Masonry Estimating and Takeoff Services

We quantify masonry from your drawings and wall sections — unit counts by type and size, mortar and grout volumes calculated separately, reinforcement, ties, flashing and weeps against the details — delivered as an editable Excel workbook with the marked-up plan set.

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What We Take Off

Counting units is the visible part of a masonry takeoff and the smallest part of the answer. A reinforced and grouted CMU wall carries block, mortar, vertical and horizontal reinforcement, grout, bond beams, lintels, ties and a flashing assembly — and on a fully grouted wall the grout alone can approach the cost of the block it fills. The wall section, not the floor plan, is where this scope lives.

Concrete masonry unitscounted by size, type and configuration, separating standard, lightweight, split-face, ground-face, scored and architectural units, because they differ in both price and laying rate

Brickcounted by unit with the specified bond pattern noted, since running bond, stack bond and pattern work have materially different labor rates for the same wall area

Stonenatural and cast stone by piece or by area with anchoring, since setting is counted rather than measured and every piece may be a separate anchor

Mortarvolume calculated from unit count, joint size and joint profile rather than a blanket factor, with mortar type per the specification

Groutvolume by cell and by lift, separating fully grouted, partially grouted and ungrouted construction, which is a distinction that changes the number more than any other on a CMU wall

Vertical reinforcementbar size, spacing and length from the structural drawings, with laps and dowels into the foundation counted

Horizontal reinforcementjoint reinforcement by linear foot and bond beam reinforcement by bar and length, with bond beam courses located from the sections

Bond beams and lintelscounted individually by size and span, with their block, reinforcement, grout and bearing all quantified, since these are separate assemblies embedded in the wall

Ties and anchorsveneer ties, adjustable anchors and seismic anchorage counted against the specified spacing, which is a code-driven quantity and not an allowance

Flashing assemblythrough-wall flashing by linear foot with end dams, drip edge, termination and the sealant that completes it, counted as a detailed condition

Weeps and ventscounted at the specified spacing, along with mortar collection and drainage mesh in the cavity

Cavity insulation and air barrierby area where the wall section includes them, which on a modern cavity wall is a substantial part of the assembly

Control and expansion jointsby linear foot with backer, sealant and any specified joint reinforcement interruption

Openingslintels, jambs, sills and the unit cutting around them, with net deductions taken and the perimeter work added back rather than netted away

Cleaning and sealingby area with the method and any specified protection of adjacent finishes

Scaffolding and accessquantified against wall height and site conditions, because masonry is built entirely from staging and the staging is a real share of the cost

Cold and hot weather provisionsheating, enclosure, admixtures and protection where the schedule puts the work outside the temperature range the specification allows

Restoration and repointing on existing workunit replacement counts, joint raking by linear foot, matching mortar analysis and cleaning method

How Masonry Quantities Are Measured

Every quantity below is reported in the unit the scope is actually bought and bid in — not converted into a single convenient unit that hides where the cost sits.

CMUEA by size and typeCounted by unit, not by wall area. Architectural and split-face units cost more and lay slower than standard block.

BrickEA with bond patternBy unit, with the bond noted. Pattern work changes the labor rate substantially for identical area.

MortarCYFrom unit count, joint size and profile, not a blanket factor. Joint size is specified and it changes the volume.

GroutCY by cellFully, partially or ungrouted quantified separately. On a fully grouted wall this can approach the cost of the block.

Vertical reinforcementLBS or LF by bar sizeIncluding laps and foundation dowels, from the structural drawings rather than the architectural.

Joint reinforcementLFAt the specified course spacing, by type and width to suit the wall.

Bond beamsLF with bar and groutLocated from the sections. Each bond beam is block, steel and grout together.

LintelsEA by size and spanCounted individually with bearing. A masonry lintel and a steel lintel are different items on the same opening.

Ties and anchorsEA at specified spacingA code-driven count from the spacing requirement, never an allowance.

Through-wall flashingLF with end dams EAAs a detailed assembly — flashing, end dams, drip and sealant. End dams are the piece most often missed.

WeepsEA at spacingCounted at the specified spacing along every flashing line.

ScaffoldingSF of wall by heightMasonry is built from staging throughout, so access is quantified rather than absorbed into a unit rate.

Who This Is For

General contractors carrying this trade directly, or checking a subcontractor's number before it goes into the bid.

Subcontractors pricing their own scope in this division.

Developers and owners validating a number they've already been given.

Material suppliers and distributors verifying a customer's order.

What You Receive

An itemized Excel takeoff, organized by division
A marked-up plan set — every quantity traces back to a location on the drawings
Labor, material and equipment split out separately
Waste and overage factors shown as visible line items
An assumptions and exclusions schedule

Marked-up masonry plan crop

What Moves the Number on Masonry

Grout extent. Whether a CMU wall is ungrouted, partially grouted at reinforced cells only, or solid grouted changes the material and the labor more than any other decision in this trade. It is set by the structural drawings and the wall schedule, and an estimate that assumes partial grout on a solid-grouted wall is short by an enormous volume that is invisible in the unit count.

Unit type and finish. Standard grey block, split-face, ground-face, scored and architectural units differ in material cost and in laying rate, and a units-only assumption flattens both. Architectural units also carry higher breakage, tighter tolerance and more selective coursing, which is labor that does not appear in a count.

Reinforcement and seismic requirements. Vertical bar size and spacing, bond beam frequency, joint reinforcement and anchorage all come from the structural drawings, and in high seismic regions they increase substantially. The steel and the grout that encases it rise together, so a seismic wall is not a standard wall with extra bars.

The cavity wall assembly. A modern veneer wall is not just brick. It is brick, ties, cavity, drainage mesh, insulation, air barrier, flashing with end dams, weeps and sealant. Those are separate materials with separate installation, and on an energy-code-driven wall the cavity contents can exceed the veneer.

Wall height and access. Masonry is laid from staging for essentially its whole height, and productivity falls as the scaffold goes up. Height also affects material handling, mortar delivery and the mast climber or scaffold system itself, which on a tall building is a major cost independent of the masonry quantity.

Weather. Mortar and grout have temperature limits. Cold-weather masonry brings heated materials, enclosure, heating and protection of completed work; hot weather brings retarders and wetting. Where the programme puts masonry outside the allowable range, the provisions are a real cost and we price them as their own line.

Restoration and matching. Repointing and unit replacement on existing masonry is priced on a different basis entirely. Joint raking is measured by linear foot at a depth, mortar has to be analysed and matched, cleaning method is specified and restricted, and access on an occupied building carries protection and phasing.

What We Need From You

A complete set is ideal, but rarely what exists. Send what you have — we will tell you at quote stage what can be quantified firm and what has to be an allowance.

Architectural floor plans and exterior elevations
Wall sections and masonry details — the governing documents, since the assembly lives there rather than on the plan
Structural drawings for reinforcement size, spacing, bond beam locations and grout requirements
Wall type schedule identifying unit type, finish and assembly for each condition
Flashing and cavity details, including end dam, weep and drainage provisions
Specification section for Division 04, including mortar type, grout type and unit specifications
Door, window and louvre schedules for openings, lintels and jamb conditions
Control joint layout where one is provided
For restoration work: survey of existing conditions, mortar analysis and cleaning requirements

How It Works

1 Send your plans — PDF, DWG, DOC, images or ZIP, up to 100MB per file.
2 Get your quote — a flat price for the scope with a delivery date, confirmed in writing.
3 Approve — nothing starts until you confirm.
4 We take it off — quantities from the drawings and schedules.
5 Delivery — workbook, marked-up set, assumptions schedule.

How Pricing and Turnaround Work

Every project is priced individually from your drawings. Send the plan set and you get a flat quote for the scope before any work starts — no hourly billing, no open-ended engagement.

Turnaround depends on the size of the package and how many trades are in scope — which is why you get a firm delivery date with your quote rather than a generic promise.

Tools and Standards

Takeoffs are produced in Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Trimble, STACK, organized against CSI MasterFormat divisions — this scope is specified under Division 04 — Masonry (04 20 00 Unit Masonry).

Quantities and assemblies are read against the published standards that govern this trade, because the standard is what decides whether two apparently identical items are actually the same line item:

TMS 402/602 — Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures
ASTM C90 — loadbearing concrete masonry units
ASTM C216 / C652 — facing brick and hollow brick
ASTM C270 — mortar for unit masonry, and the mortar types the specification selects from
ASTM C476 — grout for masonry, including fine and coarse grout and lift height limits
ASTM C1019 — sampling and testing grout
BIA Technical Notes and NCMA TEK documents — the detailing references most specifications rely on

Pricing is built on RSMeans cost data localized to your project's market, then reconciled against current supplier quotes and our own completed project costs. Every estimate states its pricing basis and the date it was priced.

Why Masonry Is Estimated Wrong

Units counted, grout assumed. The largest single error in masonry estimating. Grout extent is a structural decision and a fully grouted wall carries an enormous volume that the unit count does not reveal. An estimate that assumes reinforced cells only on a solid-grouted wall can be short by more than the value of the block itself.

Wall area rate instead of assembly quantities. A square foot rate rolls block, mortar, grout, steel, ties, flashing and insulation into one number, which means none of them can be checked and all of them move with the wall section. Two walls of identical area and different sections are not the same price, and a rate cannot tell you that.

Flashing end dams omitted. Through-wall flashing is usually measured by linear foot and the end dams at the terminations are forgotten. They are individually small, they are the detail that stops water running out of the end of the flashing into the wall, and their omission is a failure rather than only a cost error.

Ties counted as an allowance. Veneer tie spacing is a code requirement, which makes the count a calculation rather than a judgment. Allowing a lump sum for ties on a building with a lot of veneer understates a quantity that could simply have been worked out.

Scaffolding absorbed into the masonry rate. Masonry is built from staging for its entire height, and on a tall or constrained building the access system is a major line of its own. Burying it in a unit rate means it scales with quantity rather than with height and site condition, which is not how it actually behaves.

Bond pattern ignored. Running bond, stack bond, herringbone and soldier coursing have materially different laying rates for the same area, and pattern work at openings and corners is slower again. A unit count alone reports none of this.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate mortar and grout quantities?

Mortar from the unit count, specified joint size and joint profile rather than a blanket factor. Grout by cell and by lift, with fully grouted, partially grouted and ungrouted construction quantified separately — that distinction comes from the structural drawings and it changes the number more than anything else on a CMU wall.

Do you include reinforcement in a masonry takeoff?

Yes, from the structural drawings. Vertical bar size, spacing and length including laps and foundation dowels, joint reinforcement by linear foot, and bond beam steel located from the sections. In high seismic regions this is a substantial quantity and the grout encasing it rises with it.

Do you quantify the cavity wall assembly?

Yes, item by item. Ties at the specified spacing, cavity insulation and air barrier by area, drainage mesh, through-wall flashing with end dams, weeps at spacing and the sealant that completes it. On an energy-code-driven wall the cavity contents can exceed the veneer itself.

Do you price scaffolding and access?

Yes, as its own item quantified against wall height and site conditions. Masonry is built from staging throughout, and on a tall building the access system is a major cost that behaves according to height rather than to masonry quantity.

Do you account for cold weather masonry?

Yes, where the schedule requires it. Heated materials, enclosure, temporary heat, admixtures and protection of completed work are quantified as their own line items with the assumption stated, because mortar and grout have real temperature limits and working outside them is a priced decision.

Do you estimate masonry restoration and repointing?

Yes, on its own basis. Joint raking by linear foot and depth, unit replacement by count, mortar analysis and matching, specified cleaning method, and the access, protection and phasing an occupied building requires. It does not price like new masonry and we do not estimate it that way.

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