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MASN  ·  Red Seal: Bricklayer / Concrete Finisher  ·  Apprentice wage $18–24 / hr

Concrete / Mason apprentice tool list

Block, brick, stone and flatwork. A craft trade with visible results — heritage and restoration work is a lucrative niche.

Tools on this list100
Required by most employers16
Day one27

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Follows the trowel-and-line set a bricklaying or cement finishing apprentice is expected to own before the first pour.
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Before you buy  Owning a tool isn't the same as being allowed to use it. Get trained first, follow the manufacturer's instructions, and ask your employer - they often supply the gear, and this site is not safety advice.

01  Day One - 27 tools

What you need in your hands the first morning. Nothing here is optional.

REQUIRED
Coated Gloves outline drawing

Coated Gloves

Coated · Gloves
DAY ONE
Nitrile-coated palms give grip without losing dexterity. Buy a multi-pack — they wear out fast.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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REQUIRED
CSA Safety Boots outline drawing

CSA Safety Boots

CSA · Safety Boots
DAY ONE
CSA-approved is mandatory on site. Fit matters more than brand — you'll wear these 10 hours a day.
Heads-up Best bought in person for fit. Save the receipt and check if your employer reimburses — your feet are important.
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REQUIRED
Hard Hat — Type 2 Class E outline drawing

Hard Hat — Type 2 Class E

Type 2 Class E · Hard Hat
DAY ONE
Type 2 protects from side impact, Class E from electrical. Many sites require exactly this rating.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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REQUIRED
Knitted Gloves outline drawing

Knitted Gloves

Knitted · Gloves
DAY ONE
Breathable general-purpose gloves. Good backup pair to keep in your kit.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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REQUIRED
Leather Gloves outline drawing

Leather Gloves

Leather · Gloves
DAY ONE
Best for handling rough lumber, steel and demo work. They break in — snug at first is fine.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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REQUIRED
N95 Mask outline drawing

N95 Mask

Generic · N95 Mask
DAY ONE
Disposable dust protection for sanding and sweep-up. Buy a box — swap it when breathing gets harder.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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REQUIRED
Safety Glasses outline drawing

Safety Glasses

Generic · Safety Glasses
DAY ONE
Buy several - they scratch and vanish. Anti-fog coating is worth it in winter.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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REQUIRED
Tool Belt outline drawing

Tool Belt

Generic · Tool Belt
DAY ONE
Start simple - a basic rig with two pouches. You'll know what layout you want after a month on site.
Heads-up Wait until you know what you actually carry — most apprentices over-buy their first belt.
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Claw Hammer outline drawing

Claw Hammer

Generic · Claw Hammer
DAY ONE
A 16-20oz smooth-face claw hammer covers most work. Swing a few - balance matters more than brand.
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Ear Plugs outline drawing

Ear Plugs

Generic · Ear Plugs
DAY ONE
Keep a pair in the pouch for when the muffs are in the truck. Hearing loss is cumulative and permanent.
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Earmuffs outline drawing

Earmuffs

Generic · Earmuffs
DAY ONE
Easier to keep on your hard hat than foam plugs are to keep in your ears. Look for 24dB+ noise reduction.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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Headlamp outline drawing

Headlamp

Generic · Headlamp
DAY ONE
Frees both hands in a crawlspace, attic or panel. Rechargeable beats swapping AAAs.
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Hi-Vis Class 2 Safety Vest outline drawing

Hi-Vis Class 2 Safety Vest

Hi-Vis Class 2 · Safety Vest
DAY ONE
Class 2 is the site standard. Get one with pockets — you'll thank yourself.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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Marker outline drawing

Marker

Generic · Marker
DAY ONE
Marks on wet lumber, concrete and steel where pencil won't. Fine tip for layout, chisel for labeling.
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Screwdriver Set outline drawing

Screwdriver Set

Generic · Screwdrivers
DAY ONE
Pick the drive types below — each shows the screw head it fits. A multi-bit driver covers most of these in one handle.
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Site Broom outline drawing

Site Broom

Generic · Site Broom
DAY ONE
You will sweep more than you cut in year one. A stiff-bristle push broom moves debris, not dust.
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Wool Work Socks outline drawing

Wool Work Socks

Generic · Wool Work Socks
DAY ONE
Merino wool over cotton — it keeps working when it gets wet. Cheapest comfort upgrade you can buy on day one.
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Work Pants outline drawing

Work Pants

Generic · Work Pants
DAY ONE
Duck canvas or ripstop with a knee-pad pocket. Two pair minimum — one is always in the wash.
Heads-up Nothing loose or frayed near a rotating tool. Cuffs and drawstrings are how people lose fingers.
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02  First Month - 43 tools

Bought once you know the trade sticks - layout, cordless, the rest of the pouch.

REQUIRED
Knee Pads outline drawing

Knee Pads

Generic · Knee Pads
FIRST MONTH
Buy them before your knees tell you to. Gel caps with a hard shell survive kneeling on offcuts.
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REQUIRED
Level outline drawing

Level

Generic · Level
FIRST MONTH
Buy a 4 ft for walls and doors. Check it against a known flat surface before you leave the store.
Heads-up Check it against a known flat surface before you buy. A level that's out of true costs more than it saves.
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Allen Keys outline drawing

Allen Keys

Generic · Allen Keys
FIRST MONTH
Set screws, blade guards and tool adjustments. Get metric and imperial — you'll meet both.
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Backpack outline drawing

Backpack

Generic · Backpack
FIRST MONTH
For lunch, layers and paperwork. A separate hard pocket saves your safety glasses.
Heads-up Wait until you know what you actually carry — most apprentices over-buy their first bag.
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Battery Charger outline drawing

Battery Charger

Dewalt · Battery Charger
FIRST MONTH
Comes in most combo kits — buy separately only if you bought your tools bare.
Heads-up Usually comes with a combo kit — check before buying one separately.
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Center Punch outline drawing

Center Punch

Generic · Center Punch
FIRST MONTH
Dimples metal so the drill bit starts where you meant it to. The automatic spring type needs no hammer.
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Face Respirator outline drawing

Face Respirator

Generic · Face Respirator
FIRST MONTH
Reusable half-mask for silica, concrete dust and fumes. Do a seal check every time you put it on.
Heads-up Check if your employer supplies PPE before buying your own.
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Folding Rule outline drawing

Folding Rule

Generic · Folding Rule
FIRST MONTH
A wooden folding rule stays rigid overhead where a tape flops. Electricians still carry one for box heights.
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Hammer Drill outline drawing

Hammer Drill

Dewalt · Hammer Drill
FIRST MONTH
Drills and drives, with a hammer mode for masonry. The workhorse of the platform.
Heads-up Pick one battery platform and stay on it — batteries and chargers don't cross brands.
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Hard Hat Winter Liner outline drawing

Hard Hat Winter Liner

Generic · Hard Hat Winter Liner
FIRST MONTH
Fleece liner that goes under the shell. Most heat you lose outside goes out your head and neck.
Heads-up Must be a liner made to fit under a hard hat. A regular toque changes the suspension fit and can void the hat’s rating.
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Impact Driver outline drawing

Impact Driver

Dewalt · Impact Driver
FIRST MONTH
For driving screws and lags all day. Paired with a hammer drill it covers most site work.
Heads-up Pick one battery platform and stay on it — batteries and chargers don't cross brands.
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Pry Bar outline drawing

Pry Bar

Generic · Pry Bar
FIRST MONTH
Demo, pulling nails, persuading framing. A flat bar lives in the truck; a small one in the bag.
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Rain Gear outline drawing

Rain Gear

Generic · Rain Gear
FIRST MONTH
Jacket and bib in a bag you leave in the truck. Look for taped seams — coated nylon without them wets through in an hour.
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Ratchet and Socket Set outline drawing

Ratchet and Socket Set

Generic · Ratchet and Socket Set
FIRST MONTH
Anchors, bolts and equipment work all need sockets. A 3/8 in. drive set covers most site work.
Heads-up Buy one set covering both metric and SAE rather than two partial sets.
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Softshell Windbreaker outline drawing

Softshell Windbreaker

Generic · Softshell Windbreaker
FIRST MONTH
The layer you will wear most. Wind on a deck or a scissor lift is brutal at any temperature, and a shell cuts it without the bulk of a coat.
Heads-up Check whether your site requires hi-vis rated outerwear — a plain jacket over your vest may not count.
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Stud Finder outline drawing

Stud Finder

Generic · Stud Finder
FIRST MONTH
Finds framing behind board before you drill into a pipe or a wire. Calibrate it on a known-empty spot.
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Tool Bag outline drawing

Tool Bag

Generic · Tool Bag
FIRST MONTH
An open-top bag beats a box for daily carry. A hard bottom keeps it standing in the mud.
Heads-up Wait until you know what you actually carry — most apprentices over-buy their first bag.
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Wood Glue outline drawing

Wood Glue

Generic · Wood Glue
FIRST MONTH
Type II is water-resistant and covers interior trim and casework. Clamp it, don't just hold it.
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Work Light outline drawing

Work Light

Generic · Work Light
FIRST MONTH
Site lighting is never where you need it. A cordless flood on a tripod or hook covers a whole room.
Heads-up Check the battery platform before buying — a cordless light only makes sense on the system you already own.
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03  First Year - 20 tools

Saws, chisels and the tools you buy after you have used someone else's.

Angle Grinder outline drawing

Angle Grinder

Generic · Angle Grinder
FIRST YEAR
Cuts rebar, tile and steel, grinds welds, removes rust. Always use the guard and a face shield.
Heads-up Corded models cost far less and never run flat — worth it for a tool used in bursts.
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Fall Arrest Harness outline drawing

Fall Arrest Harness

Generic · Fall Arrest Harness
FIRST YEAR
Full-body harness to CSA Z259.10. Required above roughly 3 m on most Canadian sites — the exact trigger height is set by your province.
Heads-up Never wear fall protection you have not been trained on. Working at Heights (or your province’s equivalent) is required before you go up, and it is usually employer-paid. Employers normally supply and inspect the gear, and a harness is scrap after any fall.
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Heated Jacket outline drawing

Heated Jacket

Generic · Heated Jacket
FIRST YEAR
Genuinely changes outdoor winter work. Buy it in the brand your cordless tools already use so the batteries and charger are shared.
Heads-up Heated jackets run off tool batteries and each brand fits only its own — another reason to settle your platform first.
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Jigsaw outline drawing

Jigsaw

Generic · Jigsaw
FIRST YEAR
The only saw that cuts curves and inside cutouts. Blade choice matters more than the tool.
Heads-up Cordless models lock you to a battery platform — match the one your drill already uses.
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Reciprocating Saw outline drawing

Reciprocating Saw

Dewalt · Reciprocating Saw
FIRST YEAR
Demo saw — cuts whatever's in the way: wood, nails, pipe. Blade choice matters more than the tool.
Heads-up Often a crew tool — ask before buying your own.
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Sawhorses outline drawing

Sawhorses

Generic · Sawhorses
FIRST YEAR
A pair of folding horses gives you a bench anywhere. Cut into them; that is what they are for.
Heads-up Buy in pairs — one sawhorse holds nothing.
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Sharpening Stone outline drawing

Sharpening Stone

Generic · Sharpening Stone
FIRST YEAR
Chisels and planes are consumables until you can sharpen. A dull edge is more dangerous than a sharp one.
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Shock Absorbing Lanyard outline drawing

Shock Absorbing Lanyard

Generic · Shock Absorbing Lanyard
FIRST YEAR
Energy-absorbing lanyard to CSA Z259.11. Double-leg lets you stay tied off while you move.
Heads-up A harness alone stops nothing — the lanyard, the anchor and the clearance below you are one system. Get trained on all of it, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for every piece.
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Shop Vacuum outline drawing

Shop Vacuum

Generic · Shop Vacuum
FIRST YEAR
Silica dust is a lung hazard, not a housekeeping issue. A vac with a HEPA filter is worth the extra cost.
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Staple Gun outline drawing

Staple Gun

Generic · Staple Gun
FIRST YEAR
Fastens house wrap, insulation and underlay. Manual is fine until you're doing it all day.
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04  Specialty - 10 tools

Trade-specific and job-specific. Buy when the work calls for it, not before.

Air Compressor outline drawing

Air Compressor

Generic · Air Compressor
SPECIALTY
Pancake compressors run trim and framing guns. CFM rating matters more than tank size.
Heads-up Only worth buying if you own pneumatic tools. Check what your employer already supplies.
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Anchor Strap outline drawing

Anchor Strap

Generic · Anchor Strap
SPECIALTY
Cross-arm strap that gives you a rated tie-off point where there is no engineered anchor. Only ever used as part of a system you have been trained on.
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Framing Nailer outline drawing

Framing Nailer

Generic · Framing Nailer
SPECIALTY
Drives framing nails as fast as you can place them. Sequential trigger only until you are experienced.
Heads-up Cordless nailers are expensive; most crews supply pneumatic ones. Confirm before you buy.
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Router outline drawing

Router

Generic · Router
SPECIALTY
Edges, dados and hinge mortises with a template. Learn feed direction before you switch it on.
Heads-up Bench and jig work — not a tool you carry in the pouch.
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How to register as a Concrete / Mason apprentice

Apprenticeship is run by each province and territory. Registration, schooling schedules and the Red Seal exam all go through the authority below - start there.

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