Many people confused bricklayers with builders. Whilst some people can be both, a skilled bricklayer concentrates on brick, masonry and stone work, and isn’t usually involved with other building elements such as roofing, plastering or laying foundations.  General builders will have a great deal of bricklaying experience, but they may also choose to employ or use additional bricklayers, particularly for a large job such as building a new house, or a large extension.

What skills does a bricklayer need?

A good bricklayer is trained at college and through on-the-job experience, learning how to work with the other trades, and developing specialist skills such as decorative brickwork, curved brickwork and chimney stack work. They need to be particularly good at:

Understanding plans and drawings – no matter how great your plans look, they must be properly translated by the builder and the bricklayer in order to achieve a successful building. A bricklayer must be able to read the plans correctly and transfer the design from the drawing to the building. They must also be able to spot any flaws or potential difficulties in the drawings.

Being accurate and careful – properly constructed brickwork is one of the most important elements in any building. A bricklayer that works too quickly without paying attention to the plans, or the work of other bricklayers, is liable to make a potentially fatal mistake. A methodical bricklayer will ensure that each course of brickwork is exactly as it should be.

Teamwork – even a relatively small building project will require a number of specialist trades. The bricklayer must be able to work as part of this team, even if he or she is self-employed or working on contract to the general builder. It’s vital that all the trades work well together to ensure that the various elements of the build are completed in the right order and at the right time.

Complying with safety regulations – bricklayers need to work on a range of sites, and need to use scaffolding and ladders as the building progresses. They need to be aware of the safety regulations that must be followed and be aware both of their own safety and that of other people using the building site.

Being adaptable – plans can change during the course of the building work, or additional work can be added. A bricklayer needs to be able to work to new plans, or to be involved in any discussions about changes to the original drawings.

How can I find a bricklayer?

If you are thinking about building an extension or a new home, you will need to hire a general builder. They will either be skilled bricklayers themselves, employ a bricklayer, or use a contract bricklayer for your job. If you want particularly unusual or decorative brickwork, make sure you check with your builder first, to ensure they have a bricklayer that can work to your plans.

The first step in your project is to hire the right builder. Use www.findalocal-builder.co.uk to get a list of builders in your area, and then look at our other advice articles to see how to make sure you choose the best builder for you.