Anything improving on the job front?

3095 Views 17 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Jagged Sky, Dec 9, 2009

GoToBrick

Discussion Starter · Nov 10, 2009

Just curious as to the rest of the world,SE North Carolina is a dead fish.we have 15 crews bidding each underpinning out here, much less the the hope of getting a real job.is work picking up anywhere?

Larry

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IanS

· #2 · Nov 10, 2009

I just picked up 3 jobs and 2 other jobs I may now lose because I can't start tomorrow. (concrete) I was worried because of the economy but I also generally don't seem to get any work after Oct-Nov. This is my 4th year in biz. This Oct- Nov have been very busy for me. Maybe its just another Feast or Famine time. The general consensus is that its dead. NW Florida :blink: So its dead but I will haul some checks to the bank.

antnepi

· #3 · Nov 10, 2009

Around here you in August you couldn't find a mason. Everybody was 2 months out. Made me think that I should be getting into concrete.

stacker

· #4 · Nov 10, 2009

around here work is very busy for me,but it must not be in okc.we are having a crew come out here,150 miles,to brick a house,and getting less money per thousand than i charge.that tells me they are hungry.

6stringmason

· #5 · Nov 10, 2009

Things are pretty tough in my area as well. Alot of guys cutting throats and doing what they can to survive. Many seem to be taking work at low prices just to get out of the house.

I just put a bid in on a job for $64k just for labor. Im keeping my fingers crossed on that one!

GoToBrick

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 10, 2009

I am glad to hear some are holding on,as for me I'm not sure how long it will last. We have ppl here laying brick at 300/1000 and block at 1.10/cmu.I'm not even sure how they can do it much less try it myself. I figure that has to mean getting masons at $12/hour! Do I even want a $12 mason?

Even now as I am leaving for work, I count myself lucky to be out laying a small ledgestone job at (brace yourselves) $6/sqft and a few brick at $450/1000. It kinda reminds me of a horror film where we all get blasted back in time to the 80's and to the best of my recollection the 80's sucked.lol

stacker

· #7 · Nov 10, 2009

im still getting anywhere from 500 to 700 per thousand for my brickwork.the mexican bricklayers are getting about 300/thousand.not sure what they get for block or stone.i am getting 3.00-3.50 per block for 8 inch,plus .50/cell to grout.adheered veener im getting 3.50/sq ft.
i gave a man a bid for a triplex apartment last week.$54,000 for material and labor.and will be getting plans for a new church building tommorow.right now im good till the middle of january.seem like when i start catching up i start to worry.then next thing i know im snowed under and worry how im going to get to everything.

IanS

· #8 · Nov 11, 2009

Down here I see 300-450 for brick and typically $1 for block 2 courses but 2.5 and over for scaffolding. I have seen 5 but he did not get the job. I am working 2 jobs with block guys doing 10 foot walls. I will ask their price when I see them next. We have 4 sites and I am doing the footers and rebar ahead of them.
I was in Wichita falls 8 years in the AF and visited Lawton and Altus. Having a cold winter Stacker?:cowboy:

stacker

· #9 · Nov 11, 2009

so far we are in an el nino fall.i think we have had one freeze so far this fall and that was only dropping to 31 for an hour or so.last week temps were in the 70's and 80's all week:thumbup:

beleive

· #10 · Dec 7, 2009

we have to keep dropping prices, bid a big building other day, cut up with gables, dbl. rolocks on all openings, arch entrance way. I bid it for 750 a 1000. Contractor said I was trying rip him off. Mexicans 380 a 1000??Crazy.Im staying busy, but not like I used to.

6stringmason

· #11 · Dec 7, 2009

beleive said:
we have to keep dropping prices, bid a big building other day, cut up with gables, dbl. rolocks on all openings, arch entrance way. I bid it for 750 a 1000. Contractor said I was trying rip him off. Mexicans 380 a 1000??Crazy.Im staying busy, but not like I used to.

What part of the country is this?

And did you explain to the GC that your prices are higher because of quality and you pay insurances?

TulsaRemodeler

· #12 · Dec 7, 2009

I have nothing after current rehab job, dont think I'm willing to sink any lower. I'll sit Jan-Feb out and try to line up something for March. Wow HO's expect a lot for little these days. Its brutal for me. Not whining, I know I'm not the only one.

Jagged Sky

· #13 · Dec 7, 2009

I finally got a few good sized stone jobs here in Bend after a bleak year and now I have an artic front that has set in and we are sitting at about 8 degress. I can't win...

TulsaRemodeler

· #14 · Dec 8, 2009

Jagged Sky said:
I finally got a few good sized stone jobs here in Bend after a bleak year and now I have an artic front that has set in and we are sitting at about 8 degress. I can't win...

Bend Oregon? Thats where I moved from 7 monthes ago. You found work there? :thumbsup:

IanS

· #15 · Dec 8, 2009

Hey Stacker

Sorry for the delay.
The mason was getting 4.5 / block for this job. However they got canned because 4 of 5 guys did not pass the background check in the next county for work at schools.
I also heard they tried to do block fill on all 10ft high at one time and the blocks started collapsing around 6-7 ft high. The spec called for 5 ft maximum / hr. I guess they were trying to save a pump charge.

Anyway the 1st pic is of 1'4" thick footer 3' 6" to 4' 2" wide with oversize areas for columns. Note the 7' tall rebar sticking up. Not my idea and the masons will have fun with that. The new masons price will reflect the height of the rebar.
2nd pic has 2 blocks over my footer and a slab for a transformer. 1 ft of gravel is about to be installed over the brown weed block.
3rd picture is of a 16" tall 8" wide bond beam. I was glad I was able to find beam clamps. My next option was going to be snapties and that would have cost me a fortune and taken forever. Beam clamp installation 1 hr. Beam clamp rental $40.00

For all you tree fiddy guys, note we are getting four fiddy down here at least for some things.

These pictures are a thing of beauty for some of us. The rest of you, just move on. No hot concrete babes here.

Next year I will hire my first bikini crew. Amazon concrete babes where can I hire them?

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Jagged Sky

· #16 · Dec 8, 2009

TulsaRemodeler said:
Bend Oregon? Thats where I moved from 7 monthes ago. You found work there? :thumbsup:

I figured you might have since you had a link from Dan Ward's company, I see alot of the stuff he has on his web page were things I did for him.

TulsaRemodeler

· #17 · Dec 9, 2009

Jagged Sky said:
I figured you might have since you had a link from Dan Ward's company, I see alot of the stuff he has on his web page were things I did for him.

I had no bad experiences with Dan, did you? I met a guy in a bar who was "handling" the tilework for him at Brasada Ranch, not to good he wasnt handling it. I liked Dan. Double Diamond Masonry puts out top drawer stuff. Good guys.

Jagged Sky

· #18 · Dec 9, 2009

TulsaRemodeler said:
I had no bad experiences with Dan, did you? I met a guy in a bar who was "handling" the tilework for him at Brasada Ranch, not to good he wasnt handling it. I liked Dan. Double Diamond Masonry puts out top drawer stuff. Good guys.

No, no problems with Dan, he is a good guy. DD does do nice work also.

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