# CMU Blocks per man under 'ideal' conditions



## personalt (Feb 15, 2006)

Because I work in a city with all attached row houses most of my work is foundation up. We have a job where because of other contransants I am having my guys do the block rather then sub it out.

I am trying to estimate the time required for a 3 sided 20x20 addution wall three stories high. 

I have 4 guys including the laborer for cement/moving blocks but could bring in more unskilled as neede to move block, especially when we get to the higher floors.

Assuming the cement guy can keep up and the blocks are well placed what is a good amount of blocks per day per man? I would have each guy working on a differnt 20 foot section so they would be out of each others way. The blocks are 8"x8"x18" hollow block. Rebar/fill with morter every 3rd cell, wire reinforcing every 3rd course. 2 door openings per floor. 

I would not include time to move blocks to back of house(this addition is a row house) or time to reset scaffolds. We would be building new wood floors in sync so they can work from inside the addition rather then installing three story of scaffolds. When we get to second and third floors I would bring in an additonal laborer as needed to move block upstairs. The three guys laying block would be laying block only.

They are of moderate skill level.. We dont normally sub out our brick facades as that gives my guys something to work on while we wait for the plumber and electrician to do their rough work. So they get a lot of brick work, which I think they are slow at but not a lot of CMU work.

Two have approached me looking for a raise recently which brought me to the idea of breaking down this phase of work into X blocks per day and giving them the chance to earn some extra cash by increasing their output. But before I come up with a number I would love to get some numbers on what the average/good mason can lay per day when he is just laying block.


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

if all i had to do was lay block.no other labor involved then,i would be looking at putting in about 250-300 a day.but that wouldnt include grouting.if i have to stop and grout,im going to go down by about 100 block a day.
i would say a good number for med skill masons,doing their own grouting,having to wait for mud and other material.you would be good to get 75-120 block a day.
if i was to look at increasing output is set a quota,and offer a cash reward(25-50 bucks) for every day they make thier quota.and make it not if one makes it,but only if all make it.ive been on jobs where we got 25 bucks a day for 120 concrete 12's a day.but also dont forget to reward your laborers,because without them your masons couldnt make the cut.


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## personalt (Feb 15, 2006)

thanks.. that helps a lot. i agree, whatever bonus i come up with would have to include the laborers


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## layem long (Jun 6, 2006)

I genrally lay between 3 and 400 a day, with no grouting.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

You must generally be laying a straight, clean wall then, with 2 helpers at least.


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## layem long (Jun 6, 2006)

Yes Tscarsborugh , I have a couple of helpers ....one to tend and another to keep all the spreading done.....All I want to do is lay , they know that I shouldnt have to do any of the other stuff, so they keep all the other stuff done for me.....usually that even includes the waterproofing as well.


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## personalt (Feb 15, 2006)

layem long - can you go into a little more detail on how your helpers are set up to be most efficeint? 

When you say one guy tends and one does spreading do you mean the tender gets the block ready or mixes the cement or both? The spreader is pre-spreading morter on the last completed course?


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

a tender is one who generally does the grunt work.mixing mud,stocking block,building scaffold and so on.
when he says one man spreads i would take that to mean he spreads the mud on the row of block and he may even butter the head joints for him.he would also be knowledgeable enough to strike the masons joints,so that all the mason has to do is build leads and stretch a line and lay.


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## layem long (Jun 6, 2006)

personalt said:


> layem long - can you go into a little more detail on how your helpers are set up to be most efficeint?
> 
> When you say one guy tends and one does spreading do you mean the tender gets the block ready or mixes the cement or both? The spreader is pre-spreading morter on the last completed course?


when I start a basement or foundation, my guys go in before me and set up every wall and lead, I then come in and built the leads, once they are built I pull a string and away we go.....the mud man keeps us mud and restocks block while me and the apprentice will lay ...well I lay and he keeps all my mud spread ahead of me and when he reaches the end of the wall spreading he comes behind me and strikes the joints...it works real well for me.....I do this with my helpers until they can spread out before I can get half the wall laid once they get that fast I let them start laying backwards and meet me, and then I fix whatever problems they have with laying and explain to them why I am fixing it and how not to do that anymore....once the spreader starts laying a "few" block every single course and I dont have to fix them , I move the spreader up to being on the wall full time and the mud man becomes my spreader

Then what happens is the genius I just moved up to being on the wall , thinks he can conqueor the world with 300 brick or 100 block a day and he quits usually without notice   and it starts all over again.....hope this helps !:thumbsup:


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## layem long (Jun 6, 2006)

stacker said:


> a tender is one who generally does the grunt work.mixing mud,stocking block,building scaffold and so on.
> when he says one man spreads i would take that to mean he spreads the mud on the row of block and he may even butter the head joints for him.he would also be knowledgeable enough to strike the masons joints,so that all the mason has to do is build leads and stretch a line and lay.


YOU ARE CORRECT SIR :thumbsup:


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

*aint it the truth*



> Then what happens is the genius I just moved up to being on the wall , thinks he can conqueor the world with 300 brick or 100 block a day and he quits usually without notice and it starts all over again.....hope this helps !


then they call wanting to borrow this piece of equipment or need help figuring how much to charge for the same job you just bid.:whistling


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

We used to have mixers and 'hobs'. The 'mixers' were on the ground floor and the 'hobs' trucked the mortar to wherever it needed.

A hob was about a 2 ft. X 2 ft. sq. with a handle underneath. It held a lot of mud, especially if you were going up a few flights of stairs.


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## Double-A (Jul 3, 2006)

And when you flipped it over, with the handle up, and rested your elbow on it so as to chat up the ladies, it was called 'hobnobbing.' 

Then the dinosaurs died.


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## stacker (Jan 31, 2006)

*hob*

we always called that a hod.
i really hated climbing scaffold with a hod on all day.:laughing:


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## layem long (Jun 6, 2006)

stacker said:


> then they call wanting to borrow this piece of equipment or need help figuring how much to charge for the same job you just bid.:whistling


BOY AINT THAT THE TRUTH :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: 

I tell you what I have done about this....they have to sign contracts with me now, even the labors. Anyone working for me I withhold a certain amount of money from their first check and if they quit without a notice, they lose that amount.

I wont train anyone without an agreement that is notorized that says once they can lay " X" amount of brick per day , they must give me a year to recoup what it cost me to train them.....if my labors wont sign , the farthest they get with me is spreader :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

We call them Hod's the small one is a brick hod and the larger one is a mortar hod.

Handles are about 42" hods are 22" long about 14 brick and 1.5 5gal pails of mortar.


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