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MASONRY · CSI DIVISION 04TRADE · MASONRY

CMU, brick, stone — counted by unit, weighed by wall.

PlanSwift counts masonry by wall SF and loses the grout schedule. BuildBid reads the wall section and the spec together.

Masonry takeoff (CSI Division 04) is a unit-count problem with a mortar-and-grout chaser. CMU (8x8x16 standard, 8x8x8 half, lintels, bond beams), modular brick, oversized brick, dimensional stone, manufactured stone, glass block — each pulled from the wall types and the elevation, each with its own unit-per-SF ratio that BuildBid applies from the spec section (04 22 00 for CMU, 04 21 13 for brick, 04 43 00 for stone).

Mortar consumption is a function of joint width and unit size — not assumed. The grout schedule from the structural plans drives the cubic-yard grout volume for cells, bond beams, and lintels. BuildBid reads the structural notes, the wall section details, and the grout schedule together so the grout CY lands on the line item with the steel, not a separate guess.

Reinforcement in masonry walls is its own line — horizontal joint reinforcement (truss/ladder by LF), vertical bars in grouted cells (count and length from the structural plans), bond beam reinforcement, dowels into footings. The mason's bid lives or dies on whether the rebar in the cells matches the structural drawing schedule.

Accessories surface explicitly: wall ties (count per SF per spec), control joints by LF (with backer rod and sealant), anchors, flashings, weeps. Architectural finishes — split-face vs smooth-face CMU, ground-face block, glazed CMU, special bond patterns (Flemish, English, soldier coursing) — drive labor 1.5-3x and land on the takeoff as distinct line items, not a single masonry lump.

Try on a sample masonry packageSee sample takeoff
WORKFLOW · HOW IT ACTUALLY RUNS5 STEPS
  1. STEP 01

    Upload A-series elevations + S-series wall sections

    Architectural elevations (north/south/east/west), wall sections, partition types schedule, masonry schedules. Structural sheets for grouted cell layout, bond beam locations, vertical reinforcement. Specs 04 05 00 (common), 04 21 13 (brick), 04 22 00 (CMU), 04 43 00 (stone) for materials, mortar type, and joint width.

  2. STEP 02

    Wall types -> unit counts

    Each wall type (CMU-1: 8x8x16 std, CMU-2: 12x8x16 reinforced, BRK-1: modular running bond, etc.) measured for SF on every elevation. Units-per-SF table from the spec applied — half-block, lintel-block, bond-beam-block broken out separately. Glass block and dimensional stone counted by piece where applicable.

  3. STEP 03

    Mortar + grout from the schedule

    Mortar volume from unit count x mortar-per-unit table (joint width drives this — 3/8 vs 1/2 inch). Grout from the grout schedule: cells at N feet on center x cell volume, bond beams by LF x cross-section, lintels by EA x volume. Type N vs S vs M called out per spec section.

  4. STEP 04

    Reinforcement + accessories

    Horizontal joint reinforcement by LF per spec layout (every other course typical). Vertical reinforcement bars pulled from the structural schedule by bar mark. Wall ties by SF x spec frequency. Control joints by LF with backer rod and sealant. Weeps, flashings, anchors counted from the wall sections.

  5. STEP 05

    Special finishes + bond patterns priced as distinct lines

    Split-face CMU, ground-face, glazed block, special bond patterns (Flemish, English, soldier coursing, herringbone) carry their own labor productivity from the spec section and the architectural details. Lumping them into the standard masonry number is the most common bid-loss pattern on commercial work.

PAIN · WHAT THIS REPLACES

Where the hours actually go today

  • CMU counted by total wall SF using a single units-per-SF assumption, missing half-block / lintel-block / bond-beam-block premium counts.
  • Mortar volume estimated by rule of thumb (e.g., 3 bags per 100 SF) instead of pulled from the spec joint-width table.
  • Grout CY assumed for all cells when only a fraction are actually grouted per the structural plans — overstating cost by 30-50%.
  • Vertical reinforcement priced separately by the steel sub when it actually lives in the mason's scope per the wall section.
  • Split-face CMU and special bond patterns lumped into standard CMU labor, then the sub adds 40% on submission to cover the productivity gap.
LIMITS · WHAT BUILDBID IS NOT YET

Honest gaps — read before you buy

  • Restoration / cleaning / repointing of existing masonry: out of new-build scope — those takeoffs are condition-survey-based, not drawing-based.
  • Pre-cast concrete masonry units (architectural pre-cast panels): falls under Division 03 pre-cast scope, not Division 04.
  • Stone veneer adhered systems (manufactured stone over substrate): inferred from the wall section if explicitly called out; otherwise flagged as an open question because attachment method drives labor more than the stone itself.
  • Masonry restoration cleaning / chemical / abrasive blasting scope is out — specialty subs price these from condition assessment, not the drawings.
REVIEW FOCUS · WHAT TO CHECK4 AREAS
CHECK 01

Wall-type breakdown — each elevation parsed for SF by wall type, with units-per-SF table pulled from the spec section.

CHECK 02

Mortar + grout volume cross-read — joint width from spec drives mortar; structural grout schedule drives cell/bond-beam/lintel CY.

CHECK 03

Reinforcement schedule — horizontal joint reinforcement LF + vertical bars by bar mark + bond beam steel from the structural plans.

CHECK 04

Special-finish call-outs — split-face, ground-face, glazed CMU, and architectural bond patterns isolated with their own labor productivity.

NEXT · TRY ON A SAMPLE

Sample plans, zero setup. The draft comes back with quantities, confidence flags, and the source rows we used. You review before you send.

Try on a sample masonry package