How To Start A Career as a Bricklayer

A bricklayer is a contractor that helps create, repair, or maintain any exterior or interior walls that are made of bricks. Most of their work is undertaken inside a home, but, it is very important in other variations of construction like partitions for chimneys, archways, paving walls, tunnel linings, and many others. Even though bricks are the main material used, they can also be made of stones, precast panels, tiles, or concrete blocks.


Work of a bricklayer are as follows –

• Checking and measuring area where brickwork is to be added
  • Cutting the bricks needed
  • Mortar mixing
  • Courses or the laying of bricks in a horizontal way
  • Check if the rows are all fixed and levelled
  • Creating access holes for tradesman
  • Waterproofing and weather proofing

Is this career ideal for me?
Becoming a bricklayer requires high level of physical strength and stamina. Including excellent hands and eye coordination. Most of your time will be spent outside working, and mostly in dangerous situations, so it may not be well suited for everyone, especially those who are not a big fan of heights, staying a scaffolding, and more.
Moreover, as the job requires repetition, your patience will be tested. 

Most importantly, you will require a high level of fitness to work as a bricklayer and need to manage your technique to ensure you minimize damage to your body over time. Body Focus Chiropractic recommends that repetitive physical industries such as bricklayers be very mindful of their posture and lifting techniques because the bad form can lead to significant muscular and spinal damage which can be irreversible. 

Bricklaying skills you have to possess:

• Attention to detail
  • Organizational skills
  • Excellent mathematical skills
  • Capability to read and understand establishment blueprints
  • Experience in handling power tools
  • Extensive knowledge of construction processes and materials

Bricklayer earnings
The earnings of an average bricklayer can vary each year, and it can be impacted by various aspects as economy, housebuilding, and more. It is important to know what other bricklayers in the field are charging their clientele to have a gauge of how much to charge. There are many ways you can boost your income by growing your business into a big bricklaying enterprise. If you work as an outsourcing firm for construction companies, you can, later on, hire other bricklayers and create a steady income from your business and be able to get more.

Tax Registration
As you start your brand new bricklaying business, your first priority is to register for your income tax. Check the VAT schedules. You are tasked to register for VAT if your income exceeds the VAT threshold, however, there are some cases in which it might be ideal to register even if your earnings have yet to reach that certain level. For more info on that, ask an accountant.
Get Insurance

It is very vital that you have the right insurance for your brand new bricklaying enterprise. You can first obtain public liability insurance which can shield you against claims from loss or injuries suffered by members of the public during your work. Should you have in your employ at least one person for your bricklaying business, you will also need to secure an employer’s liability insurance – this is a mandatory requirement.
Now that you are good to go, it is high time to start getting real customers! When you are starting small, there is a wide array of possible channels you can go through where you can easily win and grow your business. Get started today!