LA3222 Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 So, the brickie I had lined up decided to email me today to inform me that in the current climate he needed to increase prices. Ok, I thought. I'm not in any financial difficulty and can afford a slight increase. Looked at the numbers. 57% increase in cost. Really. Er...no thanks. 3000 brick & 3000 block, lintels, ties, detailing etc for £7k originally. Now wants £11k. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Wow, they've just shot themselves in the foot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 What he really meant was, i haven’t worked for 4-6-8 weeks so when we are allowed to go back I won’t really have the time for all the stuff I have booked in, I wonder who I can get rid of. I know a few lads who are really panicking that anymore than a month off will start affecting work booked in for 2021. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Why won't a bricklayer work right now? it's an outside job with plenty of opportunity for social distancing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 11 minutes ago, ProDave said: Why won't a bricklayer work right now? it's an outside job with plenty of opportunity for social distancing. Brickies are still working on sites around here. Drove past one the week before last and it looked very much like work was continuing as usual. I suspect there will be a stop on work before long, though, not because of the direct restrictions from the pandemic, but just because no one is buying new houses right now. I suspect that they will do as they did in the last recession, and start mothballing sites before long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 1 minute ago, Jeremy Harris said: ... I suspect that they will do as they did in the last recession, and start mothballing sites before long. THEN you will be able to get a dirt cheap brickie to work on your site. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA3222 Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 The thing is, I need a brickie now. The TF company are putting the house up next week, so while everything is stopping I can keep someone employed till the summer. Seems I am constantly one step forward and then two back with contractors. A right PITA but I'm sure a resolution will appear before long. I look forward to the time where the person holding the build up is me and my efforts- hate relying on others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 I would try and find another Brickie If this is how he behaves you have had a lucky escape We have worked on four sites since this all began Mainly due to contractual agreement I have been told that no invoices will be paid for labour or materials til the end of May With many tradesmen on Furlough Hes seen an opportunity to make extra money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagas Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 That original quote seems super cheap. I paid £15k for 3500 blocks and 5500 bricks sub structure/super structure and that was the cheapest quote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickie Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 1 hour ago, ProDave said: Why won't a bricklayer work right now? it's an outside job with plenty of opportunity for social distancing. It’s the social distancing in canteen,drying room & toilets which is scaring the Main Contractors. Ive been off 3 weeks now. Happy to do so really-fewer journeys to work=fewer RTA’s & fewer workplace accidents,leaving the NHS to focus on this S##t show it’s been saddled with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 All sites stopped here a fortnight ago and I think they must be thinking of being shut for a while, as they have all put temporary window coverings up in the openings, I think if it was only for a month they would leave a timber frame shell open but they have blocked them all up and run house wrap over all the temporary frames. Regarding work ore it’s not just if a bloke can stay 2 m away from his mate i know a few families that he wants to work but cannot go out as they have lost all child care, if the wife works at the hospital and her mum and dad normally baby sit then that has all stopped i read about a lot of lads who have taken over the home schooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 17 hours ago, Brickie said: It’s the social distancing in canteen,drying room & toilets which is scaring the Main Contractors. Ive been off 3 weeks now. Happy to do so really-fewer journeys to work=fewer RTA’s & fewer workplace accidents,leaving the NHS to focus on this S##t show it’s been saddled with. But why would that stop a bricklayer working alone on a self builders site, or just him and a labourer? Take your own lunch and sit in your own van to eat it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makie Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 1 hour ago, ProDave said: But why would that stop a bricklayer working alone on a self builders site, or just him and a labourer? Take your own lunch and sit in your own van to eat it? Most brickies I know wouldn't work alone and most of their labourers will be hitting the bottle right now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 10 minutes ago, makie said: Most brickies I know wouldn't work alone and most of their labourers will be hitting the bottle right now. The only person I had to physically eject from our site was a labourer that I caught coming out of the portaloo, tucking a bottle of vodka back in his pocket. I'd found a couple of empty vodka bottles in the skip, and catching him red handed just confirmed my suspicion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagas Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 The brickies are all still working round my way, they can't exactly work from home can they so they're allowed to carry on working. I think it's the big housebuilders who have called things off completely but smaller ones carrying on. Not sure about getting supplies though as all of the builders merchants are shut here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA3222 Posted April 15, 2020 Author Share Posted April 15, 2020 I think I've hit a wall with blocks. Seems to be a fair bit of local delivery going on further south but in Lincolnshire nadda!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, ProDave said: But why would that stop a bricklayer working alone on a self builders site, or just him and a labourer? Take your own lunch and sit in your own van to eat it? I wonder if the big companies have got them all on the furlough scheme? Eg they are getting 80% pay to sit at home? Might be worth contacting some bigger builders in the area to ask if they know any contractors they have had to stand down? Just for info they normally work as a team of three. One mixing and two laying. Edited April 15, 2020 by Temp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFDIY Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Might be the time to poach someone for a while, there's nothing in the government furlough scheme that stops you working for another employer or yourself. So they could be claiming on the employed scheme and go do some self employed work, subject to the normal income tax rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 55 minutes ago, Temp said: I wonder if the big companies have got them all on the furlough scheme? Eg they are getting 80% pay to sit at home? Might be worth contacting some bigger builders in the area to ask if they know any contractors they have had to stand down? Just for info they normally work as a team of three. One mixing and two laying. Would a brickie in such a situation do it for cash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 23 minutes ago, ProDave said: Would a brickie in such a situation do it for cash? I think we should discourage working for cash, we are going to have to pay back about £3tn (all government debt). Email the brickie and ask if he sent it out on April 1st as a joke and tell him to turn up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 5 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: I think we should discourage working for cash, we are going to have to pay back about £3tn (all government debt). Email the brickie and ask if he sent it out on April 1st as a joke and tell him to turn up. I did not mean not declare it. I meant work for yourself for a change rather than as an employee. The job I did today, I sent the customer to the cash point to pay me in cash as I did not want a cheque that I then have to go and queue at the bank (on limited hours) to pay in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 @LA3222 I don’t “do” Facebook but is it worth a try asking fir a self employed brickie locally, if sites are being shut you may be lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Or one of the other sites, MyBuilder etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandg Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 2 hours ago, Temp said: I wonder if the big companies have got them all on the furlough scheme? Eg they are getting 80% pay to sit at home? Might be worth contacting some bigger builders in the area to ask if they know any contractors they have had to stand down? Just for info they normally work as a team of three. One mixing and two laying. Not sure if there's many brickies directly employed by the volume developers. I know a few brickies who run their own firms and have furloughed their squad(s) but who are struggling themselves as they only took dividends. Sure there'll be plenty of sole traders running squads who'll be happy to keep working though if you ask about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 I would have thought most brickies would be signed up as self employed under the CIS scheme? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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