Mason

Physical demands

• Sustained lifting of brick, block, and stone (20 to 80 lbs per piece)
• Sustained bending and kneeling
• Working outdoors in heat and cold
• Exposure to lime and cement dust (PPE required)

Common tools

• Mason's trowel and jointing tools
• Brick hammer and chisel set
• Line blocks, chalk line, plumb
• Mortar board and mixing tub
• Wet saw for cutting block and stone
• Scaffolding and mast-climbing platforms

Bricklayer

The core BAC classification. Lays brick and structural block in course for walls, veneers, chimneys, and commercial facades. Runs lead corners, stretches line, tools joints, and keeps the wall plumb and level.

Typical scope

• Running lead corners and stretching line for straight courses
• Laying face brick veneer on residential and commercial walls
• Setting CMU (concrete masonry unit) block for load-bearing and partition walls
• Tooling mortar joints and cleaning the finished face

Entry: BAC apprenticeship, typically 3 to 4 years with roughly 4,500 OJT hours and classroom instruction. Open-shop programs run a similar length through ABC chapters and state-approved providers.

Wage note: BAC local wage schedules are public. Open-shop residential rates are typically set per contractor; ask for the schedule in writing.

Blockmason

Specialist classification focused on structural CMU, ICF, and large-format block. Common on commercial shells, warehouses, schools, and retaining structures. Often cross-trained with bricklaying in the same BAC apprenticeship.

Typical scope

• Setting structural CMU with rebar and grouted cells
• Retaining walls and foundation block
• Large-format architectural block and split-face veneer
• Coordinating with steel erectors and concrete crews on commercial shells

Entry: Same BAC or open-shop apprenticeship as bricklayer; block scope is typically picked up on the job and in classroom modules.

Wage note: Commercial block work usually runs through the standard BAC commercial schedule. Productivity pay (piece or unit rate) exists in some open-shop residential markets.

Stonemason / Restoration

Natural stone, cut stone, and historic restoration. Cuts and fits fieldstone, limestone, granite, and marble for veneers, retaining walls, fireplaces, and architectural features. Restoration scope adds repointing, Dutchman repairs, and matching historic mortars on landmark buildings.

Typical scope

• Cutting and fitting natural stone veneer and full-bed stone
• Dry-stack stonework for retaining and landscape features
• Repointing historic masonry with lime-based matching mortars
• Dutchman and stone-patch repairs on landmark structures

Entry: BAC stonemason track or open-shop apprenticeship; historic restoration work typically requires additional BAC/IMI craft-certificate training and, on federal projects, familiarity with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards.

Wage note: Restoration contracts on landmark buildings often carry Davis-Bacon prevailing wages on federally funded work. Custom stone work pays above commercial block in many metros.

Refractory Mason (Industrial)

Industrial specialty. Lines boilers, kilns, furnaces, coke ovens, and incinerators with firebrick and refractory castables. Common in steel, power generation, cement, glass, and petrochemical plants. Shutdown and turnaround schedules drive the work cycle.

Typical scope

• Firebrick lining for boilers, kilns, and furnaces
• Refractory gunning, casting, and ramming installations
• Acid brick and chemical-resistant linings in chemical plants
• Shutdown and turnaround work on tight schedules

Entry: BAC refractory apprenticeship through specific locals; many refractory masons cross in from bricklayer journey status with additional industrial training.

Wage note: Industrial refractory pay typically sits at the top of the local schedule with significant per-diem and shutdown premium pay. Hours cluster in plant outages and are less steady than commercial work.

Tile / Terrazzo Finisher

BAC finisher classifications that support tile setters and terrazzo mechanics. Mixes mortar and grout, stages material, handles substrate prep, and runs terrazzo grinding and polishing. A distinct apprenticeship from bricklayer in most locals.

Typical scope

• Mortar and grout mixing for tile setters
• Substrate prep, waterproofing membranes, and crack isolation
• Terrazzo pour, grinding, and polishing
• Stocking material and keeping the setter productive

Entry: BAC tile/terrazzo finisher apprenticeship, commonly 2 to 3 years. Open-shop paths also exist through flooring contractors.

Wage note: Finisher wage schedules sit below tile-setter and terrazzo-mechanic schedules in the same local. Progression into setter/mechanic classification is a separate step.

Residential

Chimneys and fireplaces, brick and stone veneer on single-family homes, patios, outdoor kitchens, and small retaining walls. Smaller crews, direct homeowner contact, weather-driven schedules. Repointing and chimney repair are a steady service-call segment.

Commercial

Structural CMU and large-format block on school, hospital, warehouse, and retail shells. Brick and stone facade on office buildings and mid-rise. Larger crews, scaffolding and mast-climbers, coordination with steel and concrete trades. Most BAC commercial hours live here.

Industrial

Refractory linings in boilers, kilns, furnaces, and coke ovens. Acid brick and chemical-resistant linings in petrochemical and process plants. Shutdown and turnaround schedules drive long OT stretches followed by slower periods. Pay commonly sits at the top of the local schedule with per-diem.

OSHA 30 ↗

OSHA 30-hour Construction is the baseline supervisory safety card for masonry foremen and lead mechanics. Required on many federal, state, and large commercial projects before a worker can run a crew.

Issuer: OSHA-authorized outreach trainers

Silica Table-1 Compliance (29 CFR 1926.1153) ↗

OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standard for construction (29 CFR 1926.1153) applies directly to masonry cutting, grinding, and tuck-pointing. Table-1 training covers the engineering controls, water or HEPA-vacuum methods, and respirator requirements required on every silica-generating task.

Issuer: OSHA / state-approved providers

ACI Concrete Field Technician (Grade I) ↗

American Concrete Institute field-testing certification. Commonly requested on commercial and public-works jobs where the mason crew is responsible for grout and mortar sampling, slump tests, and cylinder casting for CMU-grouted walls.

Issuer: American Concrete Institute (ACI)

BAC / IMI Restoration Specialist ↗

The International Masonry Institute (IMI), the labor-management trust with BAC, runs craft certificate programs in historic restoration, repointing, and cleaning of landmark masonry. Commonly requested on National Park Service, GSA, and municipal landmark contracts.

Issuer: International Masonry Institute (IMI)

NCMA Dry-Stack Training ↗

National Concrete Masonry Association technical training on dry-stack and segmental retaining wall systems (SRW). Commonly requested on landscape, site-work, and retaining-wall contracts where the system is engineered per NCMA TEK notes.

Issuer: National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA)

Apprentice, year 1

$300 to $700 for a starter kit: mason's trowel, brick hammer, 4-foot and 2-foot levels, jointing tools, chalk line, pouch, and steel-toe boots. Programs supply PPE and classroom materials.

Journey level

$1,500 to $4,000 over time for a full personal kit: multiple trowel sizes, mason line and line blocks, story pole, laser level, tuck-pointing tools, wet saw, and a personal gas mixer for small residential work.

Going independent

$30,000 to $120,000 for a mortar mixer, forklift or skid steer with fork attachment, scaffolding system (frame or mast-climber), truck with dump trailer, and wet saw rig. Commercial setups with mast-climbers and larger mixers sit at the top of the range.

National median

$60,800

annual, all workers

National mean

$65,390

annual, all workers