What It Actually Cost to Build Our Block Walls: Phase 3

This was the phase where our house finally started to feel like a house.

After all the planning, grading, foundation work, footers, rebar, stem wall, and slab, we finally got to watch the walls go up.

And not just the first floor — both stories.

This phase included the concrete block materials, structural headers and lintels, labor, second-floor machine rental, and the concrete poured into reinforced block cells.

Here’s exactly what we spent.

Phase 3: Block Construction Cost Breakdown

Concrete Block Materials + Headers/Lintels — $25,000

This covered the concrete block used for both the first and second stories, along with the structural headers and lintels needed over windows, doors, and larger openings.

This was the biggest material expense of the phase.

Cost: $25,000

Block Labor — $15,000

Next came the labor to actually lay, level, and build the block walls.

Watching this part happen was probably one of the most satisfying moments of the build so far because the house suddenly started to take shape in a way that plans and foundation work just don’t show.

Rooms became visible.

Window openings became real.

And we could finally start standing inside the spaces we had been looking at on paper for years.

Cost: $15,000

Second-Floor Machine Rental — $2,215

Because our home is two stories, we needed equipment to lift block and other materials up to the second-floor level.

This cost covered the machine rental needed during that portion of the block work.

Cost: $2,215

Concrete Cell Pour — $16,000

Once the block walls were built, reinforced cells within the block walls were filled with concrete.

This is part of the structural system and helps strengthen the walls.

Cost: $16,000

Phase 3 Total: $58,215

Here’s the complete breakdown:

Concrete Block Materials + Headers/Lintels — $25,000

Block Labor — $15,000

Second-Floor Machine Rental — $2,215

Concrete Cell Pour — $16,000

TOTAL: $58,215

And just like that, we had two stories of block walls.

This phase was one of the biggest visual transformations of the build so far.

We went from a finished slab to actually being able to walk through the structure and see the scale of the home.

Why I’m Sharing the Real Numbers

One of the reasons I started documenting this build was because I wanted the kind of information I could never seem to find when we were researching.

Not broad price ranges.

Not “it depends.”

I wanted someone to say:

“Here is what this phase actually cost us.”

So that is exactly what I’m trying to do here.

Of course, our numbers are specific to our home, our location, our labor pricing, our materials, and the way we are building.

Your cost could be very different.

But hopefully sharing our actual numbers gives someone planning a custom build a better frame of reference.

Our Build Costs So Far

Here’s where we stand through Phase 3:

Phase 0 — Plans, Permits + Pre-Build: $88,102.50 Phase 1 — Site Prep + Elevated House Pad: $22,500

Phase 2 — Foundation: $46,100

Phase 3 — Block Construction: $58,215

TOTAL THROUGH PHASE 3:

$214,917.50

That number is honestly wild to see written out. 😂

And we still have a long way to go.

But every phase gets us a little closer to the home we’ve been planning for years.

What’s Next

Next up:

Trusses + roof.

This is another phase I’m excited to share because once the roof goes on, the house should start feeling even more complete from the outside.

I’ll keep breaking down the real costs as we go — from structure to finishes and everything in between.

Follow along as we continue building our forever home from the ground up. 🤎