Hod Carrier: The Job, the Card You Need, Pay and the Route into Bricklaying

The short answer: a hod carrier keeps a gang of bricklayers supplied with bricks, blocks and mortar. On most UK sites you need a CSCS Labourer card, which means passing the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and holding the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment or an accepted equivalent. The Office for National Statistics puts median pay for the group that includes hod carriers at £13.50 an hour in April 2025, and the step up is a Level 2 NVQ in Trowel Occupations, which leads to the blue Skilled Worker card for bricklayers.

Hod carrying is one of the most physical labouring jobs on a building site, and one of the most direct ways to learn bricklaying from the people who do it every day. This guide covers what the job involves, the card you need, what the official pay data says, how the law treats heavy lifting, and how to move from carrying the hod to laying bricks.

What a Hod Carrier Does

The hod is the three-sided tray on a pole used to carry bricks or mortar on the shoulder. The name has stuck even though much of the work now involves pallet trucks, forklifts, telehandlers and mortar silos. A typical day includes:

• Keeping the line fed — stacking bricks and blocks within reach of each bricklayer so no one stops to wait;
• Mixing and delivering mortar to the right consistency, and topping up spot boards;
• Loading out scaffold lifts ahead of the bricklayers as the walls go up;
• Moving materials around the plot, cutting blocks where asked, and cleaning down tools and boards at the end of the day.

A good hod carrier reads the gang: they know who is laying facings, who is on blockwork and when the next lift is needed. That is why bricklayers who find a reliable hod carrier tend to keep them.

The Card You Need

Holding a CSCS card is not a legal requirement, but CSCS says most principal contractors and major housebuilders require one. Hod carrying is a labouring role, so the card that fits is the green CSCS Labourer card. To apply, you must pass the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and hold one of the following:

• the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment (Level 4 in Scotland);
• the NOCN/CSkills Awards Construction Health and Safety unit;
• the REHIS Elementary Health and Safety Certificate; or
• a CSCS-approved alternative qualification.

The first Labourer card is valid for two years. If you are still labouring after that, CSCS lets you renew for a further five years with a renewal declaration, completed by your employer or, if you are self-employed, the main contractor, confirming you work in a labouring role. CSCS Card Finder does not list hod carrying as a separate occupation — it sits under Labourer.

One thing to know before you start training: CSCS says the Labourer card is for unskilled workers only and confirms the holder is not on a recognised training pathway, and that skilled workers holding a Labourer card will be refused site access. Once you register on a bricklaying NVQ, you should move to the card for that route (see below). Our CSCS card guide covers every card type, and our CSCS labourer jobs page explains how to register as a carded labourer.

Hod Carrier Pay: The Official Benchmarks

No official body publishes a hod carrier rate. The nearest official figure comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. The ONS SOC 2020 coding index places “hod carrier” in unit group 9129, Elementary construction occupations n.e.c., within the “builder’s labourers” sub-group. For that unit group, ASHE 2025 shows:

Median hourly pay excluding overtime, April 2025 (employees)

ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.6a, hourly pay excluding overtime; National Living Wage from GOV.UK. The 8-hour day figures are our calculation. These are official benchmarks, not rates we offer: pay for any role depends on the site, location and terms agreed. ASHE covers employees only, not the self-employed.

Two cautions. Unit group 9129 covers all building labourers, not only hod carriers, so it is a guide rather than a hod-carrier-specific figure. And the gap to bricklayers — almost £3 an hour on the medians — is the clearest official sign of what a trowel qualification is worth. For the full picture across trades and why self-employed day rates look higher, see our labourer day rates guide.

Physical Demands and Manual Handling

Hod carrying is heavy, repetitive work, and the law puts duties on employers rather than leaving it to the worker’s strength. Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, HSE says employers must avoid hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable, assess the risk from any that cannot be avoided, and reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable. HSE notes the law does not set specific weight limits.

HSE’s guidance on blocks and masonry is directly relevant to the hod carrier’s job. It says to:

• get blocks delivered as close as possible to where they will be laid, and use pallet trucks or sack trucks to move them;
• carry blocks close to the body, and not carry them up ladders;
• use mechanical handling for dense and specialist blocks where possible — relying on two people to handle heavier blocks is not usually a suitable solution;
• consider gloves, which protect against sharp edges and against cement and mortar risks.

HSE’s general construction guidance also suggests pre-mixed mortar, a batch mix silo or pumps instead of mixing on site, and keeping materials dry so they do not gain weight. It warns that manual handling injuries usually come from repetition and posture over time, not a single lift. If a job asks you to carry loads in a way that feels unsafe, raise it with the supervisor.

The Route from Hod Carrier to Bricklayer

Many bricklayers started on the hod. The qualification that makes the move official is the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction). In CSCS Card Finder, the Bricklaying occupation with that qualification achieved returns the blue Skilled Worker card, with the Operatives level HS&E test. CSCS says the blue card is valid for five years. The routes look like this:

• Registered on the NVQ, still learning: Card Finder returns the five-year Trainee card for someone registered on the Level 2 NVQ. CSCS says it is not renewable and holders are expected to finish the qualification before it expires.
• Already laying bricks with experience: the Experienced Worker card is for people with on-the-job experience, normally at least one year in the last three, who are registered on an approved NVQ. It lasts one year and cannot be renewed.
• Qualified: with the NVQ achieved and the HS&E test passed within the last two years, you can apply for the blue Skilled Worker card.

The practical route is to spend time on the trowel under supervision — building up returns, corners and blockwork — while registered on the NVQ, so your site evidence counts towards it. Ask the bricklayers you work with; many are glad to teach a hod carrier who is keen and reliable. Our bricklayers page sets out the cards and qualifications sites expect from a qualified bricklayer.

Finding Hod Carrier Work

Trade Force UK supports contractor enquiries and worker registrations across the UK, with an initial focus on Greater Manchester, the North West and surrounding areas as the worker network grows. Registration is free, but it does not guarantee work: there is no public job board, and we contact registered workers when suitable work comes up. If you hold a Labourer card and are happy on the hod, register for work and tell us, and mention it if you are working towards a trowel NVQ. If it is your first agency booking, our guide to your first day on a building site through an agency covers what to bring and what to expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

What CSCS card does a hod carrier need?

Hod carrying is a labouring role, so most sites expect the green CSCS Labourer card. You need to pass the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and hold the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment or an accepted equivalent.

How much does a hod carrier earn in the UK?

There is no official hod carrier rate. The ONS codes hod carriers to SOC 2020 unit group 9129, whose median pay was £13.50 an hour in April 2025, about £108 for an 8-hour day. That is a benchmark, not a rate we offer.

Is there a weight limit for carrying bricks or blocks?

HSE says the law does not set specific weight limits. Employers must avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assess what cannot be avoided and reduce the risk, and HSE guidance says blocks should not be carried up ladders.

How do I go from hod carrier to bricklayer?

Register on the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Trowel Occupations (Construction) and build up evidence on site. CSCS Card Finder links that qualification, once achieved, to the blue Skilled Worker card for bricklaying.

Can I use a Labourer card while training as a bricklayer?

CSCS says the Labourer card is for unskilled workers only and confirms the holder is not on a recognised training pathway. Once registered on a bricklaying NVQ, the Trainee or Experienced Worker card is the one that fits.

Related reading: Bricklayers · Labourer Day Rates UK 2026 · CSCS Card Guide UK