Block Wall Cost Calculator
Installed cost of a CMU wall: block, mortar and a mason by the square foot. Footing, rebar and core grout are separate — see the footing calculator for the footing.
Order 189 blocks (3 cubes) — block ships in cubes of 90; corner and half blocks are ordered separately.
- Area
- 160 ft²
- Unit 8×16″
- 1.13 per ft²
- Net blocks
- 180
- Waste / cuts 5%
- + 9
- Blocks to buy
- 189
- Cubes90 per cube
- 3
- Mortar, 80 lb bags (type N/S)
- 16 bags
- Mason sand, 50 lb bags
- 36 bags
Quantities follow the ticket. Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you; they never change a number.
Get 3 quotes for this block (cmu) job
The estimate above is a national range. A local concrete & masonry contractor who sees your site can give you a firm price, and comparing 3 bids is the single biggest lever on what you pay. Tell us where the job is and we will match you with up to 3 contractors who serve your ZIP.
- Your quantities and this estimate go with the request, so you are not starting over.
- No account, no app. Contractors call or text you directly.
- One request. We do not resell your details beyond the matched contractors.
How to calculate concrete block by hand
Blocks = Wall area (ft²) × 1.125 × (1 + waste) · Mortar bags = blocks ÷ 12.5
Worked example
- Wall area: 40 ft × 8 ft = 320 ft².
- Standard block face 8 × 16″ nominal = 0.889 ft² → 1.125 blocks per ft².
- Net: 320 × 1.125 = 360 blocks; with 5% waste, 378 → order 5 cubes (90 each) or 378 loose.
- Mortar: 378 ÷ 12.5 ≈ 31 × 80 lb bags; mason sand about 1 yd³ per 7 bags if mixing from bulk.
- Standard 8 × 8 × 16 block
- 1.125 per ft² · 37 lb
- Mortar per 100 block
- ≈ 8 × 80 lb bags
- Cube of block
- 90 pcs · ≈ 3,300 lb
- Courses per 8 ft wall
- 12
How we price this
The low, typical and high columns are the 20th, 50th and 80th percentile of published us national averages for standard 8 × 8 × 16 cmu, delivery and labor. They are estimates for budgeting, not quotes — enter your own supplier and crew prices above to replace them. Ranges are re-checked monthly; see the methodology page for how every number on this site is derived.
- HomeAdvisor cost guides — block wall installed $/ft²
- Home Depot / Lowe’s block pricing — per-block and mortar prices
Questions crews ask
How much does a block wall cost per square foot?
$10–$25 per ft² installed for a plain 8″ CMU wall including block, mortar and labor; $15–$35 with rebar and grouted cores. A 40 × 4 ft garden wall runs $1,600–$4,000 before the footing.
How much does a mason charge to lay block?
$8–$20 per square foot, or $3–$6 per block, plus a day rate of $400–$800 for a mason and tender on small jobs. Foundation work with grouted cores runs at the high end.
Is a block wall cheaper than poured concrete?
For low walls and small jobs, yes — no forms, no truck, work at your own pace. For full-height foundation walls poured concrete is usually competitive or cheaper and stronger against soil pressure.