Concrete Block Price: Cinder & CMU Block Cost Calculator

How do I work out the price of concrete blocks?

Count the blocks, then multiply by the price per block your yard quotes. The calculator above gives the count for your wall, including openings and breakage. The price is the part only a local supplier can give you, because it changes with block size, region and order size. We do not print a national average for that reason.

Block cost = blocks to buy × price per block; price per block = pallet price ÷ blocks per pallet

1. Count blocks. Enter wall length, height and openings above. Standard 8 × 8 × 16 in blocks fill 1.125 per ft² of wall.
2. Get a quote in the same unit. If the yard quotes by the pallet, ask how many blocks are on it and divide.
3. Round to whole pallets if the yard only sells full pallets, and ask whether loose blocks cost more each.
4. Add the other lines: mortar, core fill, steel, delivery, any pallet deposit, and tax.

Cinder block, CMU or concrete block: is the price the same?

They are the same product for pricing purposes. “Cinder block” is the everyday name; suppliers list the unit as a concrete masonry unit (CMU) or concrete block, sized by nominal width × height × length. Dimensional tolerances for loadbearing units are governed by ASTM C90, as block maker Angelus Block notes. So a quote for an “8 in CMU” and an “8 × 8 × 16 cinder block” should be for the same item; confirm hollow vs solid and normal vs lightweight.

What sizes are priced separately?

Each width is a separate line on a price list. Nominal size is the specified size plus a 3/8 in mortar joint, so every standard unit below lays to an 8 × 16 in face.

Specified sizes are from the Angelus Block dimensions page; metric values are conversions of the nominal size. The key point for cost: width changes the price per block, not the number of blocks. A wall of 12 in blocks takes the same count as a wall of 8 in blocks, so the price difference between the two widths is multiplied straight through the whole order.

How do I compare a pallet price with a per-block price?

Divide the pallet price by the number of blocks on it. Pallet counts vary by block width and by yard, so always ask for the count; two pallets with the same sticker can be very different prices per block. The table shows what each $100 of pallet price means per block at several example counts.

The counts are examples to show the arithmetic, not the count your yard uses. Multiply the right-hand columns by your pallet price ÷ 100. A $250 pallet of 90 blocks is 2.5 × $1.11 = $2.78 per block and $3.13 per ft² of wall.

How many pallets do I need?

Divide the blocks to buy by the yard’s count per pallet and round up. If the yard sells loose blocks, compare the cost of the last partial pallet bought loose against one more full pallet.

Block counts come from the same function as the calculator (area × 1.125, rounded up, then 5% extra). Every pallet also weighs a lot, so ask whether the truck can set it near the wall; moving blocks by hand across a yard is real labor.

What makes concrete blocks cost more or less?

The quote you get reflects the block itself and how you buy it. These are the questions that move the price per block:

• Width. 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 in units are priced separately. Wider units contain more concrete.
• Hollow or solid. Solid units are listed separately from standard hollow units of the same size, so check which one the quote is for.
• Special shapes. Corner, bond-beam, lintel, half and cap units are separate lines. Count them from your plans and subtract from the plain block total.
• Finish. Split-face, ground-face and colored architectural units are priced above plain gray block.
• Normal or lightweight. Some yards stock both; lighter units are easier to lay and may be priced differently.
• Quantity. Ask whether full pallets are cheaper per block than loose units, and at what order size the price breaks.
• Delivery and deposits. Truck delivery, a crane or forklift drop, and any refundable pallet deposit are often on the ticket.

How much does a block wall cost per square foot?

Multiply the price per block by the blocks per square foot. For standard 8 × 16 in face blocks that is 1.125, so the block cost per ft² is a little more than the price of one block.

This is blocks only, before breakage. A finished wall cost also includes mortar, core grout or concrete, steel, the footing, and labor if you hire a mason.

What else goes on a block wall estimate?

Blocks are usually the biggest material line, but not the only one. Price each of these with the same quote-first method:

1. Mortar. QUIKRETE’s data sheet says one 80 lb bag of Mortar Mix lays up to 13 standard 8 × 8 × 16 in blocks. 416 blocks with 10% extra is 36 bags. The mortar calculator does this division.
2. Core fill. Filled cells take grout or concrete. Take the fill per block from the block maker’s data sheet and multiply by the filled blocks. Each 80 lb bag of concrete mix yields about 0.60 ft³, so 10 ft³ of fill is 17 bags.
3. Steel. Vertical and bond-beam bars come from your plans; the rebar calculator gives feet, sticks and weight.
4. Footing. Size it on the concrete footing calculator and price it from concrete price per yard.
5. Delivery, deposit and tax. Ask for them up front so the total matches the receipt.

How much would 1,000 cinder blocks cost?

1,000 times your price per block, plus the extras. 1,000 standard blocks cover 889 ft² (82.6 m²) of wall face, about a 111 ft long wall 8 ft high. At 90 per pallet that is 12 pallets (1,080 blocks); at 72 it is 14 pallets (1,008). Mortar at up to 13 blocks per bag is 77 × 80 lb bags before waste, or 85 with 10%.

Is it cheaper to build with blocks or pour a concrete wall?

Neither always wins, so price both. A block wall needs blocks, mortar and fill but no wall forms. A poured wall needs forms on both sides and a ready-mix delivery. For the same 1,000 ft² wall, the block option is 1,125 blocks; an 8 in thick poured wall is 1,000 × 8 ÷ 12 = 666.7 ft³, or 24.7 yd³ of concrete. Turn each into a price with your quotes: the block side here, the poured side on concrete price per yard and the concrete wall calculator.

Common mistakes when pricing concrete blocks

• Comparing pallet prices without the count. A cheaper pallet with fewer blocks can cost more per block. Divide first.
• Pricing the wrong width. The count does not change from 8 in to 12 in, but the price per block does, across every block in the order.
• Forgetting special units. Corners, caps and bond-beam blocks are priced separately. Subtract them from the plain count.
• No breakage allowance. Add 5% for plain walls, 10% with many cuts and openings; on 454 blocks, 5% is 22 extra.
• Leaving out mortar and fill. 416 blocks need about 36 bags of mortar; filled cores add concrete or grout on top.
• Ignoring delivery. On small orders a delivery fee can be a large share of the total. Ask for the delivered price.

Block price vs block calculator: which page to use

Use this page when the question is what the blocks will cost. Use the concrete block calculator when you need detail on counts, courses, block fill and metric block sizes. For the rest of the job, the mortar calculator turns block count into bags, and cost to pour a concrete slab prices the floor inside a block building.