Rates are UK national (non-London): central London and constrained urban sites typically run dearer — adjust the labour, plant and access lines in the build-up accordingly.
100mm paint-grade blockwork
per m² · supply & lay
£69 – £149 / m²
What is it
The supply and laying of a single skin of 100 mm smooth-faced (paint-grade) blockwork to a vertical wall, priced per m² of wall face. Paint-grade blocks carry a smooth, close-textured face laid to a finished line so the wall can be sealed and painted directly — no plaster or render coat is needed. Three block specifications are priced:
Aircrete — a lightweight paint-grade aircrete block; the lightest unit and the fastest to lay.
Medium-density — the canonical UK smooth-faced paint-grade block; the usual choice and the default rate.
Dense — a denser, harder-faced smooth block for load-bearing or more durable exposed faces.
Rate range by wall complexity
Simple£69 – £116 / m²
Standard£77 – £129 / m²
Complex£88 – £149 / m²
Budget rate per m².
3 key cost drivers
Wall complexity
Openings, returns, piers and reveals slow the gang and add cutting waste. It is a key driver of the rate.
Block specification
Paint-grade blocks come in aircrete, medium-density and dense forms. The denser, harder-faced blocks cost more per unit and are laid more slowly; the aircrete is lighter and quicker. It is a key driver of both material cost and laying speed.
Location
London and the South East typically add around 20% to labour.
Estimator
Budget rate generator
£100 – £129 / m²
Covers paint-grade smooth-faced blocks, bedding mortar, the laying gang and O&P · excl. prelims, scaffold & VAT
Exclusions
Lifting & material distribution — telehandler / forklift, hoist and site-distribution labour (an attendance, in main-contractor prelims)
DPC, lintels, wall ties & cavity insulation, movement joints
Decoration — the sealer / paint finish coat to the exposed face
Scaffold supply (usually in preliminaries)
Preliminaries — main-contractor site set-up, management & welfare