# New business owner



## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Hello all,
Im new to the forums here as well as new to owning my own masonry business. I was hoping some of you older more knowledgable ladies and gentlemen could help a younger guy out. I'm 28 and have been doin masonry for quite awhile. Since highschool actually. Last year I started my own business. I'm aware people dont like to give out prices on labor and such but I was hoping you guys could give me a roundabout figure. 


















































I was wondering what the avg price per sq ft for brick work is as well as natural and cultured stone. I usually go about $5.50 for brick 8-9 for cultured and about 12 for most natural. I was also wondering what a good way to bid out arches is and how much extra the avg charge is for highlights around doors and windows goes for. As well as quoins. I usually charge $35 per quoin but I heard some guys charge $90. That is just one quoin not the whole corner. That seems outrageous to me.

Anyway your help would be appreciated. I realize I could probably call around to different companies and find out but I though I would try these lines anyway. Thanks alot everyone!

Here is my biggest project to date. A nice showcase home I did in the winter. Avg temp 0-10 degrees fahrenheit. It gets cold here in northeast Wisconsin.


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Come on fellas. Dont be shy. Im just a new guy trying to get some advice from guys who have been around awhile. Im not looking to advertise here or even say my name. Im just looking for a bit of knowledge and wisdom from guys who have been there and done that. Even if its prices you "have heard of" I would still be interested in hearing.


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## Glasshousebltr (Feb 9, 2004)

Most your prices are right in there, but I get a little more for brick. I didn't see block, around here block sub labor rate starts at 1.50 per unit and goes up.

Bob


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Great! Thats good to hear. Thanks for the reply glass.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

Hey 6string really nice looking work there on that house. Sorry I can't help you with your prices as I am an ornamental mason and don't do houses per se. I do custom arches and walls though and find that I can charge a couple of thousand dollars for a little wall and arch. Here is an example of such. This particular wall and arch was tied in with a much larger project so I don't know exactly what I charged for both but I would have no problem getting 3 thousand out of that from a homeowner. I realize that you are talking about span arches in residential housing and I really don't have any idea there. I learned on houses but at the time I was just an hourly mason and so I don't know what was being charged. I now do small stuff that larger masons won't touch. Just me and 1 guy right now.

Again nice work. I wish more masons would join this forum and contribute.

Tim


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Very nice work! I think it would be nice to get more masons in here to share ideas and such. There isnt alot on the web anywhere I saw where they have forums for masons. I have always been interested in the more aritistic side of the trade. I would like to see more pictures if you have them. I did this for my buddy. He has to throw some trim up yet to finish it though. Its designed so you can get the tv in and out if needed. This one was done pro bono though.
















I can see all the carpenters cringing out there. Yes we double braced that whole section of floor with more 2x10 and threw up 2 more jackposts underneath.


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## Glasshousebltr (Feb 9, 2004)

Hey Luk, give me some insight on the sub structure of that arch would you?

Bob


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

a pic is worth a thousand words and a whole lot faster. Hope this answers your question. The wood thing is called a buck as you prob. know.

Tim


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

I guess you are limited to just 3 pics so here is another one. By the way even if there is not a lot of masons posting here the marketing and business forums have been invaluable thanks glass and others.

I take the wood buck out almost immediately after laying the last brick. An arch in principle will hold itself up + the joints need struck.

Nice interior work as well. I'll have to dig for more pics. I am kinda getting started and am trying to get more into the hardsaping end of masonry. I just purchased a Kubota L39 which is invaluable to say the least.

tim


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

A buck huh? Up here we call it a template lol. nice work. Nice tractor as well :Thumbs:


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

6string, having just completed a few spec houses of my own, I put quite a bit of cultured stone on them. I was getting prices universally in the 11-14 dollar per square foot price for stone labor only. I had 3 chimneys done (part that sticks out of the roof only) and they were 500 bucks each, flat price. There was quite a bit of work tarping the roofs and building a place to work from.


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## bergenbldr (Apr 23, 2005)

Cultured stone runs about $20 a face foot labor and materials.Brick starts about $12.You would need to adjust this price to your area.R.s means manuals have citycost indexes that you can use to adjust costs from one area to another.Just don,t rely on them for estimating these manuals realy only work for estimating commercial or large multifamily type projects.


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## Glasshousebltr (Feb 9, 2004)

This came out of my 2003 cost estimator. Hope it sheds light.

Bob


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Thanks alot for the replies guys. It's good to see people share thier experience and knowledge in here. This is by far the best contractors forum I have come across.


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

6stringmason said:


> . This is by far the best contractors forum I have come across.



ahhhh! Yeah it's all about contributing what we know (or think we know). I have learned tons in the business and marketing part but again the masonry division over here is kinda slow. 

I've got lots of questions maybe sometime soon I will get around to asking them.

Tim


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

lukachuki, 
I just noticed that on your template for your arch you used individual pieces of what looks like a 1x2 strip or there abouts. I have something that will save you ALOT of nailing. Instead of using the strips of wood and nailing them all together grab yourself a 4x8 sheet of 1/8" paneling. You cut your plywood sides as needed and a some 2x4's for nailing the plywood sides of your arch together. Obviously you subtract twice the thickness of your plywood from the 2x4's to keep your width right on. But then you use the 2x4's to nail the sides together. I usually put 2 to 3 on bottom, one on top and one at about 10 o'clock position and the other at 2. Then use your brick rule and measure the length of arch and use that measurement to cut your paneling to length and width. If this seems confusing sorry. I dont have any pictures but I will get some and put them up here for you to see. It's a hell of alot less nailing and alot faster. And with the 2x4's as support for the paneling its strong enough to hold and wont give. 
Troy


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## PipeGuy (Oct 8, 2004)

Nice looking work there Luk. One of these days I'm going to live where the mud doesn't freeze in January (and short sleeves are the order of the day). What part of the country are you in?


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

I hear you on the 1/8" inch plywood or whatever. In this case the template/buck was sitting on the little lip on the pillar instead of 2x4's so in order to ge it out right away I had to unscrew it from the side. It actually worked real well I just used the quick clamps to hold the buck on the lip, laid the arch, and then took out the screws from the side panels on the buck. It worked for me in this instance although I did take a little more time to make that is fer sure.

tim


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

PipeGuy said:


> Nice looking work there Luk. One of these days I'm going to live where the mud doesn't freeze in January (and short sleeves are the order of the day). What part of the country are you in?


Aiken SC which is only because my wife is from here. If I had my druthers it would be southern utah or flagstaff AZ

Here's to warm weather

:cheesygri 

Tim


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

You guys mentioned laying cultured stone. I have never laid it per se, but have the spec sheet on how to do it. It looks real simple. I would take a cultured stone job in a sec. just for the fun of learning how to do it. For those of you who have experience at it are there some tricks that seperate the professional from the amateur if you know what I mean. 

I don't think I'm being arrogant in saying that I could lay a professional looking house the very first time, it would just take me longer. Any time saving tricks? (Although I must say I wouldn't take a whole house for my first job.)

Thanks
Tim


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