Earnings for a Bricklayer??

[Mick&Martina]

Hi!

Bit of a random question really ...

Does anyone know what a builder generally earns in the south island??

We are hoping to move over there but having been asked where we want to go we are forced to admit we will go where the job is! (We would love Nelson in Southland but our hearts are in Bay of Plenty in the north!)

Michael is a builder (obviously) and I am ... i guess a teachers aide ( not sure what the difference is between a teaching assistant over here and a teachers aide/assistant in NZ!)

Ta Muchly!

Martina

[benandclare]

Our builder charges $41 /hr for anything that's not in the contract and he's the boss so suspect employees earn a little less .

[broadsword08]

hi there
i'd say 41ph is on the lower side... we are in the south of the south and as a customer you would pay 45-65 ph plus gst for a builder... depends on the kind of company... lower side of that scale for a one man band and higher for a larger firm...
as an employee you'd be looking at 25-35 ph for a 'big' firm of course it'd be more on your own but then you have other costs and trade offs
for general comparison, you would pay in the same region for plumbers and electricians in this area too
there is one local plumber charging 75 an hour... he doesnt get too much work but then he moved down from auckland and obviously has plenty of dosh so maybe that was his gameplan
hope this helps

[Derv]

I'm not sure what builders earn but there's not much call for bricklayers here as houses aren't built of bricks. Most NZ houses are wooden "shed-style" houses, some of which have a thin "brick" outer covering (aka stone cladding). A few houses are built of straw bale, mudbrick, concrete blocks but wood is the norm here.

Your heading was "earnings for a bricklayer??" but you asked about rates for builders so I'm not sure which trade you are.

[Mick&Martina]

Your heading was "earnings for a bricklayer??" but you asked about rates for builders so I'm not sure which trade you are.

Thats my mistake, sorry!!! Michael just told me there is a difference!lol. Definately bricklayer!

[broadsword08]

certainly wont find much call for purely a 'bricklayer' down here... there is the very odd stone mason i have come across and then there is the 'hebel' empire (and from experience they could do with someone who can actually lay blocks straight and level!!!) but other than that the odd bit of bricklaying is done by a general builder as there just isnt that much call for it... my boss wants an outdoor fireplace made and cant find anyone to do it... so we'll do it ourselves!
think if you want any chance of just laying bricks you would want to target the 'big' cities and ask the 'big' companies if they use/need a brickie

[benandclare]

Was talking to our builder this morning and the bricklayers doing our house are on $1 a brick. They start hopefully in 2-3 weeks time

Also there are lots of brick built, well outside skim any way with cavity and then framing, round here. The consents for new builds, Waimakirri area, was 14 in January and was 80 in May so things may be picking up in the new build sector.