced, ugly, concrete filled, rough as guts block walls always end up outperforming prefab recycled coke bottle walls in cyclones.
Ever been through a cyclone?

Funny thing about Hebel, it was designed to be layed by unskilled labour, but initially they only licensed brickies to do it! Hebel wall is making a comeback so watch your back!

I'm curious about your "outperforming" comment. If it didn't fall over it performed, and there are lots of walls that have stood the test of time. I do believe Innisfail has a few old timber houses still standing after Larry, not just block walls? Did any tilt-ups fail?

And to satisfy your curiosity, I'm not sure how me being there will help the cause of the block wall, but I am actually a NQ boy. Althea I believe was the biggest thing ever to have hit the coast apart from Tracy, and I lived in Townsville at the time. (search Althea 1971 for an idea of the damage)

More than a few block walls fell over then as I recall, but there's more attention to core-filling and ring beams now than there once was!

Cheers,

P

[jako58au]

I discus rates all the time but not on an international open forum.

I couldnt see Ford comparing rates with GMC or Mercedes on the open internet.

Al

Ok, Ozwinner you may be correct about not discussing YOUR rates on the forum,but the rates I've put down are minimum & I agree that the job determines the price.But having said that mine are minimum means I'm not going to go below that so if the job so warrants a different rate I can assure you that it's going to be bloody higher.If you don't want people to know what YOUR charging, well & good but don't criticize those of us who are not as insecure as YOU!!!!!

[ozwinner]

Ok, Ozwinner you may be correct about not discussing YOUR rates on the forum,but the rates I've put down are minimum & I agree that the job determines the price.But having said that mine are minimum means I'm not going to go below that so if the job so warrants a different rate I can assure you that it's going to be bloody higher.If you don't want people to know what YOUR charging, well & good but don't criticize those of us who are not as insecure as YOU!!!!!

Hey Jako, youre funny....

Al

[Mcblurter]

Thank god for having some tradies in the family. SWMBO Uncle's friend is building a 6mt long x 3mt high double brick wall for around $1000 (+ cost of bricks). Want cheap bricklaying/concreting, marry an Italian!!!!

[ozwinner]

but don't criticize those of us who are not as insecure as YOU!!!!!

Twasnt I who had who had to check with other brickies to see if I was charging enough.

Al

[jako58au]

Twasnt I who had who had to check with other brickies to see if I was charging enough.

Al

I still can't see your problem with discussing prices on the forum.To me you sound like a heap of ********* brickies I know who are to embarrassed to let everyone else know what your charging because you guys are the ones who are doing it cheaper than the rest of us & devalueing this great trade.By the way I lose more work than anyone I know because I refuse to drop my price!!!Also I did my trade 30 years ago on Facework not on walls 18 inches thick & all rendered!!!

[ozwinner]

Jako youre sad, and you also need to lose the racist attitude.

Al

[lnt9000]

I still can't see your problem with discussing prices on the forum.To me you sound like a heap of ********* brickies I know who are to embarrassed to let everyone else know what your charging because you guys are the ones who are doing it cheaper than the rest of us & devalueing this great trade.By the way I lose more work than anyone I know because I refuse to drop my price!!!Also I did my trade 30 years ago on Facework not on walls 18 inches thick & all rendered!!!

There is a fine line between being proud and being poor, I know a fencer who was exactly the same, would not budge a dollar from his quotes, out of every 12 quotes he would only get one job, and although he wouldn't let on I would think that he only got that job by being competitive, how much you get for a job is not nearly as important as being constantly employed, what you make per 1000 bricks is irrelevent, look at the total figure at the end of the financial year and adjust how you do business to make it more profitable each and every year without ripping any individual off, beats taking sleeping pills and you certainly feel much more relaxed and in favour with the better half.

[jako58au]

There is a fine line between being proud and being poor, I know a fencer who was exactly the same, would not budge a dollar from his quotes, out of every 12 quotes he would only get one job, and although he wouldn't let on I would think that he only got that job by being competitive, how much you get for a job is not nearly as important as being constantly employed, what you make per 1000 bricks is irrelevent, look at the total figure at the end of the financial year and adjust how you do business to make it more profitable each and every year without ripping any individual off, beats taking sleeping pills and you certainly feel much more relaxed and in favour with the better half.

Call me afool if you must but to me dropping your price which you've worked so hard to attain is devaluing your trade!!

[echnidna]

There is a fine line between being proud and being poor, I know a fencer who was exactly the same, would not budge a dollar from his quotes, out of every 12 quotes he would only get one job, and although he wouldn't let on I would think that he only got that job by being competitive, how much you get for a job is not nearly as important as being constantly employed, what you make per 1000 bricks is irrelevent, look at the total figure at the end of the financial year and adjust how you do business to make it more profitable each and every year without ripping any individual off, beats taking sleeping pills and you certainly feel much more relaxed and in favour with the better half.

That really applies to every trade