How much does a bricklayer cost per day in Melbourne?

People often ring up and ask for a day rate, hoping for one clean number. We understand why, but a day rate on its own can be misleading. Here is what actually sits behind it.

Day rate versus the real cost

A bricklayer in Melbourne might quote a daily figure, but that rate usually covers the bricklayer only. The full cost of a day on site is more than one set of hands.

• The lay alone. A solo bricklayer is one rate. A gang with a labourer is more per day, but they lay far more brick, so the cost per brick often drops.
• The labourer. Mixing mortar, loading out brick and keeping the lay supplied is a job in itself. Without it, the bricklayer slows right down.
• Materials. Brick, sand, cement and lime are on top of labour unless the quote says otherwise.
• Scaffold and access. Anything above head height usually needs scaffold, and that is a separate hire.

What moves a day rate up or down

No two jobs lay at the same speed, so the same crew can cost very different amounts per square metre.

• Brick type. Face brick laid to a tight, clean finish is slower than common brick behind render.
• Cutting and detail. Arches, piers, corbels and lots of cuts all eat time.
• Access. A tight Melbourne terrace with no side access is slower than an open block in a new estate.
• Weather. Cold, wet winter mornings slow the mortar and the crew.

How to compare quotes properly

A cheap day rate is not a cheap job if the crew lays half as much brick. The number that matters is the finished job, not the daily figure.

Ask for the quote as a total for the work, or as a rate per thousand bricks or per square metre. That way you are comparing the actual job, not a headline number that hides the rest.

Send us a photo of the job and your suburb, and we will give you a price for the whole thing, not just a day rate that leaves you guessing.