Question

1. What factors affect the costs of labor when estimating masonry?

2. How may the type of bond (pattern) affect the amount of materials required?

3. Why is high accuracy required with an item such as masonry?

4. Why should local suppliers be contacted early in the bidding process when special shapes or colors are required?

5. Why must the estimator separate the various sizes of masonry units in the estimate?

6. What is a cash allowance and how does it work?

Answer 1

1. Costs of labor is the major part of masonry costs. The factors affecting the costs of labor when estimating masonry are:

* Size, shape and weight of the masonry.

* Height of masonry.

* Weather conditions.

* Type of bond (Flemish or English).

*Resource unit to site distance.

2. A bond is the patterned arrangement of bricks or stone in a wall. So, depending upon the arrangement, the amount of materials required will vary. For example, in the English bond, one course of header completely and then one complete course of stretcher. In Flemish bond, headers and stretchers are used, alternate in every course. The two different arrangement requires different number of materials.

3. High accuracy is required with masonry because it is a durable form of construction and the materials used, quality of mortar, workmanship, the pattern in which it is being laid can affect the durability of the overall masonry. This is why accuracy should be maintained while its construction.

4. Local suppliers should be contacted early in the bidding process when special shapes or colors are required because special shapes and colors are not easily available and it might take some time to supply them. So it is better to contact the local suppliers early.

5. The estimator must separate the various sizes of the masonry units in the estimate so that the estimate will reflect the different costs and differing amounts of labor. Each size of masonry will require different labor and bond thus the requirement of materials will be different.

6. Cash Allowance is the amount paid out in cash, instead of being reimbursed at a later date for a certain project or work. The type of work is estimated and the amount of cash required to do the work is derived after that the cash is given to the worker to complete the objective.