What Skills do I need?

One of the main things you need to be a Bricklayer is STAMINA.  Professional Bricklayers can spend up to 9+ hours a day on their feet!  You will need to be able to apply mortar in a controlled efficient way to bricks in order to lay them correctly.  You will have to master the use of a Spirit level for upright (Plumbing) and horizontal level.  You should be able to use a hammer and bolster to cut Bricks in a safe and efficient manner.  You should be able to read and use a tape measure.  You should have sufficient Levels of Numeracy and Literacy to enable you to read and relate to construction drawings.  (Vital for modern Bricklayers!)  You should have a drive to produce the best work you can and be self-critical about that work. (Good Bricklayers will always have work, bad Bricklayers not!) There are a lot more skills that have to acquired, (For instance dealing with clients is an art all by itself!) but these are the basics.  These Basics are, of course, addressed on my DVDs.

I want to build a wall in my garden but I'm just not confident enough.  What should I do?

Well the obvious answer, (A shameful plug!) is to buy my DVD and apply the basic skills I demonstrate!  But not everyone is that confident.  Techniques on my DVD have to be practiced a little to be effective.  If after watching and practicing you are still not confident in your own abilities then you must get a professional involved.  That of course is also easier said than done.  It also must be said when employing the skills of a builder be selective.  Over the years I have been involved in some corrective work, where unsatisfactory builders have been employed.  Always check the Builders criteria.  Have they  any certificates of competence? Are they a registered Builder?  If not is it possible to view previous work or recommendations from others.  When getting a quote for work try to always get at least 3 prices.  I would always tell prospective clients to take my quote and compare it to at least 2 others  and take the middle price.  Cheapest is never best (don't forget it's your home or garden that may be getting ruined!) and generally the most expensive price means the builder does not need the work anyway.  The price in the middle will nearly always be the most honest and realistic.  I remember a guy who wanted a garage constructed on the side of his house.  He went for the cheapest quote he could get.  By the time he called me for a price I had to virtually re-build his house because of the structural damage the "cheap" builders had caused.  In the end he paid out nearly 5 times the original quote.  In building "cheap" is another word for danger.  Pick your builder carefully!