I've been bricklaying for 5 years, I got my 3rd lvl nvq last year. I'm pretty fast on the trowel but i've been on the the hourly rate and I've been getting the bus to jobs. Is there much chance of getting price work sub-contracting for a big firm getting payed x per thousand when labouring for myself and using public transport?
I know booger all about brick laying but the point of a tradesman having a labourer is that the skilled bloke doesn't have to waste his time doing the donkey work like mixing up the gobbo or muck.
I'm talking about a big firm though where they will have the mortar in tubs and everything will be lifted up by forklift when up to chambers.
Because I'll still be labouring for myself they'll only lift the tubs and packs up to the scaffolding; they won't set me up as i'm going along and some firms only look for gangs but I don't know if it's changed since I last did big site work (which was part of a gang) because they're building a lot more houses around the North West now.
They built a few near houses at the back of my parents house. They used premixed mortar in large tubs and they are lifted using a telehandler JCB. The brickwork/blockwork is all done now, think there was a gang of bricklayers (all young).
Only way to find out for sure is to ring around/visit as many sites as possible in your area. After 5 years you should have made some pretty useful contacts. Reach out to them and if they can't help ask for referrals. Obviously you are hampered by relying on public transport. Is there any reason why you can't get a car/van? Also do you know someone you can rely on who would be keen to work as a labourer for you for short periods of time? If they can drive and have transport that would kill two birds with one stone and give you more options/make you more credible. We have had a nice lad working for two years as a labourer on a site I recently joined. As it was just down the road from his house he could walk it in 10 minutes. Now the job has come to an end he is severely hampered as he didn't bother to learn to drive over that period. This has really limited his options while looking for another gig.