Unregistered blocklayer

B

Builder

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Going to build a house, garage and wall surrounding site. Hoping to employ a blocklayer who was recommended to me by some-one who had previously employed him. Only problem is that he is not registered. I will build the wall and garage first, is it possible to gauge from seeing the built walls that he is a competent blocklayer and that the blocks will not fall down. Is it gauged by the amount of concrete holding the blocks together along with the walls being built straight. I was going to employ a registerd blocklayer but he was unable to do the job for some-time and advised me to look elsewhere, and when I mentioned the name of this unregistered man he said that I wouldn't get anyone better than him.


Does anyone know what is charged for blocklaying per block in Co. Donegal, I believe it is the norm to charge per block built?
 
Blocks are not held together with concrete - they are held together with mortar. No offence, but if you don't know that then you are unlikely to be able to judge whether he is up to it or not and may need expert assistance (e.g. from an architect or a hired foreman).
 
Thank you for correction. I will be getting advise from 2 people in the building trade, but was just wondering can the quality of the blocklayers work be verified after building say 4 or 5 rows of blocks.
 
Although it takes skill to lay blocks you should be able to see visually the whether the job is correct. The main things are
1/ The wall is exactly vertical (use a spirit level)
2/ The wall is dead straight (he should be using a string to ensure a solid line)
3/ Mortar thickness between rows approx half an inch and the same level throughout.

Also all walls are as good as their foundations so make sure your foundations are properly done first..
 
Thank you. Also how many blocks are used per sq. mt. just trying to work out costs.
 
Builder said:
Thank you. Also how many blocks are used per sq. mt. just trying to work out costs.
Click to expand...

A block is 18" x 9" x 4" and 1" = 25.4mm so work it out from there.
 
Strictly speaking a blocks true size is 440mm long by 215mm high by 100mm thick. Allowing for 10mm mortar joints the "nominal" size is 450x 225x 100mm and this is the size to use whewn calculating quantities. A clay bricks true size is 215mm long, 65mm high and 102.5mm thick, which is a nominal 225x 75x 112.5mm.
 
My neighbour is a contractor who employes brickies - tells me they get €2k a week minimum. One of his guys is 22 and earned over €120k last year. No wonder timber frames are becoming so popular.
 
Thankfully the Relevant Contracts Tax system [broken link removed] ensures that proper tax deduction mechanisms apply to all payments by contractors to sub-contractors. That's not to say that there aren't scammers evading the system but the RCT system will catch all but the most elaborate criminal scams.

The tax system is much less effective in policing the taxation of earnings made by individual operators on 'private jobs', ie private house construction, extensions etc. However if a registered contractor engages subcontractors for work on any project of this nature, the RCT system applies and is effectiv in this scenario as any other.

Btw, €120k a year sounds a tad excessive for a young brickie to earn. With four weeks holidays a year, this works out at €2500 per week or €500 per day with no allowance for stoppages due to wet or windy weather or any other reason.
 
From what I hear Brickies get paid holidays & "wet money" on rainy days even when they can't work. The standard wage is €2,000 a week (mon-fri, early finish on Friday) before any overtime. Not excessive if you include overtime and that doesn't include nixers!
 
I know our company pays registered block layers 80 per hour ... so about 2K per week would sound about right.
 
Back to the question! I don't actually know what that means that he's an "unregistered" blocklayer. Does it mean he has just picked this skill up in the course of his working life on sites etc., or does it mean (as some responders have picked up) that he works 'off the books'? They are different things.

I have been told by a plumber and an electrician (separate contractors working on my house at different times) that registration was "the worst thing that had ever happened" to the building trade and the trades in general. I was very surprised to hear this, suggested registration "protected the customer/consumer". I was told that in fact the standard had fallen and many "registered" tradesmen coming out of accredited courses "didn't know their a*se from their elbow" and that many tradesmen who had become highly skilled through learning "on the job" but who were not so good at book-learning and sitting exams were now frozen out.

I offer it for what it's worth!

Word of caution! Walls are trickier than they seem. You do need a surveyor if you are new to building; that doesn't mean you shouldn't employ the skills of this chap who has been highly-recommended.
 
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