Brick laying training for self builders - worth it?

[sunflower]

My husband and I will be starting our self build next year. With prices increasing everywhere, it’s looking increasingly like we’re doing to have to do a significant part of it ourselves. We’re fairly experienced having refurbished our small farm, although appreciate a house is next level! 
 

He wonders if he should take a brick laying course… It will cost about £600 and take him away from work for a week, he works for himself so that’s probably another £1k or so lost. 
 

I wondered if anyone else has done a similar course and if you’d recommend it? 
 

Any advice on training courses in general, very much welcomed 

[nod]

Probably not 

I’m reasonably experienced and built the foundations and the garage on the last and while I’ve done quite a bit of brick and block work on this one It’s not cost effective and painfully slow 

[sunflower]

Thanks nod 

 

So if I understand you correctly, you mean that even after doing a training course, it would be painfully slow to lay bricks as an amateur, not save money in the long run, and you’d be better off paying proper Brickies?

[Bonner]

It might take a week to learn the basics but years to become proficient. Might be worth it if you have many small jobs to do like on a refurb. Not worth trying to build a house unless you are doing it full time over several years. 

[Conor]

I'd agree. Brickies work so, so much faster than a "good amature". It's one of those trades (like plastering) that's not worth taking up yourself unless it's a small amount or you have a LOT of time. Brickies work in squads with the guys doing the laying having a constant supply of ready-mix mortar and bricks stacked at their sides, and not having to clean up. If you do the brick work all on your own, you spend half the day moving stuff around, mixing, and cleaning, rather than laying.

 

I'm doing all the little garden walls and stuff in our place, I started the block work for the retaining walls, then calculated out how long it would take me at my pace... Two months of evenings and weekends. Two brickies would have it done in 4 days. That's the first job once our mortgage corms through.

[sunflower]

Thanks Conor, that’s super helpful 

[nod]

1 hour ago, sunflower said:

Thanks nod 

 

So if I understand you correctly, you mean that even after doing a training course, it would be painfully slow to lay bricks as an amateur, not save money in the long run, and you’d be better off paying proper Brickies?

Yes 

A week is not a lot of time to grasp the basics 

Ive two brothers that come and help me out Tuesday and Wednesday each week 

The bricklayer is 67 and his hod carrier is 73 Neither need the money But they get more done than the guys in there 20s

 

 

[twice round the block]

During the week your away training, a couple of brickies will have the walls upto the 1st lift