How Masonry Contractors Estimate Material for Block and Brick Jobs

Masonry estimate material is one of the most technical skills in any trade. Get it wrong and you're either buying a second delivery at full price, or you're hauling back pallets. Either way, you're eating the difference.

This guide breaks down how experienced masonry contractors approach material takeoffs for block and concrete block jobs. No filler. Just the method that works.

Why Masonry Material Estimates Go Wrong

Most contractors don't lose money on labor. They lose it on materials.

A bad masonry estimate material calculation shows up late, usually when the job is half done. You've ordered what you thought you needed, the stack runs low, and now you're waiting on a second delivery or pulling from a different project.

The construction trades market hit roughly $16.45 trillion in 2025, according to data tracked by BusinessDojo. Masonry alone represents a $40 billion industry in the US in 2026, per IBISWorld. That's a lot of block and brick moving around, and a lot of room for material calculation errors on individual jobs.

According to construction estimating experts at NEDES Estimating, one mistake in a bid can wipe out the entire profit margin for a project. For masonry jobs, the most common culprits are:

• Forgetting waste factors entirely
• Applying the wrong waste percentage for the wall type
• Missing backup wall quantities behind veneers
• Overlooking coursing patterns that change unit counts
• Skipping mobilization, delivery, and disposal line items

Let's fix each of these.

The Foundation: How to Count Brick and Block Accurately

Start with Wall Area, Not Linear Feet

The most common beginner error is measuring linear feet of wall without converting to square feet of face area. You need total square footage of wall face before you can count any units.

Here's the basic approach:

1. Measure the length of each wall section in feet.
2. Multiply by the wall height.
3. Subtract door and window openings.
4. Add sections together for total net wall area.

Do this for every wall, every side, every section. Don't estimate. Don't round aggressively. The math is simple and the consequences of skipping it are expensive.

Unit Count: Brick vs. Block

Brick and block have different coverage rates, and both vary by unit size.

Standard modular brick (3-5/8" x 2-1/4" x 7-5/8") runs approximately 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall face. That's for a standard running bond single-wythe wall. If you're doing double-wythe, you count twice. If you're doing a stacked bond or Flemish bond, the coursing changes your count.

Standard 8x8x16 concrete block covers about 1.125 units per square foot of wall face. For an 8-inch block wall, you divide your total square footage by 0.89 to get block count.

These aren't rules of thumb. They're geometry. Run the numbers every time.

Mortar Quantities

Mortar is where a lot of masonry estimate material jobs fall apart. It's easy to forget because it's not a pallet you're counting.

For standard brick with 3/8-inch joints, plan on approximately 6.8 cubic feet of mortar per 1,000 bricks. For 8x8x16 CMU block with 3/8-inch joints, you'll need roughly 3.8 cubic feet of mortar per 100 block.

Convert to bags. 60-pound bags of mortar mix yield approximately 0.45 cubic feet. 80-pound bags yield about 0.60 cubic feet. Do the math before you order, not at the hardware store.

Waste Factors: The Number Everyone Gets Wrong

What Waste Actually Covers

Waste in masonry estimation isn't just broken units. It covers:

• Cuts: Every opening, corner, and angle requires cut units. Corner returns are the biggest driver.
• Breakage: Transport, handling, and setting all cause breakage. It happens.
• Coursing adjustments: When your wall height doesn't land on a full course, you cut.
• Spoiled mortar: Mixed mortar that sits too long goes bad.

Waste Factor Guidelines

These are starting points, not locked-in rules. Your experience on similar jobs should inform adjustments:

Add your waste percentage to your net unit count. If you calculated 2,000 bricks for a wall with several openings, order 2,160 (8% waste).

Don't round down. The cost of a second delivery in time and freight almost always exceeds the cost of returning unused material.

A Note on Specialty Units

If you're using bullnose brick, coping block, corner units, or specialty shapes, order those separately with their own waste calculation. A 10% waste factor on standard units does not apply to a $4 bullnose brick.

Material Quantities Beyond Brick and Block

Grout and Reinforcement

CMU walls often require grouting the cells, especially in structural or seismic applications. Grout quantity depends on the percentage of cells filled and the cell size.

For 8x8x16 block with all cells filled, plan on approximately 0.067 cubic yards of grout per block. Partial fill (every third core, for example) requires a separate calculation based on spacing.

Rebar goes with grout. Specify bar size and spacing per the structural drawings, then calculate total linear footage. Add 10% for lap splices.

Control Joints and Expansion Joints

These are easy to miss because they don't come in units. Control joint filler, backer rod, and sealant all have a linear foot quantity. Pull those from your drawings and add them to the estimate.

Anchor bolts, ties, and dovetail slots also carry material costs that disappear if you're not methodical about your takeoff.

Pricing: Putting It All Together

Material Cost Line Items

A complete masonry estimate material list includes:

• Face brick (by unit count plus waste)
• Backup block or CMU (by unit count plus waste)
• Mortar or mortar mix (by bag count)
• Grout (by cubic yard)
• Rebar (by linear foot)
• Control joint material (by linear foot)
• Ties and anchors (by unit count)
• Specialty units (bullnose, coping, sills, etc.)

Price each line item at your current supplier cost, not last quarter's price. Material costs fluctuate. Check your supplier pricing before you submit any bid.

Markup on Materials

Material markup exists to cover procurement time, carrying cost, and the risk of price changes between bid and pour. Most residential masonry contractors apply 15-25% markup on materials, per industry benchmarks from Contracting Empire and similar trade publications.

Don't skip markup because you're worried about losing the bid. A job where you make no margin on materials isn't worth doing.

Delivery and Handling

Pallets of brick and block are heavy. Delivery fees matter. Get freight costs from your supplier for each job. Don't use a standard number unless you've confirmed it applies.

Crane time, forklift rental, and staging area costs all belong in the estimate if the job requires them. If the job site has a third-floor addition, material handling is not the same as a slab-on-grade.

How Bit & Grain Helps Masonry Contractors Estimate Material

Running accurate masonry estimate material calculations takes time. Keeping track of what you ordered, what you used, and what changed mid-job takes even more.

Bit & Grain is built for trade contractors, masonry included. The estimates and invoicing tools let you build detailed material line items with quantities, unit costs, and markup in one place. No spreadsheet juggling.

Grain AI helps you work faster on the job site. Voice-log your material counts, take notes mid-job, and let the AI organize what you've got. When something changes, you update it there, not on a napkin.

At $29/month flat, it costs less than one bad material estimate. No per-user fees. No add-ons. The tools you need are included.

If you're still running brick counts on a notepad and pricing jobs from memory, you're leaving money on the table. Not because you're bad at math. Because the system you're using doesn't scale when jobs get complex.

Conclusion: Build a System and Use It

Good masonry estimate material work isn't about being gifted at math. It's about having a process and running it every time.

Start with wall area. Count units to that area. Apply waste factors for your specific wall conditions. Price every material line item at current cost. Add markup. Add delivery. Check your numbers before you submit.

Do that consistently and you stop losing margin to bad takeoffs.

Start free at bitandgrain.app.