How to find a bricklayer: laying blocks, bricks and stone
The material changes the requirements
Laying aerated blocks, bricks and stone are different techniques. Blocks are laid on thin-bed adhesive with a thin joint, and the main thing is a perfectly level first course. Brick needs bonding of the joints, precise sizes and a different mortar. Natural stone needs separate skills of selecting and fitting. Not every mason is equally good with everything, so name the material in the vacancy.
What to put in the vacancy
- Types of work — laying blocks, bricks, stone, partition walls, load-bearing walls.
- Pay — per cubic metre, per square foot or per day, for example R 180 per day.
- Place of work — city, area, for example Johannesburg.
- Shifts — 6 days a week from 8 am to 6 pm, a longer day in the dry season.
- Type of work — for a season, for one site or permanent.
- One person or a crew — for example, a crew of 3.
- Experience — in years and on what sites.
- Accommodation — whether you provide lodging or meals.
Example request
“In Johannesburg we need a crew of three masons to build a two-storey house: laying blocks on adhesive, outer walls and partitions. About 120 cubic metres in all. Pay R 180 per day per mason, paid weekly. At least 3 years of experience, lodging provided for the duration of the work.”
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You describe the job once. The request is checked for ads and contacts and you get hints on what to add. Masons in your area reply in the chat: who is in the crew, what experience they have, what they charge and when they can start. BlaBlaPrice shows the strongest replies first, with reviews of the candidates next to them. Your phone stays hidden, and you do not pay for the search. Read more on the “How it works” page.
How to compare replies
Think about the weather too: adhesive and mortar work depends on temperature, and in heavy rain the work is usually paused.
Clarify what is included in the price: handling of material, reinforcement of the masonry, lintels over openings. Who buys the adhesive, mortar and pallets? This changes the total far more than the difference in rates. Ask about the first course: it is levelled against the damp-proof layer, and the whole wall depends on it.
It is a mistake to hire “by the day” without checking the volume, and then end up with slow work. It is better to agree on stages and acceptance of each floor. For helper tasks around the masonry look for a general labourer, and for finishing the walls a plasterer.
For those looking for a job
Register as a service provider on BlaBlaPrice, choose the category and your area, and you will get vacancies for masons. See other trades in the “Construction / finishing works” section.
