A masonry crew of 3 workers can lay 1,200 square feet of block wall per day. If the crew costs $85 per hour total and works 8-hour days, what is the labor cost per square foot for block installation?
Correct Answer
C) $0.57
Daily crew cost: $85/hour × 8 hours = $680. Cost per SF: $680 ÷ 1,200 SF = $0.567 or approximately $0.57 per square foot.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Daily crew cost = $85/hour × 8 hours = $680 per day. Cost per square foot = $680 ÷ 1,200 SF = $0.5667, which rounds to $0.57 per square foot. The number of workers (3) is already embedded in the $85/hour total crew rate, so no further division by 3 is needed.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: $2.04
$2.04 results from dividing the hourly rate by the daily output ($85 × 8 ÷ 1,200 × 3 = incorrectly multiplying by the number of workers), or from using $85 as the per-worker rate rather than the total crew rate.
Option B: $0.68
$0.68 results from dividing only the hourly rate by the daily production without accounting for all 8 hours ($85 ÷ 1,200 × something), or from a similar partial calculation that ignores the 8-hour day.
Option D: $1.70
$1.70 results from dividing hourly rate by some fraction of the daily production, possibly calculating $85 × 8 hours ÷ some incorrect area figure, or dividing $680 by 400 instead of 1,200.
Memory Technique
Labor cost per unit = (hourly rate × hours per day) ÷ daily output. Always build to the DAILY total first, then divide by production. Think: 'Day's pay, day's work — divide one into the other.'
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