bricklaying in WA
 

I was wondering if you chaps out there could help..

i know quite a few bricklayers here in perth so i have quite a mixed and confused picture regarding bricklaying here at the moment...

i personaly have had three jobs here in 6 months,and have only lost a week since iv been here...

it would seem talking to others here that the genral picture here at the moment is that work is very tight,a lot of construction workers i know are talking of going into the mines...

when i came out here this time last year the adds for brickies was nearly a full page in the local paper,now there are three adds most days,if any..

could it be things are tight because..

the run up to christmas
people were holding back for the election..
interest rates
people just cant afford the house prices...
the market is flooded



we have been lucky enough to land a dream job,but once that ends ...ehm,maybee its down the mines for us...i cant live on 1300 bucks a week less tax...

please i would be glad of your comments,,,

ast..

p.s whats it like in other parts of australia

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

I think right now it's the Christmas thing along with the interest rate rises. We had looked at building but just cannot afford to buy right now with the cost of land etc.

Hope you find something just as good when this job ends.

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

we are at the beginning of a major slow down now all the indications internationally ie USA and Europe and especially the UK are teetering on the edge and im afraid Australia wont be immune .
Everybody will be saying ''im going to the mines'' ,but if the states goes under and europe falters im afraid there wont be too much market for cheap chinese goods and this will cut manufacturing down in china as they will have nowhere to export to ,only their internal building will go on and if manufacturing is down they will be able also to get Iron ore etc from other countries at a cheaper rate .
I also work in construction Aston and i havent seen it this quiet for a number of years and i have several contacts in the commercial work around town and it looks pretty quiet ,housing also seems to be drying up as i think investors are starting to pull out and i believe they make up somewhere about 50% of the market here in perth .
Another factor certainly is the change of government and people with money are nervous putting their hard earned into major construction jobs in perth due to the likes of Reynolds and his bully boys and although Rudd maybe trying to do the right thing the big question is how long can he hold of the militant left in the party .
I hope to be honest i am wrong but i have seen it before here in west australia and it has a tendency just to almost dry up over night and then take 6 months to a year to get rolling again ,i just hope it doesnt go like 1990-91 ,then if i was you change now or hold on tight .

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Hi M,

When we came over here we were led to believe that the trade we are in was a high priority..but once we got here, getting a job was painful. The jobs that got offered (2 in total) was of a small wage $900 a week tops:blink:
We had no choice but to go self employed and hope for the best. Couldn't afford to be on such a small income.
As time as gone on, business is up and running, but the competion in our field of business (air-con and refrig) is fierce. Too many at it, not enough work imo.
East side is crying out for tradies, so options there are open. Going to mines brings good money, but not a dream.
Hope things get better M...maybe Xmas period is also to blame. Good luck.

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Could new products also be reducing the demand for brick built homes? ie solid concrete formed via formwork.

For example this company we are using in Melbourne is experiencing high growth in Perth with owner builders prefering to do it themselves?

http://www.thermacell.com.au/index.php

I am not mentioning this to be antagonistic but to raise a potential issue to the trade.

Have things changed dramatically since Jan when this guy posted?

I suspect he has now left as he hates Oz

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

$1300 a week pre tax is pretty much the $280 a day so many of the long term brickies and tradies here have quoted for quite a while. Plus most have mentioned the on/off - if/when work situation, ie no work no pay. And the constant haggling for contracts to fit enough together for continuity of work. Plus the working conditions :blink:

Trouble is then come along the $1000 a day, 1000 a 1000 bricks, 5000 a week threads, rarely written by anybody actually working here, guess they are a great story. Maybe fuelled by some of the crap the BBC 'lets go mental downunder' doccos :rofl: or someone down the pub whos had a few too many and the aussie wages have got bigger with each pint :eek:

At this time of year, (weeks up to christmas, leading up to most sites shutting down), work should be 6 days a week 12 hours a day - then nothing, no work, no pay for best part of a month:eek:

Perths housing market slowed this year, as predicted, then housing starts slow, probably why less jobs advertised.

Even in brisbane/ SE qld a area with massive population growth, land supplies are so tight theres no big mass of houses being built, generaly plenty of tradies to go round, unless you want the outback/far tropics nobody ever wants those jobs ( the lovely climate :eek: ).

If you can build up a steady supply of work at $1300/$1400 pre tax a week, most seem to live on it, its a pretty good wage for OZ, quite a bit over the average aussie wage. Problem is wages have not risen witht he cost of living, 5 years ago those wages were pretty much the same, but cost of living was probably more like half of what it is now.

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

We've been here 16 months and, in that time, OH has worked constantly up until a month or so ago. The bricklaying market is now officially dead. He lost a week, then picked up a slab and is now back out of work.

I have been doing a lot of research to try and find out why and the answer is political but I have no idea why. Loads of blocks are sold, plans drawn up and are in the council and that's where they've stopped. Currently plans aren't being passed. One building co I know has over 200 apps just waiting for the council to rubber stamp. Obviously once things get moving again there will be loads of work again, until then, OH is off to the mines too !

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Interesting post , i wasnt aware there was plans IN but not passed but like your OH i am in the same position ,nothing much on now and not much after crimbo either its a bit of a worry i must admit .
I hate to say it but everything seemed tickity boo before we had a government change but i suppose im clutching at straws .

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Interesting ,i knew there was somthing like thermacell floating about as you have a tendancy to hear horrible rumours .I cant see it making much inroads into housing though here in perth especially ,people love their double brick here .
Tilt-up certainly killed most of the small commercial work in WA but thats a differnt ball game to residential housing .I suppose we will have to wait and see what happens ,maybe time for a career change .

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Hi Ast,

My mate in Mandurah has plenty of work on the canals but as you have probably found he has to work his nuts of to get near to $1500 dollars a week. He has to wait for materials and clear up the slab/ site afterwards.
Up to $1.15 a brick but still a struggle when everything is taken into account.

Another friend wields a paint brush and can earn more than double the average brickies wage and gets to stay out of the sun. Again as you probably know bricklaying is one of the physically hardest of trades but not always the best paid or appreciated.

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Good site. Check out the size of the school bag and sports bag in this pic!
http://www.thermacell.com.au/index.p...view_photo.php

OP: good luck with everything.

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

Hi Marcus

It's good to network with BE Posters; would have willingly given you the gig to do our current extension project at home but as was mentioned at Kings Park ........ with us being in Carramar and you up them there hills........distance would have been an obstacle......... plus you were just about to start that new project in the city.

Our brickie rocked up early on Friday morning............... he's been busy excavating for footings and stringing out his lines. A tipper truck rocked up bright and early this morning with some sand so it's all systems go.

I got a quote of 28 grand to do the retaining walls......... will be extra for the backfill and a grano floor........ we've opted for limestone blocks instead of bricks now. Was hoping to have it all completed by Christmas but we've hit a snag already with delivery of materials ............ factory that makes blocks can't deliver until early New Year now.

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

just been speaking to my son in brugge [belgium ] they want bricklayers there $36 an hour .Long way to go though LOL :)

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

do they pay in $'s ?????

At that rate, I'll send OH there, he can work 12 hours a day 7 days a week and we should be ok for Christmas !!!

Re: bricklaying in WA
 

EUROS .Ill be looking at it after xmas if it doesnt liven up a bit here .