Back to the house

How many concrete blocks do I need?

Based on standard 8 x 8 x 16 inch blocks with 3/8 inch mortar joints.

Blocks to buy

189 blocks

Mortar mix (80 lb)7 bags

Estimated material cost

Blocks to buy

189 x $$2.50 per block

$473

Mortar mix

7 x $$9.00 per 80 lb bag

$63.00

Estimated total$536

Typical store prices before tax and delivery. Change any price to match your store.

Advertisement

How to measure

Measure the length and height of the wall. Decide whether every core will be filled with concrete.

Tips from the field

  • 1.125 blocks cover one square foot of wall. Includes 5% extra for breakage.
  • Check local code for rebar and core fill on retaining or load-bearing walls.

What you'll need

Concrete blocksMortar mixRebarMason's line

Common questions

How many blocks per square foot?

About 1.125 standard 8 x 8 x 16 inch blocks per square foot of wall.

How much mortar do concrete blocks need?

About one 80 lb bag of mortar mix for every 30 blocks.

Do block walls need rebar?

Load-bearing and retaining walls usually need vertical rebar with filled cores. Check local code.

Add this calculator to your websiteFree

Contractors, bloggers, and real estate agents can put this calculator on their own site for free. Copy the code below and paste it into any page.