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.
140mm dense 10.4N blockwork
per m² · supply & lay
£97 – £160 / m²
What is it
The supply and laying of a single skin of 140 mm dense aggregate blockwork of 10.4 N/mm² grade to a vertical wall, priced per m² of wall face. At 10.4 N/mm² this is the high-strength engineering-grade dense block — specified for heavily-loaded piers, party and separating walls and below-DPC substructure where maximum load capacity and a durable face are needed. One finish is priced:
Standard — a common-face block, to be plastered, rendered, painted or dry-lined; the usual choice and the default rate.
Rate range by wall complexity
Simple£97 – £125 / m²
Standard£108 – £139 / m²
Complex£124 – £160 / 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.
Wall thickness
This rate is for a 140 mm high-strength dense block. A thicker, higher-strength block is a dearer, heavier unit, beds in more mortar and is laid more slowly than the 100 mm leaf. Thickness and strength grade are key drivers of both material cost and laying speed.
Location
London and the South East typically add around 20% to labour.
Estimator
Budget rate generator
£108 – £139 / m²
Covers 140 mm dense 10.4N aggregate 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
Wall finishes — plaster, render or dry-lining
Scaffold supply (usually in preliminaries)
Preliminaries — main-contractor site set-up, management & welfare