Cost of labourers

[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.

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

[barn]

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.

[pawnhead]

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 on your job.

[echnidna]

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

[fenderbelly]

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.

[echnidna]

what about a dingo loader, they're quite narrow

[Burnsy]

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.

[bugsy]

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

[pawnhead]

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.

[Terrian]

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)

[mirz]

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.

[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.

[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!

[patty]

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!

[dazzler]

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 ) and used a dingo to dig it out and we had the machine in the hole to dig it.

Worth a thought ..... damn those anti slavery people

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