Frequently Asked Questions
Jamie Holliday
Holliday Masonry
We receive numerous questions every time we talk to a new masonry firm about joining RMCA. Below you will find answers to many of those questions:
What will being a "member" of RMCA do for me? Among other things, RMCA membership is going to open doors to many things, none more important than our Residential Masonry School, which is free to employees of RMCA.
What's the difference between a member and a "certified" member? Another area we are working on is Certification for our subcontractor members. In time, this could be the most valuable "label" you can obtain.
How do I get "certified" and what does it do for me? Certification will be the culmination of an educational course we members are setting up to bring in experts to educate residential masonry contractor firm owners. Such topics as human resource issues, project management, "growing your business and making it profitable", WA State Contract Law, WA State Insurance, OSHA/WISHA Regulations, estimating, bookkeeping and many more. We will have guest speakers, hold workshops, and generally learn the answers to many of our questions about our changing industry and, most importantly, learn how to "prosper" within this new environment. All these classes are geared specifically to Residential Masonry Subcontracting.
That all sounds great, but I don't have a lot of time - what is the commitment? We are scheduling our Certification Workshop over a three-day weekend. It will be chock full of information; there will be time for socializing, a little golf, and the accommodations are deluxe.
How much will that cost? RMCA is footing the bill for the guest speakers, and accommodations, classes and meals will be covered by a low, one-time registration fee. Remember, in numbers, there are always discounts.
What's the "big deal" about becoming CERTIFIED? "Certification" itself is going to benefit each person differently. Specifically, we can approach architects and developers, advertising our skilled employees (which will be a result of our Residential Masonry School) and demonstrate our commitment to our trade through our participation in the certification process. Once architects, builders, developers, and general contractors understand the level of quality and consistency that comes with the "Certification" label, we will begin to see them require that only Certified Residential Masonry Contractors are allowed to bid and/or work on their projects!
Isn't this excluding smaller companies? No, not at all. We specifically set up the Residential Masonry Contractors Association to embrace smaller contractors. They will benefit the most, being seen to be on equal footing with larger companies. They will enjoy all the benefits, and their costs will be much lower to be a part of the association.
Speaking of costs, how much does membership cost? Our initial membership fee is based on your annual sales volume (on an ascending scale) for 2004. However, if you bring in a new member, that fee is reduced 25%. If you bring in two new members, that would mean your membership fee would be 50% less.
Is that all? There is a monthly fee, based upon the number of employee hours you report to the State. we've kept the rate low, only 15 cents ($0.15) per hour reported to L&I. For a company where the proprietor works in the field, one mason, and one hoddy that works an average of 40 hours per week, it breaks down to $48 a month. Another example would be a firm with 10 employees, averaging 40 hours per week. That computes to only $240 a month.
How does that fee compare to other organizations? There are no other organizations which are geared 100% toward our type of companies; after all, we are the Residential Masonry Contractors Association. Other organizations of note would include the BIAW, which charges $0.30/hour reported, and the MIW, which charges $0.50/hour.