Wellington Strengthening Work Creates Skills Shortage for Bricklayers and Blocklayers
Wellington’s earthquake strengthening programme has created a critical shortage of qualified bricklayers and blocklayers, with wait times for masonry work now exceeding 8-12 months across the region.
Seismic Strengthening Drives Unprecedented Demand
The capital’s push to bring buildings up to seismic standards under the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016 has created an unexpected bottleneck in the masonry trades. While most attention focuses on structural engineers and project managers, the reality is that much of this work requires skilled bricklayers and blocklayers to rebuild or strengthen unreinforced masonry walls.
Wellington Skills Shortage Impact
Current projects include major work on heritage buildings along Cuba Street, Lambton Quay commercial strengthening, and residential foundation upgrades in suburbs like Kelburn and Mount Victoria. Each project requires specialists who understand both traditional techniques and modern seismic requirements.
Training Pipeline Cannot Keep Pace
The Wellington region typically graduates 15-20 qualified bricklayers annually through apprenticeship programmes. This year, demand requires closer to 60-80 qualified tradespeople just to handle the earthquake strengthening work, before considering normal residential construction.
According to Building and Construction, consent applications for seismic strengthening in Wellington have increased 340% since 2024, with masonry work featuring in approximately 85% of these projects.
The skills shortage is particularly acute for blocklayers who can work with modern reinforced concrete masonry systems. These systems, specified under NZS 4230, require understanding of both traditional laying techniques and contemporary reinforcement placement for seismic zones.
Impact on Project Costs and Timelines
Hourly rates for experienced bricklayers in Wellington have jumped from $45-50 in 2024 to $65-75 in 2026. Some heritage specialists are commanding $85+ per hour for complex restoration work that meets both seismic and heritage requirements.
The shortage means property owners face difficult choices. Many are opting for alternative solutions like steel framing or concrete tilt-up panels instead of traditional masonry, fundamentally changing Wellington’s architectural character. Others are simply waiting, gambling that the earthquake strengthening deadline extensions will continue.
Looking Forward: Temporary Solutions and Long-term Planning
Wellington City Council has fast-tracked consents for temporary seismic supports to buy time while permanent strengthening work waits for available tradespeople. However, this approach has its own risks – temporary supports were never designed to last years, and some installed in 2023 are already showing stress signs.
The industry needs to face reality: Wellington’s earthquake strengthening timeline was always optimistic given the skilled labour requirements. Similar situations in Christchurch post-2011 saw projects stretched over decades rather than years. Unless training capacity increases dramatically or alternative construction methods gain wider acceptance, Wellington’s seismic strengthening will follow the same extended timeline.
Property developers and homeowners planning masonry work should book qualified tradespeople now for 2027 projects, accept that costs will remain elevated, or seriously consider engineered alternatives that don’t rely on traditional bricklaying skills.