Day Rates / Weather

[BadgerBadger]

Our bricklayers are currently working to a meterage rate, but various reasons it's not working brilliantly.  We have a looming possibility of doing a greater proportion on day rates, potentially with a different gang.

 

So what the norm on sites...? Let's say I've agreed there's 2-3 weeks work to be done at a given day rate but it's then too wet to lay bricks on some days - do I have to pay regardless or do I just tell them not to come at short notice?  What if they're on-site but lose a few hours?

[Canski]

Divide their day rate into an hourly rate and tell them that you will pay for every hour that they work. They should be used to this.

[markc]

Gang/s on day rates more productive than measured? I hope you are right but I would be stunned if that happened.

[nod]

Most will want £250 per day 

But you could go with an average of what they have been earning 

Edited November 12, 2022 by nod

[BadgerBadger]

2 hours ago, markc said:

Gang/s on day rates more productive than measured? I hope you are right but I would be stunned if that happened.

 

Yep - definitely not expecting a higher productivity on a day rate. But...

 

Part of the problem we've fallen into is that we have a lot of fiddly brick details that are taking time to get right, so the brickies are losing money on their meterage rate.  We're falling back to a pre-agreed day rate for some areas, but equally struggling to get them to site consistently as they can't be sure they'll meet their wage.

[nod]

The problem you have at the moment is The days are short and wet 

Large sites are facing exactly the same issue and paying a minimum weekly wage Providing the Brickies wait out any bad weather and don’t leave site and turn up each day 

Most want cash to go on one off jobs 

Something none of the sites will agree to 

If they are a good gang it’s probably worth spending a bit extra 

[Canski]

What are the details ? I charge extra for any detailed work and that tends to make up the money and to be fair this is where good bricklayers who are good with detailed work earn good money. 
 

the last thing you really want is bricklayers on daywork through the winter. I quite expect to lose many days work through bad weather and I don’t expect to get paid for a minute that I’m not there and nor do the lads that work for me. 

Edited November 13, 2022 by Canski

[Dave Jones]

brick rate not day rate. Massive can of worms when it inevitably goes tits up.

[BadgerBadger]

Thanks for the advice all - new gang in and currently working to day rates for the time being, maybe switching back to meterage later.  It's early days but seem to work hard, and have laid more than than their wages if I was paying previous meterage.  So promising start, but it does mean I need to be on-site all day to make sure everything is moving efficiently (and lend a hand where I can).

 

Off-site again due to cold, so just need to it warm up again (but not rain!)