Masonry, Block Laying and Plastering

Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate, including school leavers, women's groups and persons with disabilities. Ghana's skills body has written national standards for entry-level block laying at National Proficiency I and II.

Why masonry

• Block laying is a large part of building work. In one Ghana description, over 60% of a building site's workforce is tied to block laying and tiling, most people learn through informal apprenticeship with no formal standard, and employers hire on trial.
• Masonry is among the trades where demand for workers is expected to be higher than supply.
• Plasterers in Ghana are listed with a net pay of about GH¢1,543 to GH¢6,665 a month at the start of a career, but the way this is worked out is not stated, so treat it as a guide only.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical. Every unit ends with homework and Check yourself, three quick questions. Keep all your work in your logbook.

Words on prices and names

Prices change by town and by month. Takoradi prices for sand, chippings, blocks and labour were not found. Every price in this module marked example is invented to teach the sums. Before you quote any job, phone three local suppliers and write down their prices. Local names for tools and materials differ from place to place; the names below are common ones, but ask the masons on your site (local names not verified).

Competency standard

Range. The training site and one practice wall. Evidence. Site hazard checklist; tool identification; oral questions.

Why safety comes first

• In Ghana, the employer must supply protective clothing and the worker must use it. The detailed rules for construction PPE could not be found.
• The Factories, Offices and Shops Act 1970 (Act 328) covers construction work and accident reporting, and the Department of Factories Inspectorate enforces it. Many workers and employers do not know it well, so compliance is weak.
• Hazards on a masonry site: cement burns, dust, lifting injuries, cuts, falling objects and falls from height.

Protective clothing (PPE)

Cement and your skin

Cement mixed with water is strongly alkaline and can burn the skin, eyes and feet. This is general safety practice and was not checked against a cited Ghana source. Your supervisor must confirm it.

1. Never kneel or stand in wet cement or mortar.
2. If wet cement gets on your skin, wash it off at once with plenty of clean water.
3. If you get cement in your eye, rinse with clean water for several minutes and get medical help.
4. If cement soaks into your clothes or boots, take them off and wash your skin.
5. Pour dry cement slowly and stand upwind so the dust blows away from you.

Lifting and carrying

1. Look at the load. A 50 kg bag of cement is heavy: ask for help or move it by wheelbarrow.
2. Bend your knees, keep your back straight and lift with your legs.
3. Do not twist while you hold a load. Turn with your feet.
4. Carry blocks close to your body.
5. Take rests and drink water.

Ladders and working at height

These steps are foreign practice:

1. Stand the ladder so that its foot is 1 m out for every 4 m up (about 75 degrees).
2. Make it extend at least 1 m above where you step off.
3. Do not stand on the top three rungs.
4. Never stand a ladder on bricks, blocks or pallets.

Scaffolds need planked platforms, guardrails, midrails, toeboards, base plates on firm ground and bracing, and must be inspected before each use by a competent person. How local timber scaffolds are built in Ghana was not verified.

Your tools

Local names were not verified; ask the masons on site.

Caring for tools

1. Wash trowels, floats and wheelbarrows with water before the cement hardens.
2. Dry steel tools and store them off the ground.
3. Check handles and spirit-level bubbles for damage. A level that is out of true builds a crooked wall.
4. Never use a trowel as a hammer.

Check your spirit level

1. Put the level on a flat board or a flat surface and note where the bubble sits.
2. Turn the level end to end on the same spot.
3. If the bubble sits in a different place, the level is out of true. Do not use it for work.

Check yourself

1. Name three items of PPE for a mason.
2. What should you do if wet cement gets on your skin?
3. How far from a wall should the foot of a ladder stand if the ladder reaches 4 m up?

Competency standard

Range. Mortar and plaster mixes; sandcrete blocks. Evidence. Mixing observation; sand silt test record; curing record.

Cement

• Cement in Ghana is sold in 50 kg bags. Common brands include Ghacem, Diamond, Cimaf, Dangote and Supacem. A study of these five brands found that they did not all gain strength at the same rate and some missed the 28-day strength limit. So buy carefully.
• The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) guidelines of January 2025 recommend Portland Limestone Cement 32.5R and Portland Composite Cement 32.5R for plastering, masonry work and screeding, and 42.5R for concrete products such as blocks and slabs. Read the marking on the bag and ask the dealer; for structural concrete your engineer chooses.

How to buy cement

1. Buy from a shop with a shaded dry store, not one with bags stacked in the open.
2. Pick sealed, undamaged bags with the full marking printed.
3. Check the date on the bag and use the oldest bag first. A common rule is to use cement within three months of its date; this was not verified from a cited source, so ask your supervisor.
4. Press the bag. If you feel hard lumps that do not break up by hand, do not use that cement.
5. At the site, store bags on a raised dry platform, away from walls, covered, and never in the rain.

Sand

• Sand for mortar must be clean, well mixed in grain size and free of plant material. For mortar the particles should not be above 3 mm.
• Do not use unwashed beach sand near Akwidaa and the coast. Sea salt can weaken mortar and rust steel. This is general advice and was not verified from a cited source.
• Local trade names for sand (sharp sand, river sand, lagoon sand, plastering sand) were not verified; ask your supplier what the sand is and where it comes from.

Silt test for sand (silt is fine dust that weakens mortar)

1. Put about 5 cm of the sand in a clear bottle or jar.
2. Fill with clean water to three-quarters.
3. Shake very well, then let it settle for 1 hour.
4. The sand falls first; the silt forms a fine layer on top. The FAO guide treats silt above about 3 mm as too much. The study of blocks in Sekondi-Takoradi recommends a silt test before making blocks.
5. If the silt layer is thick, wash the sand or find another supplier.

Water

Use clean drinking-quality water. Water that is salty, oily, dirty or from a gutter weakens mortar. A water-to-cement ratio near 0.5 gave the best block strength in one review; add only enough water to make the mix workable. On Kumasi building sites, water was judged by eye and not measured, and the concrete was weaker than required.

Sandcrete blocks

• The blocks are cast from cement and sand and are sold in different thicknesses. In Ghana, people speak of "5 inch", "6 inch" and "9 inch" blocks; the number is the thickness (inch naming not verified from a Ghana standard). In Sekondi-Takoradi, a common tested block was 450 mm long x 225 mm high with a 150 mm (6 inch) thickness.
• Nigerian standard sizes (foreign reference): solid 450 x 225 x 100 mm for partitions; hollow 450 x 225 x 150 mm and 450 x 225 x 225 mm for load-bearing walls.
• That Nigerian standard sets minimum strength at 2.5 N/mm2 for non-load-bearing and 3.45 N/mm2 for load-bearing blocks. The Ghana standard figures were not found.

How to check a delivery of blocks

1. Ask the maker the mix ratio and how many days the blocks were cured. At least 14 days is the usual curing period.
2. Look: sharp edges, same size, no big cracks, no crumbling corners.
3. Rub two blocks together. If a lot of sand falls off, the mix is weak.
4. Do a drop test: from waist height, drop one block flat on firm ground. A good block should not break. This test is general practice and was not verified from a cited source.
5. Do not accept blocks that are damp from the yard. Damp blocks shrink and crack the wall as they dry.

Mixing ratios

A ratio such as 1:6 means 1 part cement to 6 parts sand, by volume. Measure with the same container each time: a gauge box or a head pan.

Note: No official Ghana mortar ratio was found. The ratios 1:6 and 1:4 for mortar come from a cement-company guide whose origin is unclear. Teach and use them as practice and always follow the engineer's written specification. The plaster ratios come from a United Nations guide for small buildings (1:5) and an Indian standard summary (1:4 finish, 1:5 base). These are foreign practice.

A gauge box. A 50 kg bag of cement is about 0.035 cubic metres loose. A wooden box of 350 mm x 350 mm x 300 mm gives about 0.0368 cubic metres, so one box is about one bag. Use it to measure 1 part. The loose volume of a bag is general knowledge and was not verified from a cited source.

For block making, the Nigerian guide gives one bag of cement with sand measured in wheelbarrows and head pans (a head pan is a basin carried on the head; its size varies, so measure your own):

Those numbers belong to Nigerian sizes of head pan and wheelbarrow. Use them only to compare mixes, then calibrate with your own pan.

How to mix mortar by hand

This method is general practice. The rule to use a mix within 2 hours and never to add more water to a stiffened mix comes from Structville Sandcrete.

1. Choose a clean, hard, flat mixing floor or a clean board. Never mix on bare soil.
2. Measure the dry sand with your gauge box or pan and spread it in a layer.
3. Measure the cement and spread it over the sand.
4. Turn the dry mix over with the shovel at least three times until the colour is even with no grey or yellow streaks.
5. Make a crater (a hole) in the middle.
6. Pour in clean water a little at a time. Do not flood the crater.
7. Fold the dry edges into the middle and turn the heap until it is workable.
8. Test: a good mortar holds its shape on the trowel and slides off cleanly. If it is runny, it is too wet. If it crumbles, add a little water.
9. Use it within 2 hours. Do not add water to a mix that has begun to stiffen.
10. Clean your tools and your floor at once.

Curing

Curing means keeping the cement damp so it can harden fully.

• Blocks: sprinkle with water from the day after casting, for about two weeks, and let them dry before building. Another guide gives at least 14 days of curing.
• Mortar and plaster: keep damp and out of strong sun and wind for about 7 days.
• Poor curing is a common cause of scaling and cracking.

Check yourself

1. What does the ratio 1:6 mean?
2. How long can you use mixed mortar, and can you add water to a stiff mix?
3. Name one reason for curing.

Competency standard

Range. A small rectangle set out on flat ground. Evidence. Set-out check by assessor; foundation questions.

Level, plumb and square

• Level means flat from side to side, like still water.
• Plumb means perfectly upright.
• Square means a corner of exactly 90 degrees.

Using the spirit level and plumb bob

1. To check level, rest the level on a straight board on the surface. The bubble must sit between the two lines.
2. To check plumb, hold the level against the wall's side. The upright bubble must sit between its lines.
3. To check with a plumb bob, hang the weight from a string. When it stops swinging, the string is straight up and down.
4. Turn the level end to end and check again. If the two readings differ, the surface is not level, or the tool is wrong.

Using a string line

1. Fix a line pin or nail at each end of the wall.
2. Stretch the line tight so it does not sag.
3. Keep the line at the top edge of the block course you are laying and a few millimetres away from the face.
4. Check it for sag by placing a small spacer block under it in the middle. If the line sags onto the middle block, retighten it (the spacer check is a Hub idea).
5. A line level hung on the string checks it is level, but only for short spans.

Gauge rod

A gauge rod is a straight timber marked with the height of each course.

1. Measure the height of your block. A 225 mm block plus a 10 mm bed joint gives a course of 235 mm (arithmetic from the Nigerian block size in Structville Sandcrete; Source: Structville Sandcrete).
2. Mark every 235 mm along the rod from one end.
3. Hold the rod up against the wall corner at each course to check the height.

For a wall 2.7 m high, 2,700 / 235 = 11.49. So 11 full courses give 2,585 mm and 12 courses give 2,820 mm. The engineer's drawing decides which.

Squaring a corner: the 3-4-5 rule

The rule says a triangle with sides of 3, 4 and 5 units has a perfect right angle. For long walls use 6-8-10 or 9-12-15.

1. Drive a peg at the corner. Stretch a line from it along the first wall and mark a point 3 m along it (or 6 m for a big building).
2. Stretch a second line from the same corner in the direction of the second wall.
3. Mark 4 m along the second line (or 8 m).
4. Measure the straight distance between the two marks. It must be exactly 5 m (or 10 m).
5. If it is not, move the second line a little and measure again.
6. Repeat for each corner.

Check the diagonals. When all four corners are set, measure both diagonals. They must be equal. If not, adjust and recheck. For a room 6 m x 8 m the diagonals must both measure 10 m.

Profiles and pegs

Because the corner pegs are dug up when the trench is dug, builders set up profile boards (batter boards) outside the corners and mark the lines on them with saw cuts. You can then take the lines away and put them back.

1. Drive stakes outside each corner, about 1.5 m beyond where the excavation will go.
2. Nail horizontal boards across the stakes at the same level as each other. Use a line level or a spirit level to check.
3. Stretch lines between the boards to mark the foundation edges and hang a plumb bob from the crossing point to mark the corner on the ground.
4. Cut a small saw cut where each line sits so you can put it back in the same place.

Foundation basics

• A strip foundation is a long strip of concrete under the wall. For a wall of 225 mm hollow sandcrete blocks, a typical teaching size is a strip 675 mm wide x 225 mm thick placed 900 mm below ground. For a 150 mm block wall the typical teaching size is 450 mm x 150 mm at the same depth.
• Not looking at the soil is a named cause of building failures in Ghana.

Steps for a strip foundation (general practice, with the engineer):

1. Clear and peg the site.
2. Set out the outline with profile boards, lines and 3-4-5.
3. Mark the trench with lime or sand on the ground under the lines.
4. Dig to the marked width and depth, with a flat bottom. Check the width with a measuring rod.
5. Check the depth at several places with a measuring rod from the line.
6. Place concrete to the full thickness with the mix the engineer gives and level it with a straight edge. A Nigerian reference gives 1:2:4 for reinforced concrete and 1:3:6 for mass concrete.
7. Check the level with pegs set at the top of the concrete.
8. Keep it damp (cure it) and let it harden before building. How long to wait before loading it was not verified; ask the engineer.
9. Build the sandcrete wall up to the damp proof course (DPC) level.

Damp proof course. A DPC is a layer that stops damp rising from the ground into the wall. It sits at least 150 mm above ground level and goes on the first course in a bed of mortar. DPC is sold in Ghana in rolls. A Ghana study found coatings and dense concrete bases worked better than polythene sheets as a DPC; ask the engineer which type to use.

Check yourself

1. What checks prove a rectangle is square?
2. How high is one course of a 225 mm block with a 10 mm joint?
3. How far above ground should the DPC be?

Competency standard

Range. A practice wall of at least 8 courses, with one corner and one opening. Evidence. Wall checked for level, plumb, line, bond and joints; oral questions.

All steps in this unit are foreign practice adapted for sandcrete blocks. Confirm details with your supervisor.

Bond

Bond is the way blocks overlap so that the joints in one course do not sit over the joints of the course below. For single-thickness block walls the usual bond is stretcher bond: every block laid long side out, each course starting half a block along from the one below. This is general practice for single walls and was not directly cited. Joints that line up (a "straight joint") make the wall weak.

Laying the first course

1. Check the foundation top is clean, level and damp (not dripping).
2. Snap or mark the wall line on the foundation.
3. Place the DPC strip on a mortar bed at the height required (see Unit 3).
4. Lay out the first course of blocks dry, without mortar, to see how the blocks fit around corners, doors and windows. Move them until you do not need to cut many blocks.
5. Remove the blocks and make the gauge rod.
6. Mix mortar by the Unit 2 method.

Laying one block

1. Throw a bed of mortar about 10 mm thick with the trowel, wider than the block.
2. Draw a shallow furrow down the middle with the trowel point.
3. Butter the end of the block you are going to lay against the last (this is the perpend or head joint).
4. Lay the block, press it down and tap it level with the trowel handle until the joint is about 10 mm.
5. Check it for level along the length and across the width.
6. Cut off the squeezed-out mortar and use it again before it stiffens.
7. Move on to the next block.

The mortar bed joint is about 10 mm. A thicker joint wastes mortar and weakens the wall.

Building corners (the leads)

1. Build each corner first, stepped up several courses higher than the wall in between.
2. Check every block with the spirit level for plumb, level and square.
3. Check the height with the gauge rod at every course.
4. Check the diagonal of the first course once more.

Filling in between corners

1. Fix a line pin or a line block at each corner at the top edge of the course you are about to lay.
2. Stretch the line tight.
3. Lay the blocks so that their top edge just touches or is just under the line.
4. Check each three or four blocks with the spirit level and straight edge.
5. Move the line up after each course.

Cutting blocks

1. Mark the cut with a pencil.
2. Wear goggles and dust mask.
3. Put the block on firm ground, not on a hard slab that may shatter it.
4. Score the line all round with the bolster chisel and the club hammer.
5. Strike the waste part with the hammer to break it.

Joints and pointing

1. Wait until the mortar is "thumbprint hard": it holds a thumbprint but does not stick to the thumb.
2. Tool the vertical joints first and then the horizontal ones.
3. If the wall will be plastered, rake out the joints by 10 to 12 mm so the plaster grips.

Openings and lintels

1. Mark door and window sizes on the wall using the setting-out drawing. Mark the position on the first course.
2. Set the frame plumb and prop it.
3. A lintel is a beam that carries the blocks above an opening. It must bear at least 150 mm on each side and sit on a mortar bed, level along and across. It should be propped at about 1 m spacing while the work above sets, which is foreign practice.
4. Lintel length = opening width + 2 x 150 mm. For a 1.0 m door this is 1.0 + 0.3 = 1.3 m.
5. Do not load the lintel until it has cured. A cast-in-place lintel is reinforced concrete, with bar sizes and cover from the engineer's drawing (a Nigerian reference gives 1:2:4 for reinforced concrete; Source: WAEC Concrete). No bar sizes are given in this module.
6. Tie the blocks at wall ends by laying alternate blocks so that the ends step in and out (toothing). Reinforcement in sandcrete walls, such as tie beams and columns, is for Level 2 and always follows the engineer.

How high can you build in a day?

A common UK rule limits the wall built above a lintel to 1.5 m in 24 hours. For ordinary walls a safe lift of about 1.2 m to 1.5 m a day is common practice, but this was not verified. If the mortar is squashed out, you built too high too fast.

Protect new work

1. Cover the top of the wall with plastic or boards when rain is coming.
2. Keep the wall damp in hot sun.
3. Do not lean heavy things against fresh work.

Common mistakes and fixes

Check yourself

1. Name the two main checks for each course.
2. What is a lintel and how far must it rest on each side?
3. Why must blocks be dry when laid?

Competency standard

Range. One wall area of at least 3 m2 and one floor patch. Evidence. Plastered wall checked for plumb, flatness and sound; curing record.

Plastering is also called rendering. The steps are foreign practice adapted. Follow your supervisor's specification.

Thickness and mixes

Sources differ: one supplier suggests 1:4 for inside and 1:6 for outside. If a coat is thicker than about 15 mm, apply it in two coats. Where the mix is not stated, ask your supervisor.

Step by step: plastering a wall

1. Wait. Let the wall's mortar harden first. How many days depends on the weather; ask your supervisor.
2. Prepare. Rake any joints not already raked to about 10 mm. Brush off dust and loose mortar. Wet the wall evenly with a brush or sprayer until it is damp but not dripping.
3. Set the guides. Fix vertical strips of mortar ("screeds" or "dots") at the corners and every 1.5 to 2 m, set plumb and to the thickness you want. Use the plumb rule or spirit level on a straight edge (general practice; not verified from a cited source).
4. Base coat. Throw or trowel on the base coat, about 12 mm, to the level of the guides.
5. Rod it. Pull a long straight edge upward across the guides in a sawing motion to remove the high parts. Fill hollows and rod again.
6. Scratch it. Rake the surface with a scratcher or comb so the next coat grips.
7. Cure the base coat. Keep it damp. Stucco guidance sprays the base coat morning and evening for 48 hours before the finish coat. FAO advises at least 24 hours between two coats.
8. Finish coat. Wet the base coat lightly, apply about 8 mm, rod it, and float it with a wooden float, then a steel float when it begins to firm.
9. Cure. Keep the plaster damp for about 7 days. Do not plaster in direct sun; work on the shaded side or early in the day.
10. Check. Hold a straight edge across the wall; any gap should be tiny. Tap the wall with your knuckles. A hollow "drummy" sound means the plaster has not stuck.

Step by step: floor screed

A screed is a thin layer of mortar that gives a smooth hard floor surface.

1. Clean the floor slab of dust, oil and loose bits.
2. Wet the slab but remove standing water.
3. Fix level guides (screed bars or pegs) at the finished height.
4. Mix a finishing mortar of 1 cement to 2 to 4 sand, with just enough water.
5. Spread it in a 10 to 20 mm layer between the guides.
6. Rod it level with a straight edge, then float it.
7. Cure it with damp sacks or a thin spray of water for 7 days.

FAO notes that thin toppings crack easily, so casting a floor to the finished level is often better. Thicker bonded screeds (25 to 40 mm), falls and bay sizes were not verified.

Common plastering faults

Check yourself

1. Why do you wet the wall before plastering?
2. How long should plaster be kept damp?
3. What does a "drummy" sound mean?

Competency standard

Range. A small room wall and one repair. Evidence. Estimate sheet; repair observation; oral questions.

Blocks per square metre

A 450 mm x 225 mm block with 10 mm joints takes up 460 mm x 235 mm. That is 0.1081 m2 each, so there are 1 / 0.1081 = 9.25 blocks per m2 (arithmetic from the Nigerian block size; Source: Structville Sandcrete). Add 5 to 10% for breakage and cuts.

Mortar and sand

FAO gives mortar needed per square metre of wall: 0.008 m3 for a 10 cm wall, 0.011 m3 for a 15 cm wall and 0.015 m3 for a 20 cm wall. 1 m3 of 1:5 cement mortar needs about 6.0 bags and 1.1 m3 of sand. Rough rules of "so many bags per 100 blocks" disagree widely in different sources, so do a trial wall and compare the real use with your estimate.

Worked example (all figures are examples)

A room wall is 10 m long and 2.7 m high, with one door 2.1 m x 1.0 m and one window 1.2 m x 1.2 m.

1. Gross area: 10 x 2.7 = 27.0 m2.
2. Openings: 2.1 x 1.0 = 2.10; 1.2 x 1.2 = 1.44; total 3.54 m2.
3. Net area: 27.0 - 3.54 = 23.46 m2.
4. Blocks: 23.46 x 9.25 = 217.0.
5. Add 7.5% for waste: 217 x 1.075 = 233 blocks.
6. Mortar for a 150 mm wall: 23.46 x 0.011 = 0.258 m3.
7. Cement at 1:5: 0.258 x 6.0 = 1.55 bags. Sand: 0.258 x 1.1 = 0.28 m3.
8. Plaster, one side, 12 mm: 23.46 x 0.012 = 0.2815 m3. At 6.0 bags per m3 that is 1.69 bags. Add 20% (example allowance): 2.03 bags.
9. Cost with example prices: 233 blocks x GH¢5 = GH¢1,165; 2 bags x GH¢110 = GH¢220 (replace with your supplier quotes).

Order the higher figures, check what you used on the first 50 m2, and then adjust.

How to count and order, step by step

1. Measure the length and height of every wall from the drawing and check on site.
2. Subtract doors and windows.
3. Work out the blocks, mortar bags and sand.
4. Add waste.
5. Put the numbers in a table with the price per item from three suppliers.
6. Keep a copy of your sheet in your logbook.

Why buildings fail in Ghana

• Studies and reports name these common causes: no soil investigation, poor design and planning, poor materials, weak supervision, inexperienced contractors and weak enforcement.
• On 11 multi-storey building sites in Kumasi, site-made concrete reached only 10 to 18 MPa at 28 days against the 25 MPa minimum for buildings in Ghana. Water was judged by eye, and curing and testing were rare.
• Cement quality was found comparable to the United Kingdom in one study, so the cause is often how materials are used. Brand strength build-up varies, though.
• Weak sandcrete blocks and too lean mixes are a local cause.
• A preliminary 2026 report on the Adenta collapse found serious breaches of regulations, structural weaknesses and unsafe construction practices.

You cannot fix all these alone, but you control four things: measure your mix, keep the water right, cure the work, and refuse to build on or with something you know is weak.

Faults you might meet on a wall

How to repair a small non-moving crack

Use this for fine plaster cracks that are not growing. If you are not sure it is not moving, ask an engineer first.

1. Cut away loose plaster along the crack.
2. Widen the crack a little into a V shape so the filler can grip.
3. Brush out dust.
4. Wet the area, but do not leave water standing.
5. Fill with a bonding mortar, pressing it in thin layers.
6. Finish flush with a float, then cure for 7 days.
7. Mark the ends of the crack with a pencil and the date. If it re-opens, call an engineer.

Using mesh over cracks was not covered by the sources; do not do it without your supervisor.

Check yourself

1. How many 450 x 225 blocks cover 1 m2 of wall with 10 mm joints, about?
2. Name two causes of building failure in Ghana.
3. When must you call an engineer for a crack?

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own plan. Evidence. Costing sheet; one-page plan; portfolio of five photos.

The market

• Over 60% of building-site workers are tied to block laying and tiling, yet few are formally trained, and employers hire on trial. A trained, tested mason stands out.
• Block prices in Greater Accra in the second quarter of 2026 were about GH¢3.50 to GH¢5.50 for a 6-inch hollow block. Another source gives GH¢6.20 as a national benchmark. Takoradi prices were not verified.
• A reported Greater Accra rate for blockwork labour was about GH¢213 per m2, but it may include materials and was not verified.
• A single room and porch with plastering, flooring and painting together was estimated at GH¢8,000 to GH¢13,000.
• Building in the Western Region and Takoradi includes housing and work linked to oil, gas and hospitality, but the demand in your area was not verified: ask local contractors and look for building sites.

Small business ideas

These models are the Hub's judgement; no Ghana source was found.

Pricing a job

Charge for materials, labour, transport, your tools wearing out, and profit.

Example (all figures are examples). Plastering 30 m2 of wall, labour only. You work with one helper. You estimate 3 days.

1. Your pay for 3 days at GH¢150 a day = GH¢450.
2. Your helper at GH¢80 a day for 3 days = GH¢240.
3. Transport and tool wear = GH¢60.
4. Total cost = 450 + 240 + 60 = GH¢750.
5. Add 20% profit = 750 x 1.2 = GH¢900.
6. Rate per m2 = 900 / 30 = GH¢30 per m2.

Ask local masons their rates. Do not take a job that does not pay your costs.

Where and how to find work

Market yourself

1. Take photos of every job: before, during and after. Include a tape measure or a person for scale.
2. Make a WhatsApp portfolio: a status or album with 5 to 10 photos, your name, your phone number, what you do, area covered and price per m2 (example).
3. Ask for a short testimonial from every happy client and keep it.
4. Keep your word. Come on time, finish when promised and clean up.
5. Compare. Jiji lists many building services in Greater Accra, including hundreds of POP ceiling ads, so you can see how rivals describe themselves. Takoradi competition was not verified.

Skills grow, qualifications help

CTVET-level courses for the trade include Block Laying and Tiling at National Proficiency I and II. Ask your Hub trainer how to be assessed and receive a certificate.

Individual masons do not need a licence, and no licensing rule was found. If you grow into a contractor with an office, registration steps and the classification of building contractors are covered in the Level 3 manual. Ministry classification is by capital, equipment, staff and track record.

Women in masonry

Few women choose building trades. In one programme, only 2% to 6% of female trainees took masonry-type trades. Reported barriers include harassment and training that is mostly male. Programmes that have supported women into building include PASEWAY, which trained over 4,200 young people in construction and hospitality; the YOTA and NVTI plan to train 200 women in trades including masonry; and GIZ's Female Talents in Construction. Details and openings change; ask the Hub.

Accessibility

A youth employment project targets persons with disabilities for skills in construction. The following are the Hub's judgement, not from a cited source:

• Workable tasks: seated pointing and finishing; making blocks with a mould at a table; cutting blocks at table height; mixing small batches; estimating; quoting; supervising; managing a gang; WhatsApp marketing.
• Harder tasks: carrying bags of cement, climbing ladders and scaffold work. These are not workable for many.
• Adjustments: a raised work table, a wheelbarrow or cart for carrying, a helper for lifting, lighter 5-inch or 6-inch blocks, a stable chair and a shaded work area, a long-handled float for floors, a talking tape measure or a clear large-print tape, and written instructions for hearing-impaired workers.

Check yourself

1. Name one business model for a mason.
2. What four things must a price cover?
3. Name two things for your WhatsApp portfolio.

1. Name four items of PPE for a mason.
2. What does 1:6 mean?
3. How long can mortar be used after mixing?
4. How do you do a silt test for sand?
5. What is the 3-4-5 rule and what do you check after it?
6. How high is one course of a 225 mm block and a 10 mm joint?
7. What is stretcher bond?
8. How far must a lintel bear on each side?
9. Why must plaster be cured and for about how long?
10. How many 450 x 225 blocks per square metre, with joints?
11. When must you call an engineer about a crack?
12. Name two things in a WhatsApp portfolio and one thing a price must cover.

Best next reads: the free ILO and similar masonry manuals listed on InfoBooks (licence not stated; read before reuse); the Ghana Building Code and GSA block standard from the Ghana Standards Authority; the Hub's Level 2 and Level 3 masonry manuals.

What this module does not cover: reinforced concrete work, tie beams and columns, cavity walls, scaffold erection, tiling, electrical or plumbing work, structural design, and contractor registration (see Levels 2 and 3 and the Hub's other courses).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.