Average cost to lay concrete block

[discbrks]

I got a quote yesterday to lay blocks on my new slab. It seemes a little high - but just wanted a few opinions... Here's what I have:

32x36 finished slab that I only want one course of blocks layed around the perimeter. There will be 3 openings in the "wall", 2-10' garage door openings and one 38" opening for the walk-in door rough-in. It comes out to about 90 blocks and of which only 5 need to be cut. I have the blocks already and I have the door rough-ins marked and all the level strings pulled. My quote was $200.00 and I supply the mortar & sand. Does this sound right? That's about $2.25 per block, and I was thinking it sould be more like $1.00-$1.50 per block. What's the concensus?

 

[volvo]

...
With only one row to install I wondering if you are falling into " Its to small of a job to bother with class", thus the high estimate?

I would be asking around at the local professional block supply store for some recommendation referrals for installers, maybe you can find a simi-retired layer that would be a perfect fit. Check into a local apprentice program that you could use and save big $$?

 

[jonese]

I'm wondering if only one row of block would be worth trying to do yourself. I've layed some brick before with no previous experience and it went pretty well. In fact my wife helped with it. That wasn't structural though so it would be more critical in your case. I like the idea of taking a class at a tech school or something.

 

[larry_g]

The mason has some fixed costs just to get the job going. That doesn't change for 90 blocks or 900 blocks. Those costs have to factor into the job.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[discbrks]

Well, I did lay about 250 blocks for the foundation. But it's not real pretty and that wat before my daughter was born. I could do it, but if would cost around $100.00 it would be well worth me not doing it. It would probably take me about 3 weekends to lay them all.

 

[thisoldcrackhouse]

$2.25 a block for labor only is pretty good, shopping around I got quotes from $2 to $3.50 each.

 

[discbrks]

$2.25 a block for labor only is pretty good, shopping around I got quotes from $2 to $3.50 each.

Well, maybe the price isn't so bad then. Anybody else have experience with this?

 

[slickgt1]

You are definitively falling into the job is too small category. I'll give you an example.

I call a mason for my neighbor to fix a 5x5 section of sidewalk. $400. That is 25sq ft. $16 per square foot.

Section of sidewalk by my house. 20 x 10, 200 sq ft, $1250. $6.25 per square foot.

This is demo, permit (NYC), removal, gravel, compacting, and cleaning included in price.

I ask him why its so expensive for the neighbor, he said it is just too little of a job. Property is too far away, getting a permit costs nothing, but it kills a day for him, again (NYC). He said that section will be $150 when doing my sidewalk. Your job is just too small.

 

[ctgoodman]

I got a quote yesterday to lay blocks on my new slab. It seemes a little high - but just wanted a few opinions... Here's what I have:

32x36 finished slab that I only want one course of blocks layed around the perimeter. There will be 3 openings in the "wall", 2-10' garage door openings and one 38" opening for the walk-in door rough-in. It comes out to about 90 blocks and of which only 5 need to be cut. I have the blocks already and I have the door rough-ins marked and all the level strings pulled. My quote was $200.00 and I supply the mortar & sand. Does this sound right? That's about $2.25 per block, and I was thinking it sould be more like $1.00-$1.50 per block. What's the concensus?

I was doing masonry work about 12 years ago before I got into computers. I was charging $1.25 then. For a job that small you have to factor it costs to bring your equipment to the site. Don't be suprised either when its done in about an hour or two. I used to get some comments that they wished they could make $100/hr which I would respond "I wish i did to" I still have to pay for fuel, insurance, employees, sometimes equipment rental and supplies out of all this money. The $200 is not a steal by any means but is is a fair price. Back in the day I would have asked $125-$150 for that depending on the size of the block and the cutting required. Some of these small jobs are more of a being nice thing and trying to win a customer. They can quickly start costing you if something starts slowing you down. I remember a job with a small foundation. Only three courses of 8" block. Something was wrong with the footing and required sawing the blocks. There was some compensation but not nearly enough to offset the extra labor and putting me behind elsewhere.

 

[PurdueSD]

Your not going to get a decent mason for any less. (my opinion)!

The guy has to pay his helper to man the mixer and has set up and trasportation costs. in the end he will burn a whole day and take home 50-75 bucks at that price. Remember he pays insurance, gas, workers comp and taxes and ss ...etc. too...

 

[Steevo]

I wouldn't do it for any less.
Oh, wait, I have done it for less.
I did my own around my patio for a stucco wall.
How do you intend to tie it to your slab? Do you have rebar sticking up from the slab?

 

[Defender Chassis]

Last I priced was $1.75/block and that was several years ago. Maybe ask the guy to cut you a deal if you mix and move the blocks. BTW, if you do this, don't set a block in the dirt on an end that gets morter. Dont ask how I know.

 

[holdover]

200 for 90 blocks would be a fair price here in SW VA. The usual price is around what the block costs to lay it, but in your situtation the project is so small, by the time all the set-up/ squaring is done, it will be time to clean the mixer, tools and go home. If you can't do it yourself have the guy lay them.

 

[discbrks]

How do you intend to tie it to your slab? Do you have rebar sticking up from the slab?

Yep. I have #4 rebar sticking up about 6" every 4 feet. After the blocks are layed, I'll set my anchor bolts and fill all the cores with concrete.

I had a second guy come by this afternoon and quote me $185.00 Not much less, but judging from all the opinions here, I think it's a fair price. Plus, he's gonna start late Saturday and if not finished, come back Sunday and finish. And this guy is a professional, licensed mason that's looking for some small, fill-in type jobs. We'll see how it looks after the weekend.

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yep. I have #4 rebar sticking up about 6" every 4 feet. After the blocks are layed, I'll set my anchor bolts and fill all the cores with concrete.

I had a second guy come by this afternoon and quote me $185.00 Not much less, but judging from all the opinions here, I think it's a fair price. Plus, he's gonna start late Saturday and if not finished, come back Sunday and finish. And this guy is a professional, licensed mason that's looking for some small, fill-in type jobs. We'll see how it looks after the weekend.

Thanks for all your replies.

This second guy, trying to make a few extra bucks on the side is the one I'd take. He's a mason but making a few extra bucks like most of us would.

 

[Milton Shaw]

That only one block high wall is not going to have much lateral strength, I would after its layed go back and about every other block drill and install an anchor bolt before you fill the cores with concrete. Either that or notch out the top of block and lay a piece or two of rebar in to give it some strength. I would hate for you to run a mower into it and kick the whole wall out.... A lot of the strength of a block wall comes from weight of the block on top of each other and the weight of the wall above. This one row would be easy to move.

 

[discbrks]

That only one block high wall is not going to have much lateral strength, I would after its layed go back and about every other block drill and install an anchor bolt before you fill the cores with concrete. Either that or notch out the top of block and lay a piece or two of rebar in to give it some strength. I would hate for you to run a mower into it and kick the whole wall out.... A lot of the strength of a block wall comes from weight of the block on top of each other and the weight of the wall above. This one row would be easy to move.

Interesting you should mention that... Here's the plan right now: every 4 feet there is a piece of #4 rebar that is sticking up from the slab by 6". These pieces of rebar will fall into the block cores when layed. After all the blocks are layed, I'm going to set all my anchor bolts (for the sill plate) and put concrete in all the block cores - filling all the blocks. Do you think that I still need to drill an anchor bolt every other hole? Or notch & add horzontal rebar?

 

[WarDamnEagle]

If you didn't already have the blocks then you could have laid open bottom lintel blocks and easily banded the top with rebar before pouring.

 

[synik]

I've found many people willing to lay blocks for $1 to 1.50 each, being that I provide the block/cement etc. They come with tools to mix and apply. Although I'm in the landscaping business (15yrs), it helps offset their mentality to overcharge me. Yet, I "contract" them to work for my "project". Goodluck.

 

[Milton Shaw]

At least notch and lay rebar. WarDamnEagle is right that those lintel blocks would let you make a structural wall. Once the block that you have are laid and set up good, take a skill saw with diamond blade and notch the cores out and you can then tap with hammer break out the centers and have a place to lay rebar. You really want that first level to be heavy and attached to the slab and the sill plate anchors tied to the rebar before you concrete everything. You can get heavy winds in Columbus from storms so you want those walls tied to the slab. On metal buildings(not pole barns) the big footers for the posts are to provide weight to keep the wind from lifting the roof off, not to support the building but to be an anchor to keep the roof from being a wing.

 

[discbrks]

It never occurred to me to lay rebar horizontally. I'll take some pics before & after today and let you guys see what I've got going here.

 

[brownbagg]

its going cost at least hundred dollars a day per person, no matter how many block you have.

 

[jhelrey]

I had to remove block wall once. The same block foundations are made of. The wall failed in a few spots but not in others. When I got the wall apart, we found out why. The rebar ran horizontal and those blocks were filled solid with concrete. Sure as hell held very well.

I also agree putting a piece of rebar horizontally to tie it all together and maybe drill holes were the block are going to go and epoxy vertical rebar in so it sticks up through the block so when they are filled, it is solid. I am only talking as a landscaper.

 

[hockey88fan]

+4 on the horizontal rebar

 

[Hephaestus29]

Thought I’d open this old thread up instead of
starting another one, since the cost of lumber
is sky high.

Anyone know what the current cost of laying
block would be?

By the Hour?
By the block?
By the square ft?

 

[slow]

edit, old thread, Delete me.

 

[showtime96]

Sounds like a good price to me. I'd charge around the same and if I got my own material for the job I'd charge a little more for the material because of the time involved in getting it there. So I'd take it because if I did it now I'd charge more than that per block.

 

[andyvh1959]

I paid $1500 for a mason to provide two rows of 8" high block around my 24x28 slab, 16' OH door and 36" service door openings. He brought the block and all materials. Approx 126 blocks laid in one day, about $2 per block at Menards. So the block alone would have cost me $265 and I would have had to haul them in, an afternoon of time for that. Perhaps I paid a bit much, though I doubt any decent mason would have done it for less than $1000, and I needed it done right away as I traveled a lot for work.

 

[pstnbly]

90 block for $200 bucks? I wouldn't even get out of the truck. Pay the man and be done with it.

 

[NUTTSGT]

edit, old thread, Delete me.

Yes, 10 year old thread.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Thought I’d open this old thread up instead of
starting another one, since the cost of lumber
is sky high.

Anyone know what the current cost of laying
block would be?

By the Hour?
By the block?
By the square ft?

Probably going to depend on the size of the job and your location.

Small job, probably a quote for the entire job. Larger job .ay be quoted by how many block need laid and if an other things needed like scaffolding.

 

[Benw455]

Split face block costs more to lay. My 30x40 is split face block looks so much better than regular block.

 

[Higgins]

I got a quote yesterday to lay blocks on my new slab. It seemes a little high - but just wanted a few opinions... Here's what I have:

32x36 finished slab that I only want one course of blocks layed around the perimeter. There will be 3 openings in the "wall", 2-10' garage door openings and one 38" opening for the walk-in door rough-in. It comes out to about 90 blocks and of which only 5 need to be cut. I have the blocks already and I have the door rough-ins marked and all the level strings pulled. My quote was $200.00 and I supply the mortar & sand. Does this sound right? That's about $2.25 per block, and I was thinking it sould be more like $1.00-$1.50 per block. What's the concensus?

In our neck of the woods, contractors are fighting over sub contractors.

Around here subs wont do non-contractor work for less than $500 to $1000 just for them to show up!

I'd say grab it, and them see if they show up !!!!

AL

 

[rustyjames]

Hopefully by now the OP got his block work done, it's been 10 years.