Masonry · Commercial · Residential

Masonry subcontractors, and the work they bid

Masonry carries two costs that don't appear in the wall itself — access and weather — and bids that leave either out are not really cheaper. Post the scope with your elevations and mock-up requirements, or find masonry packages open for bid in your area.

Post masonry work Bid on masonry work

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What gets bid

Scopes masonry bids usually cover

A posted scope can be any part of this. The more of it the drawings settle up front, the closer the bids come back to each other.

CMU structural walls, reinforcing and grouting
Brick veneer and cavity wall assemblies
Stone and cast stone veneer
Lintels, shelf angles, flashing and weeps
Tuckpointing, repointing and facade restoration
Site walls and retaining walls

Hiring masonry crews

What to check before you award

Who provides the scaffolding: Scaffolding or mast climbers can be a material fraction of a facade package. A bid that excludes access without saying so is not the low bid it appears to be.
Flashing and weep responsibility: Through-wall flashing sits exactly on the boundary between masonry and waterproofing, which is why it is the most reliable source of facade leaks and the most reliable source of arguments about who caused them. Assign it in writing.
Mock-up panel experience: On any visible facade the sample panel sets the standard the whole elevation is judged against. Ask whether the bid includes building one.

Post masonry work

Bidding masonry work

What makes a bid win this trade

State whether access is included: Scaffolding in or out, and whose crane. It is the first thing an experienced GC looks for in a masonry bid.
Include the mock-up: Carrying a sample panel signals you expect to be judged on appearance, which on veneer work is most of what the owner cares about.
Price cold-weather protection: Heated enclosures and admixtures are real costs on a winter schedule, and a bid that ignores them will either stop work or eat the margin.

Find masonry work

Where masonry scopes show up

CMU shells and structural wallsBrick and stone veneer facadesRestoration and repointingSite and retaining walls

Whichever side you’re on, the record stays on the job — scope, bids, award, progress, invoices and the review at the end. See how a job runs, or what the plans cost.

Other trades

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