You ordered block at one per square foot. The pallet ran dry on the second-to-last course. The mixer was still turning, the mortar was going stiff, and somebody drove back to the yard for twelve more CMU. That is the short-pallet tax every wall charges when the takeoff ignored the module, the openings, and the waste.
This is the block calculator you open in the truck, not a textbook. Not a structural design suite. Punch wall length, height, and openings, pick CMU or brick, and read unit count, net area, and mortar bags on your phone.
Free does one wall. Pro is $9.99 a month for up to 12 walls, mixed CMU and brick in one project, waste as dollars, and a printable list or PNG. Worth $9.99 if the job has more than one wall or you need a list you can hand to the yard. Free is the product for a single garden wall.
What a CMU calculator actually has to do
Most “how many concrete blocks” pages stop at length × height. Ordering needs the real module: a standard US 8×8×16 block lays at about 1.125 blocks per square foot once the ⅜ in mortar joint is counted (112.5 per 100 sf). It also needs door and window areas subtracted before the count, a waste allowance for cuts and broken units, and a mortar estimate so the bag order matches the block order.
Masonry Takeoff Master is a phone-first web app you add to the Home Screen. English UI. Feet/inches or metres/millimetres. Offline after the first load. No login. Data stays on the device. You pick a region, enter one wall, subtract openings, choose CMU or brick, and read the count. Waste starts at 5% for block and 10% for brick, and you can change it.
The math is the same formula we already published: ceil((length × height − openings) × units per area × (1 + waste)). An 8×8 ft wall of 8×8×16 CMU is about 72 blocks, or 76 after 5% waste. If you want the chart on paper, read How Many Concrete Blocks Do I Need? The app is that count plus mortar bags, regional brick sizes, and the multi-wall jobs Free does not cover.
Region sizes, built in
| Region | Unit | Count rule |
|---|---|---|
| US / Canada | CMU 8×8×16 in nominal | 1.125 per sf (112.5 per 100 sf) |
| US / Canada | Modular brick | About 7 per sf with mortar |
| United Kingdom | Brick 215×102.5×65 mm + 10 mm joints | About 60 per m² |
| Australia / New Zealand | Brick 230×110×76 mm + 10 mm joints | About 50 per m² |
Mortar comes from a static typical table: about 3 bags of Type S 80 lb per 100 CMU, about 7 bags of 80 lb per 1,000 US brick, and about 1 kg per brick (25 kg bags) in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Half-blocks (8×8×8) show as a note, not as a hidden extra in the 8×16 count. There is no location tracking; you pick the region.
Free vs Pro — no mystery
| Feature | Free | Pro ($9.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Walls | One wall | Up to 12 walls |
| CMU or brick, openings subtracted | Yes | Yes |
| Region unit sizes (8×8×16, UK brick, AU/NZ brick) | Yes | Yes |
| Mortar bag estimate | Yes | Yes |
| ft/in or m/mm toggle | Yes | Yes |
| JSON backup on this device | Yes | Yes |
| Mixed CMU + brick in one project | — | Yes |
| Waste as dollars (you type block/brick price) | — | Yes |
| Printable list / PNG | — | Yes |
Free is enough for one wall and a clean block-and-mortar count. Pro is for the job with a foundation wall plus a brick veneer, several retaining runs, waste priced so the client sees the buffer, or a printable list you can share from the phone. That is the $9.99 line.
There is no client portal, scheduling, or invoicing here. Masonry Takeoff Master Pro is about more walls and a sendable list. If you need a branded fence quote PDF at contractor pricing, that is Fence Quote Pro on the hub — a different product.
The mistake everyone makes
Counting one block per square foot. The 8×16 face with its joint covers less than a square foot, so the real rate is about 1.125. On a 64 sf wall that is 72 blocks, not 64 — eight short before waste. The second mistake is forgetting to subtract openings, which over-orders. The third is zero waste: cuts at corners and openings plus a few broken units eat stock fast.
Masonry Takeoff Master wants length, height, openings, and waste you set. Raise waste for lots of cuts. You still own the footing, reinforcement, grout, and code check for your wall. For the steel in the footing or slab, see How Much Rebar Do I Need for a Slab?
What it is not
Estimate only — not engineering or building-code advice. It will not design a retaining wall, size reinforcement, check lateral load, or replace a licensed engineer. It does not count grout fill, bond beams, or lintels. It is not a full bid system with labor rates or client proposals.
One English UI. Price in USD. Markets: USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada. No AI. Math stays on-device.
Is $9.99 worth it?
If you lay one simple wall and Free covers the count, Free is the product. Punch the wall. Read the count. Order the pallet.
If the job has several walls, mixes block and brick, or you want a printable list before the yard opens, Pro is the product. One extra delivery run usually costs more than a month of Pro. No fake star widget. No invented “customers say.” The test is simple: does the count survive the last course?
The series
Masonry Takeoff Master is one app in EBN Build Calculators. Before the block, the next number is usually footing concrete or rebar. Same idea: phone-first, offline, estimate only. See the concrete bag guide and the Concrete Mix Master review when the same job needs a footing.
Bottom line
Masonry Takeoff Master is a CMU and brick calculator you can use at the yard tomorrow. Free for one wall with openings, regional unit sizes, waste, and mortar bags. Pro for up to 12 walls, mixed CMU and brick, waste as dollars, and a printable list at $9.99 a month. Measure the wall. Take the count to the yard. Open the next app in the series when the job needs a footing.
Open Masonry Takeoff MasterEstimate only — not engineering or building-code advice. Not a stamped masonry design. Not a contract.