Concrete Block House – Calculating the Cost of Self-Building

Alongside building your own home, there is always a series of questions, the foremost of which is financial. The construction is based on selected materials. Among the quality and durable ones is concrete block. The material has proven itself practical and cost-effective, but the question still arises: how much does it cost to build a house from concrete blocks? There is no single answer, of course. But, relying on the data provided below, you will be able to estimate the approximate cost.

Is concrete block really an economical and beneficial material?

If you wish to build a house from concrete blocks 'turnkey', it is advisable to become acquainted with the characteristics and qualities of the material. Concrete block is a type of cellular concrete, presented in the form of brick. The shape and size of the material are significantly larger than that of its 'classic' counterpart, which allows you to significantly speed up the construction process, which also reduces its cost. For example, to buy land and build a cottage (though if you like Krasnodar, you can buy a ready-made one here), you won't have to wait more than a few months. The construction pace is that fast.

It is quite easy to build a house from concrete blocks yourself, as the material has a number of undeniable advantages:

• ease of processing - the material readily accepts cutting, giving it the necessary shape for construction, and conduits can be easily channeled, and door openings can be adjusted to window sizes;
• uniformity - absence of voids inside the material, smooth surface ensures ease of applying plaster;
• cost-effectiveness - you can build a house's shell from concrete blocks with almost no waste, and broken blocks can be glued back together without loss of material properties;
• cost - the material belongs to the 'budget' category, and the speed of construction is advantageous compared to other 'competitors';
• ease of use - risks of making mistakes during construction are reduced to zero.

Small concrete block house - cost calculation

The average cost of constructing the 'shell' varies between 400,000 to 700,000 rubles. The cost is justified not only by the bare walls of the future cottage but also by expenses for the foundation, frame, basement, and other related costs. In this case, windows, doors, and the roof are not included in the cost.

The cost of the material may also vary depending on the region of the country. The common price for the central part of Russia for 1 cubic meter of material (28 concrete blocks) is 4,000 rubles. Northern regions offer higher prices. If you want to know how much it will cost to build a house from concrete blocks, take into account the size of the building and the number of internal walls.

When calculating the total cost, you must consider the cost of the foundation. Concrete block is the lightest material, so a strong foundation is unnecessary. An economical option with an armature connection will suffice for your house. However, even such a foundation will cost more than 80,000 rubles, not including the work of builders (which amounts to 50% of the material cost on average). The cost of the basement will be another 35,000 rubles.

The roof frame accounts for 5 to 10% of the total cost. The price also varies depending on the region and may amount to around 7,000 rubles. A two-story house made of concrete blocks implies high walls, which will reflect on the cost of construction. One-story cottages will be cheaper.

Expense Calculator

The standard size of the material is 200 x 300 x 600 mm. Let's consider how much it costs to build a one-story house, 10 by 10 meters in size, with 3-meter-high walls:

• calculate the house's perimeter - 40 m;
• choose wall thickness - the standard is 300 mm, and concrete blocks are laid in a single row;
• determine the area of the building - multiply height by length to get 120 square meters;
• exclude windows and doors, which will take up approximately 10 square meters;
• determine the number of blocks per square meter - using the standard block size, we get 0.2*0.6 = 0.12. Divide 1 square meter by this value to get 8.3 concrete blocks. Round up the value, as planning should account for higher material expenses rather than discovering the need for additional materials later;
• multiply 8.3 by the house's area to get 917 units of material for constructing the 'shell';
• when purchasing material in cubic meters, a recalculation is needed - multiply 917 by 0.036 (0.6*0.3*0.2) = 33 square meters.

When calculating, the thickness of the mortar was not taken into account, but it is recommended to calculate the expenses with a margin, which may be needed for trimming or breaking the material. Additional concrete blocks may be needed depending on the roof design - for gables. The amount of material is calculated similarly for interior walls and partitions of the cottage.

Other expense items:

1. ceilings - depends on the materials: for single-story buildings with wooden ceilings, the cost will be around 8,000 rubles, for houses with mansard roofs and choice of cement slabs - more than 20,000 rubles;
2. mortar - considering the foundation, you will need about 100 bags, which will cost 30,000 rubles. You will also need sand, the amount of which for building a house will be at least 1 ton (average cost of 3,000 rubles);
3. insulation - concrete block retains heat well, but depending on the climate, an additional layer may be needed. The cost depends entirely on the chosen materials, the quantity of which may confuse even an experienced builder;
4. finishing - interior decoration of the house is typically done with drywall (300 rubles per square meter), floors also need covering, and exterior finishing is often done with siding, which will cost up to 120,000 rubles for the house including labor.