Everything you ever need to know about bricklayers

This article is all about everything you ever need to know about bricklayers

Introduction

Bricklayers are responsible for install all of the brickwork and blockwork to a construction site.

This includes:

• Facing brickwork for cavity wall
• Concrete blockwork for cavity wall
• Cavity ties
• Insulation
• Lintels
• Crocodile wall starter kit
• Internal blockwork walls
• Cement mortar
• Pointing of brickwork
• Cleaning of brickwork

How do you become a bricklayer?

You can become a qualified bricklayer by completing an apprenticeship in bricklaying or a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 in bricklaying.

This will allow you to obtain a blue skilled worker CSCS card.

Here are some of the courses you can complete:

• Level 2 Technical Certificate in Bricklaying Bricklaying (Level 1 City & Guilds Diploma) — Full-time
• Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying
• Level 2 Extended Diploma in Bricklaying
• Level 3 Advanced Technical Diploma in Bricklaying
• Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations.

Remember that a lot of the courses in brickwork won’t let you become qualified, its only Level 2 NVQ qualifications will get you to being a qualified bricklayer.

How much is a bricklayer?

A bricklayer usually works on their own with a labourer to help mix the mortar and move the bricks and blocks to within easy reach of their work.

A good budget to lay bricks is £1 per brick. There are about 60 bricks in 1m2 so the bricklayer will cost £60 per m2.

A good rate for building a brick and block cavity wall is £370 per m2.

This includes the following:

• 100mm blockwork to internal leaf
• yellow stocks to external leaf
• pointing to be weatherstruck
• Insulation
• Firfix wall starter
• Cavity ties

External walls in just solid blockwork will cost £125 per m2.

You should allow £400 to supply and install a lintel (such as a catnic lintel) over any door or window openings.

Remember, please do not rely on these budget costs. They are just an indication. If you want firm costs then you have do the research and contact local businesses or hire a quantity surveyor like Stravelles to advise.

How to measure brickwork and blockwork quantities

In quantity surveying you ‘take-off’ or measure/extract quantities from drawings so that accurate budgets can be created and so that contractors can all price the same quantity of work.

The most efficient way of measuring brickwork and blockwork is to read the drawings and prepare a take off list.

This take-off list should include:

• External walls
• Internal walls
• Chimneys breasts, stacks and flues

The quantity surveyor measures the various categories of brick and block walling separately.

These include:

• Walling in different bricks, blocks, mortars, bonds or types of pointing
• Walls of different thicknesses
• Walls with facework (finished fair) on one or both sides
• Isolated piers, isolated casings and chimney stacks
• Battering walls
• Walls tapering one side
• Walls tapering both sides
• Walls used as formwork
• Boiler seatings and flue linings
• Curved work, giving the radius
• Work built overhand
• Work built against or bonded to other work
• Projections
• Arches
• Isolated chimney shafts
• Closing cavities
• Bonding to existing
• Facework ornamental bands, quoins, sills, thresholds, copings, steps, tumbling to buttresses, key blocks, corbels, bases to pilasters, capping to pilasters and capping to isolated piers.