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Submit plansI am about to build a four-stable barn with carriage house in 9in (24cm) concrete blocks. How many blocks would a competent brick/ blocklaying team expect to lay in a day, and is it better to use 4in (10cm) blocks laid flat? The site I have is flat and clear. I am trying to get a sensible quote but they seem to vary wildly and I don’t want to just go for the cheapest.
Assuming that you intend for a 9in wall to the stable then definitely use 4in blocks laid flat as this means the bricklayers are working within the manual handling limits, since each 4in block weighs about 20kg (25kg is the limit). Have you considered a 4in wall with piers, which would be cheaper? With regard to the labour cost, the daily lay rate shouldn’t come into it as all bonafide bricklaying contractors will give you a price per m². There are 10 blocks per m² for 4in blocks, or 20 for 4in blocks laid flat as a 9in wall. The rate depends upon your area of the country but expect to pay in the range of £10 to £15 per m². Get a lump sum price from each subcontractor to compare.
