Going self-employed

Going self-employed as a bricklayer?

Laying a clean course is the easy part: get pricing, quotes and payment terms organised before you take on garden walls, extensions and your first subbie jobs.

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Instant digital downloads · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.

The work is one thing. The setup is another.

Laying a clean course is the easy part. Once you're on your own you're also pricing the work per thousand, per square metre or as a whole job, costing bricks, blocks, sand, cement and the muck-away, and deciding between a day rate and a project price. Then there's chasing a builder for the money while the weather pushes your schedule around. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides to help you think through that setup side and get organised from the first wall. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.

  • Pricing brickwork consistently across day rate, per-thousand, per-square-metre and whole-project jobs without leaving money on the table
  • Costing bricks, blocks, sand, cement and muck-away into a quote so a job doesn't eat the margin
  • Working out whether to charge a day rate or a project price on extensions and bigger builds
  • Agreeing payment terms and then actually chasing builders and developers who pay slow on subbie work
  • Winning direct homeowner jobs like garden walls and piers instead of only ever being the subbie

What to sort first

Your get-set-up checklist

  1. 1

    Decide how you'll price brickwork

    Settle your day rate and how you'll quote per thousand, per square metre or as a whole project before your next job.

  2. 2

    Build your materials and muck-away into quotes

    Have a clear way to cost bricks, blocks, sand, cement and waste removal so quotes actually cover what you spend.

  3. 3

    Get your quote and invoice templates ready

    Have consistent, professional documents to send so quoting homeowners and invoicing builders doesn't eat your evenings.

  4. 4

    Agree payment terms up front

    Decide deposits, stage payments and terms before you start, especially on subbie work where builders can pay slow.

  5. 5

    Set up simple money records

    Get a basic system for tracking what's coming in and going out across jobs so tax time isn't a scramble.

  6. 6

    Look into the right cover and the rules for the job

    Sort your insurance as a prompt to look into, and look into what building control or building regulations a job may need for you or the builder to sort.

  7. 7

    Make yourself easy to find for direct work

    Plan how homeowners and repeat builders find you, with before-and-after photos and trade referrals doing the heavy lifting.

Suggested starter stack

A sensible order to build up

The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.

Start with

Best first step
Startup Guide£4.99

Your map for the practical setup steps before your first paid wall.

See what’s inside

Add next

Business Documents — Premium£19.99

The quotes, invoices and job records you'll use for homeowners and builders.

See what’s inside
Pricing Calculator — Premium£14.99

So your day-rate and per-job pricing covers bricks, blocks and muck-away.

See what’s inside

Useful later

Financial Forms Bundle — Premium£19.99

To keep deposits, stage payments and job costs tidy as you take on more.

See what’s inside
Social Media Content Kit£4.99

To show off your brickwork and win direct homeowner jobs over time.

See what’s inside

Common questions

Before you buy anything

Do I need to buy everything before I start taking jobs?
No. Most bricklayers start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add quote and invoice templates and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.
Are these legal or compliance documents?
No. These are downloadable templates and guides to help you get organised and set up practically. They are not a substitute for professional advice and don't replace any qualifications, insurance, or the building control or building regulations a job may need you or the builder to sort.
Can I use these if I'm already trading?
Yes. Plenty of bricklayers who are already working pick these up to tidy up their quoting, invoicing and pricing rather than starting from scratch.
How do I receive the files?
They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.
Which should I buy first?
Most brickies start with the startup guide to get set up, then add the business documents for the quotes and job records you send homeowners and builders, then the pricing calculator so your per-thousand, per-square-metre and day rates carry materials and muck-away. The other tools can come in as the work picks up.

Start with the right tools

Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for bricklayer businesses.

Start with the Startup Guide See all bricklayer tools

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