MASON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
Updated: 1 day ago
MCAA educates, trains and represents the mason contractor. It is the national trade association for the firms that actually build masonry, and its work runs from federal code advocacy to a contractor certification that owners can specify.
WHAT MCAA DOES FOR THE INDUSTRY
MCAA’s commitment is stated plainly: preserving and promoting the masonry industry by providing continuing education, advocating fair codes and standards, fostering a safe work environment, recruiting future manpower, and marketing the benefits of masonry materials. In practice that means the contractor’s perspective is represented where codes are written, the people who run the work have somewhere to learn to run it better, and there is an organized effort to bring new workers into the trade.
STANDARDS AND CODE INVOLVEMENT
MCAA works building codes and standards on behalf of mason contractors and designers, including ASTM, the masonry standards committee behind TMS 402/602, ASCE and the International Building Code. That is the contractor's seat at the table where constructability, quality assurance and inspection requirements are decided — the provisions that later show up as specification sections and inspection checklists.
CERTIFICATION: A QUALITY MEASURE OWNERS CAN SPECIFY
MCAA developed the national Masonry Certification program to give customers an objective way to select mason contractors committed to quality. The association's argument is straightforward: without certification, the only basis for selection is comparing bids and choosing the lowest, which puts the decision on price rather than on the quality of the work. Certified firms display a certification seal.
EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT
Courses for Running the Work Programs include Masonry Foreman Development, Basic Masonry Estimating, the Masonry Quality Institute, Masonry Wall Bracing, and Understanding Masonry Codes and Standards, delivered through the association's National Education Series.
Recruitment into the Trade MCAA provides information on masonry careers to students, parents and high schools, supports the establishment of pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs, and assists local training programs.
Safety Recognition The association recognizes member safety performance through its Safety Advantage Awards, presented at association meetings.
Supplier Engagement The Masonry Alliance Program gives manufacturers and suppliers a structured way to support the association's programs, with details published on its own site.
WHY IT MATTERS IN NEW YORK
New York mason contractors bidding public and institutional work face the same pressures MCAA was built to address: low-bid selection, code changes that land mid-project, and a labor pipeline that has to be rebuilt every year. The state chairman structure gives New York firms a route into national advocacy, the certification gives them something to put in front of an owner besides a number, and the foreman, estimating and wall bracing courses are directly applicable on a Northeast jobsite.
WHERE TO START
masoncontractors.org — membership, technical resources and news
About MCAA — mission, governance and committees
Masonry Certification — requirements, exam and registration
