All,
I have been asked to produce 2 brick columns, 4′ 6″ in height and 2’x2′ wide and deep which will be used to support a wrought iron set of gates. The brick will be provided by the customer.
Can anyone provide me w/ a rough estimate as to the cost for the columns & the unit of measure by which the cost was computed?
Thanks,
dlb
.
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Replies
First of all, thanks for the profile info.
For what you describe, I wouldn't even consider (or ask my mason to), doing something like that for anything other than hourly rate. Lots to do there. Dig footings (min. of 30" square), add some steel reinforcing, get brick, block, sand, and mortar to the job, mix & pour concrete footings, install gate hanger hardware (which is bound to be tricky at best, since it will need to be coordinated with the wrought-iron guy), then lay it all up.
Whew!
In your area I'd think a competent mason could demand 40-50 bux an hour for coordinating and executing such a job. If you count ALL your time, picking up mat., running here and there for this and that, etc., I'd be surprised if you don't end up with close to 40 hours in it.
You do the math. Wish I could pull down a steady 2k per week.
Good luck with it.
The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
Your right about bidding by the hour, but hey it could be an interesting project. Columns call attention to them selves and
their maker, let's not be discouraging.
Oh man, I'm not trying to be discouraging at all! Drawback of comm. on this 'puter. I agree totally with what you say about columns being "signature" pieces.
No kidding, that's exactly how I'd bid it. Don't want to see anybody here lose their azz.The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
Sorry wasn't trying to put you on the spot !
Yeah you need to watch the bottom line.
Is all good. Part of posting in these type threads is to hopefully prevent someone from making the same EXPENSIVE mistakes that I have.The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
Thanks for the reply. I was figuring (a dangerous thing!) that each column would cost about $900 each. For the gate & installation I would use a local steel shop to handle that aspect.
The brick, which the customer has, is located about 100 yrds. from the entrance driveway so I would have to haul them to the site. That in and of itself should be worth quite a bit!
Thanks again,
dlb
.
The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
David is not to far off, the hourly amount in this part of the country but in Ga. you might have to + or - the $ amount, after footers are in ,I would figure 3.5 days to lay masonry , core fill the posts , rough elec. for lights and or gate opener/then lay the fancy top if needed , if all materials and equip. are on site and ya don't have to run all over creation picking and fetching stuff.
One of my builders got into trouble because he misunderstood when I told him the pricing for a job near Toronto. Second level deck... supported by 30x30 brick columns with precast caps to match the house.
I told him 4-5k each... he thought I meant 4-5k for all five...
I also told him to let me see the numbers before he presents since the project was so different-big curve supported at 3 points. He had an understanding client that allowed him to simplify a bit to ease the hurt.
Tough being stuck doing a project that starts out nearly 20k short.
Those are way bigger than the ones you are working on...I'd suggest nearly 2k each with reinforcing and gate mounts.
(Lets not forget small job hassle pay...and profit and overhead)
L
GardenStructure.com~Build for the Art of it! Decks Blog
lawrence.. happy new year !....
comming south this year ?... what about JLC-Live in Providence ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Hi Mike-- Thanks, you as well!
Still getting the new gig stabilized so no travelling until next fall most likely. Probably Florida around Christmas and make a few stops on the way through to actually meet a few of the guys in person.
Where is JLC... I'd love to see some of these things closer to home.. Buffalo or Penn.
Worst part is I must look like a dealer or terrorist because I typically get my vehicle torn down at the border... the downside of black trucks.
I don't have much time the rest of the year--it's really only January I have time to kick back a bit--and drop in here.
What is Mike up to?
L
GardenStructure.com~Build for the Art of it! Decks Blog
same ole same ole...
except on the grandkid side..
Phalen is going to have a sibling in July...
got some nice contracts from previous customers .. so .. the wolf is stilled barred from the doorMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
The brickwork is complicated by the fact that the dimensions don't work out to even brickwork. Assuming you're using standard modular bricks, the columns would look better and go up faster if you made them either 23 5/8-in. or 27 5/8-in. That's 3 brick and 2 mortar joints for the first dimension and 3 1/2 bricks and 3 mortar joints for the second. If you're using a non-standard brick, measure it and add 3/8-in. for the head joint. Keep in mind that you'll have one less head joint than the number of units. Alternatively, take about a dozen bricks and lay them out dry to see how the spacing works. (This is my theory of the origin of the term "dry run.") I'd definitely go over this with the designer and see if he won't adjust the width to conform to the brickwork. As I said, it would look better.
Some of the estimates here seem very high to me. I'd have to know more about the job to give a firm estimate. It seems like there would be a lot of slop, however, in a price of $2000 per column.
Thanks for the reply. THe 24" square is a rough measurement. I am planning on a layout as you described.
Thanks,
dlb
.
The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
always admired the skill of masons who could build a corkscrewing, sprialing column .. till I built one myself .. of course mine was intended to be straight ...
Are you planning on running block then skining with bricks?
Brick alone won't hold a gate for long.
We use chimney blocks 16" square, stack them up. Using wall ties on each course. Then skin with the brick. Woods favorite carpenter
dlb... here's another red flag
<<<The brick, which the customer has, is located about 100 yrds. from the entrance driveway so I would have to haul them to the site. That in and of itself should be worth quite a bit!>>>
check out the brick and make sure it's suitable for the task.. there's brick and there's brick and there's brick
also make sure they really do have the quantity you need to complete the task , including waste.. you don't want to be 90% done and find there is no more brick available anyplace.. or at a reasonable cost
also... i'd like to see the moment calculations on these gates
how much tip-over resistance will have to be carried by the columns
nothing looks dumber than columns that get pulled out of plumb by the weight of the gate... you're going to need proper footings, below frost, with the right reinforcement,and the right hardware...
laying the brick is the least of the issues ... IMNSHOMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
brick columns, 4' 6" in height
I'm still ciphering on how you are building a column 20.25 courses tall, unless the thing is 19 courses high with a pitched soldier "cap" of some sort.
Is there a detail for the "insides" of these? It would be 6.75 courses of 8x16x8 CMU (to "hit" 4'-6" exact), which would nicely take a veneer of face brick (don't forget the masonry ties).
As to how masons cipher costs, near as I can tell, you need a conical velvet hat with stars and crescents and other magical figures on it first . . .
Might be nice to know how big those gates are going to be.
At 4'6" column heights, the hing points get pushed pretty close together.
A double drive gate at 5' or 6' each in wrought iron, depending on detailing, can get heavey. Might require a steel column inside to handle the load,..who knows?
To many unknowns, IMO, to give a guestimate.
Dave
To many unknowns, IMO, to give a guestimate
Precisely. Add in nominal dimensions that do not course, and it sounds a bit too much like good ideas not fully planned out (and checked against bitter experience).
If the columns are only 4.5' tall, and we assume some sort of cap on them, then the gate probably is not more than 3' tall--that's not so bad in a lightweight galvanized steel; lickedie-split in a 3x4' aluminum gate panel.
But, we can had no idea. Sounds iffy from get-go, what with HO wanting to "use up" excess brick on site. What's the probability of power out to this "gate" for a light, let alone an opener? Conduit for opener keypads or sensors? A sliding gate solves the hinging problems, but, the mechanicals are still undefined.
The previous posting about the foundation needed is also apt. Here in my county, the soil is so iffy that a gate post ought to be set in at least 4' concrete foundation. I'm uncomfortable specifying less than a 24" x 10' pier under a free-standing brick column as is (soil here is all alluvial river bottom, silts, sands, and clays, it shifts and moves unredictably unless you "punch through" enough layers).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Thanks for the info.
First issue - the brick. There are 2 cubes available which are left over from bricking the house.
Second issue - structural. I spoke w/ the wrought iron manuf and he stated that a 2' x 2' column which has been filled w/ concrete on at least a 6" foundation w/ rebar in the column and foundation would be sufficient for a set of 3' high gates which are rectangular in shape and contain no fluff (read: spikes on top, etc.. )
Third issue - foundation. The soil is pure clay & in the past I have had no problems making foundations in it.
So, that is my story and I am sticking w/ it!
Thanks again for the input,
dlb
.
The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
There are 2 cubes available which are left over from bricking the house.
Around her that would be called two straps of brick. 100 brick per strap.
Dave
I'm thinking a cube has around 450 brick.
Could be wrong though - it's been 15 - 20 years or so since I was mason tender/laborer.
Here we call them cubes and I believe that there are approximately 450+ bricks in one.The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
A "cube" of brick (standard size), is made up of 5 "bands" of 105 brick each.
Total for cube is 525.The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
You have plenty of bricks. At 24-in. square, it will take 10 bricks for each course. An average course of bricks is 2.66-in. high. 54-in. divided by 2.66 = 20.3. So, you'll need about 200 bricks per column. Slightly more will be needed if you make the columns 28-in. I was thinking the same thing suggested by your engineer. Namely, build a brick box and fill it with concrete. To keep the columns from tilting, make the footings extra wide and tie the columns to the footing with rebar. Rig up the steel so that it gets embedded in the concrete inside the columns.
Let's see now ... You did the design, computed the materials, figured a price, ... Do you think you can come and do the work?
I do appreciate the help. I also computed the number of brick needed and we are in agreement. I stopped by the gate manufacturer today and gave me a ball park figure of $1500.oo for the gates, delivered and installed. The gates will be very plain w/ no fluff; hense, the low price.
We will see how the customer reacts.
Thanks again,
dlb
.
The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
Believe me, if it wasn't so far away, I'd love to do that job.
prices and or estimates
does anyone have an idea on how much it would cost to rebuld masonarycolumn and front steps
More that $25.
(Honestly, this is where you ask your friends or the local indie building supply outfit to give you names of a couple of masons who work odd jobs, then call them up and ask for estimates.)
masonry prices for brick columns
I use a simple rule of thumb for estimating jobs
I use the cost of material plus the cost of labor plus the profit
Assume the job requires two brick columns with an adjoining wall between columns on each side of the driveway.
Assume the columns are 2' by 2' and one is 6' high an the other one is 4' high
Assume a standard 2' deep footing with rebar and gate post blocks and hardware.
Assume a pipe for electric wires (wires supplied by the homeowner)
If the cost of material is $1,500 and the job takes 2 man weeks (80 hrs at $30 is $2,400).
The cost of material and labor is about $4,000
if the profit is 25% thats $1,000. The total is $5,000