Where have all the bricklayers gone?

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has noted a shortage of people needed to lay bricks! This comes right on top of a report in the November 2013 issue of Natural Stone Specialist speaking of a shortage of bricks for building houses because of the reduction in capacity caused by the economic downturn over the last few years.

Not to worry, the good news is that the construction industry is well placed to build houses from natural stone and has the workforce and skills to keep up with the growing demand.

What are the benefits of using natural stone in your construction project?

The RICS report goes on to note several, stating “The difference in price between stone and brick walls has already decreased considerably over the past 15 years as more houses have been built with natural stone walls and the stone suppliers have enjoyed the benefits of economies of scale. And the people building in stone have benefitted because stone houses look better, command a higher price and sell quicker.

While the recession certainly took its toll on the stone industry, traditional masons have tended to survive better than most sectors, so there is not the shortage of people to build stone houses that the latest Construction Market Survey by RICS shows exists among bricklayers.”