Block, mortar, rebar and footing quantities for a mortared CMU wall.
Estimates are planning aids, not a professional quote. Double-check quantities and product coverage — and any local code or permit requirements — before you buy.
⚠ This is a mortared (laid-up) block wall. To hold back a slope, use an interlocking segmental wall instead — see the Retaining Wall Builder.
| Concrete & Footings | $297–$401 |
| Pavers & Block | $235–$317 |
| Connectors & Brackets | $71–$97 |
| Finishing & Sealant | $65–$87 |
| Soil & Fill | $19–$26 |
| Total | $686–$929 |
Excludes tools, delivery, tax and permit fees. Labor not included — this is a DIY materials estimate.
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About this calculator
Enter a length and height and the Block Wall Builder works out a full masonry takeoff: how many concrete blocks you need by course, the mortar bags, the vertical and horizontal reinforcement and core-fill grout, the concrete footing — plus the tools, a cost range and a build time. It's built around standard 8×8×16 CMU, the most common block.
Choose a 6, 8 or 12 inch block, set the rebar spacing and footing depth, and add a cap course in the advanced options. The block and mortar counts update instantly so you can price a garden, privacy or boundary wall before you order a pallet.
Step by step
A step-by-step walkthrough to go with your plan above. Follow the product instructions and any local code or permit requirements as you work.
Dig and pour a concrete footing below the frost line, about twice the wall width, with two runs of rebar. Set your vertical rebar into the wet concrete at the spacing you'll grout, and let it cure dead level.
Lay the bottom course of block on the footing without mortar, spacing the joints, to fix your layout and mark the wall line. Adjust now while it's easy.
Mortar up the corners a few courses high first, checking each block level, plumb and to your gauge. The corners are your reference — get them perfect.
Run a taut mason's line from corner to corner and lay the blocks of each course to it, buttering the ends and keeping a consistent 3/8-inch joint. Lay over the vertical bars as you go.
Set horizontal joint reinforcement into the bed joint every other course, and keep the reinforced cells clear so they can be grouted.
When the mortar firms up to a thumbprint, run a jointer along the joints to compact and shape them. This is what makes the wall shed water and look finished.
Fill the reinforced cells with grout, then lay the cap course on top to close the wall and shed water. Brush off crumbs and clean any smears before they set.
Keep the fresh wall damp for a day or two so the mortar cures strong, then apply a masonry water repellent if you want extra protection against moisture and efflorescence.
Equip the job
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Keep planning
Concrete & Masonry
Answers
A standard concrete block has a 16-inch-long by 8-inch-tall face, so it covers 1.125 blocks per square foot of wall. Multiply your wall's length by its height for the face area, multiply by 1.125, and add about 5% for cuts and breakage. This calculator does that and also breaks it into blocks per course and number of courses so you can lay it out.
As a rule of thumb, one 70-pound bag of mortar lays roughly 30 standard blocks, so divide your block count by 30 and round up, plus a spare bag. Conditions vary — bigger joints, hot dry weather, and learning curve all use more — so it's smart to keep an extra bag or two on hand than to run short mid-course.
Yes. A mortared block wall must sit on a concrete footing poured below the frost line, typically about twice the wall's width, with rebar in it. Vertical rebar in grouted cells and horizontal joint reinforcement every other course tie the wall together and resist cracking. The calculator includes all of this — confirm the spacing and footing size against local code or an engineer for anything tall.
No. This is a mortared, laid-up block wall for a freestanding garden, privacy or boundary wall. A wall that holds back a slope is a retaining wall, which carries soil pressure and is usually built from interlocking segmental blocks with drainage and geogrid — use the Retaining Wall Builder for that, and get an engineered design above about four feet.