YAFOLEY

Hi there, can anyone put our mind at ease... we've been reading the some different threads on other sites and there is a big concern over the wages in OZ. My hubbies a brickie and hope to head to Perth. Can anyone throw any light on what the wages are in Perth for brickies and is it better to be employed or self-employed? is most of the work in Perth itself?
cheers

thebears

Ultimately hubby should go self employed to make decent money. However that comes at the additional stress of running your own business - your decision, but dont be offput because Oz is a country full of people running their own businesses and there is tons of info to help you out.

We are also interested in pay rates because we are planning to build and need to cost our build. (which happens to be double and single brick).

Some mates in the trade who now work over here in the UK have said it would be best to initially work for someone else to get an understanding of the lay of the land. Pick up a few contacts (suppliers) etc.

sassenach

Hi yafoley ,im a brickie and you can expeat to earn 250 -280 a day on wagges self-emloyed or if you work for a builder say as a self-employed 2and 1 team expect to earn up 900 dollers per thousand .average bricklayer here lays about 700 a day so your far better off working on a price but there are cost and workers comp is one of them i cant give you exact figures with that but when i got a quote a few years ago for a 3-1 team it was 40000 a year .I tend to work on wages as im a bit clapped out and it easier for me just to take my bucket of tools home each night and leave the headaches to someone else these days .Intheory looking at the price these days even if you only laid 500 a day you would be on 450 a day but then youd have the labourer to pay for .I earnt 50000 gross last year but i dont bust my arse any longer im just cruising ,earning more is easily attainable i think somewhere upto 75000 is a good figure to look at .The work is mostly around perth and the mandurah/rockingham area hope thathelped a little

thebears

Would the rates differ greatly in Melbourne?

For a laymen could someone answer the following?
What are the average brick dimensions and
Cost per brick (variety of bricks if possible - with quality differences).
Standard height for ground floors and first floors using double brick
Is it necessary to go double brick on first floor as well? or would single brick do? ie to retain the best compromise between quality build and price.
House is being built in Malvern, Melbourne
Any answers would be appreciated