Gallardía
Gallardía
No. 4 block masonry runs at B/. 12.50 per m² and No. 6 block at B/. 15.00 per m². But that is the bare wall: finished with reinforcement, render and skim coat, the real metre lands around B/. 46.00.
Get your estimate in 2 minutes · Remodelling Cost Calculator| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 block masonry laid in 1:4 mortar, full joints, plumb and level | m² | B/. 12.50 | |
| No. 6 block masonry laid in 1:4 mortar, full joints, plumb and level | m² | B/. 15.00 |
No. 4 block (10 cm) is the standard for internal partitions. No. 6 (15 cm) is used on external walls, load-bearing walls and wherever more mass is needed: better acoustic and thermal behaviour, and more capacity to anchor loads.
Note: that price is the bare wall. A block wall does not stand on its own, nor does it arrive ready to paint. It needs reinforcement and finishing, and that is where the budget grows.
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal joint reinforcement: 9-gauge galvanised wire or ؼ" bar, every 3 courses | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Vertical Ø3/8" reinforcement in grouted cells (ends, openings and every 3 m) | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Cell grouting with 3,000 psi flowable mix | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| 12×12 cm stiffener columns with 1 Ø3/8" plus ؼ" stirrups at 20 cm | m | B/. 7.50 | |
| Jamb blocks to openings (channel block, Ø3/8" reinforcement) | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Lintel for doors/windows up to 1.20 m | m | B/. 10.00 | |
| Lintel for doors/windows over 1.20 m and up to 2.50 m | m | B/. 15.00 | |
| Sill beam / bond course for windows | m | B/. 7.50 | |
| Top ring beam 10–12 cm deep (2 Ø3/8", ؼ" stirrups at 20 cm) | m | B/. 10.00 |
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,000 psi concrete strip footing (30–40 cm wide) | m | B/. 17.50 | |
| 15×20 cm plinth beam with 2 ؽ" plus ؼ" stirrups at 20 cm | m | B/. 15.00 | |
| 15×20 cm stiffener columns (1 ؽ", ؼ" stirrups at 20 cm) | m | B/. 12.50 | |
| Vertical Ø3/8" reinforcement every 1.20 m, cells grouted at 3,000 psi | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Horizontal reinforcement: 9-gauge wire or ؼ" bar every 3 courses | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Jamb blocks to openings (channel block plus 1 ؽ") | m | B/. 7.50 | |
| Lintel for openings up to 1.50 m | m | B/. 12.50 | |
| Lintel for openings over 1.50 m and up to 2.50 m | m | B/. 17.50 | |
| Top ring beam 15×20 cm (2 ؽ" plus 2 Ø3/8") | m | B/. 12.50 | |
| Base damp-proofing (bituminous or plastic barrier over plinth beam) | m² | B/. 5.00 |
That last line — base damp-proofing over the plinth beam at B/. 5.00 per m² — is one of the most underestimated items in Panama. Without that barrier, ground moisture rises by capillary action and shows up as staining and flaking paint along the first metre of the wall, years later. No paint corrects that; it has to be dealt with from below.
| Activity | Unit | Installation price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:4 render to both faces, 1.5–2 cm thick (No. 4 block) | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| 1:4 render to both faces, 2 cm thick (No. 6 block) | m² | B/. 7.50 | |
| Skim coat to both faces, cement–sand paste type | m² | B/. 5.00 | |
| Galvanised corner beads at exposed junctions | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Metal corner beads for external use | m | B/. 5.00 | |
| Perimeter sealing with silicone or acrylic (junctions with columns or slabs) | m | B/. 5.00 |
| Activity | Quantity | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 block masonry | 7.80 m² | B/. 12.50 / m² | B/. 97.50 |
| Horizontal reinforcement every 3 courses (3 runs of 3 m) | 9 m | B/. 5.00 / m | B/. 45.00 |
| Vertical Ø3/8" reinforcement at the ends | 5.20 m | B/. 5.00 / m | B/. 26.00 |
| 12×12 cm stiffener columns at both ends | 5.20 m | B/. 7.50 / m | B/. 39.00 |
| Top ring beam | 3 m | B/. 10.00 / m | B/. 30.00 |
| 1:4 render to both faces | 7.80 m² | B/. 7.50 / m² | B/. 58.50 |
| Skim coat to both faces | 7.80 m² | B/. 5.00 / m² | B/. 39.00 |
| Galvanised corner beads | 5.20 m | B/. 5.00 / m | B/. 26.00 |
| TOTAL LABOUR | B/. 361.00 |
Divide B/. 361.00 by 7.80 m² and you get B/. 46.28 per real square metre. That is the honest figure for a finished block wall, against the B/. 12.50 of the masonry line on its own.
When you compare quotes, check that the other one includes the reinforcement. A quote offering "block wall at B/. 15 a metre" is almost always pricing the laying only, with the reinforcement appearing later as "extras".
| Criterion | Finished No. 4 block | Standard drywall | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour per m² | ≈ B/. 46.00 | B/. 7.50 | |
| Time to build | 5 to 8 days with curing | 1 to 2 days | |
| Weight on the structure | High | Low | |
| Acoustic insulation | Good | Fair | |
| Hanging heavy loads | Direct | Needs backing first | |
| Use outdoors | Yes | No | |
| Modifying later | Difficult | Easy |
The practical conclusion: block for external walls, load-bearing walls, party walls between dwellings and anywhere heavy loads will hang. Drywall for internal partitions, upper floors of a condominium where weight matters, and spaces that might be reconfigured later.
An internal block wall of 8 to 10 m² takes 5 to 8 working days, and that time cannot be compressed: the mortar, the cell grouting and the render all need curing. Rushing it is the number one cause of cracking six months later.
On external work with a strip footing and plinth beam, add 3 to 5 days for the excavation and concrete curing.
No. 4 block masonry is B/. 12.50 per m² and No. 6 block B/. 15.00 per m², but that is the bare wall. Finished with reinforcement, render and skim coat, the real metre lands around B/. 46.00 in labour.
No. 4 is 10 cm and is used for internal partitions. No. 6 is 15 cm, used on external and load-bearing walls, and offers better acoustic and thermal behaviour plus more capacity to anchor loads.
1:4 render to both faces is B/. 7.50 per m² and a cement–sand skim coat B/. 5.00 per m².
It is the horizontal joint reinforcement, the vertical bars in grouted cells, the stiffener columns, the lintels and the ring beam. It is what stops the wall cracking, and it is measured by linear metre, not by m² of wall.
Drywall: B/. 7.50 per m² against around B/. 46.00 for a finished block wall. But block is required on external walls, load-bearing walls and wherever heavy loads must hang.
5 to 8 working days for 8 to 10 m², and it cannot be rushed: the mortar, the cell grouting and the render all need curing time.
Drywall partitions Remodel or rebuild Painting a house Waterproofing All questions