How to buy brick and block on credit
Masonry is bought by the thousand and delivered floor by floor. This guide explains how to choose between partition and load-bearing units, how to convert square meters of wall into units and how to pay upfront or on 30, 60 or 90-day terms.
Partition, load-bearing or facade
Clay manufacturers organize their range by the wall’s function. Ladrillera Santafé, for example, has three families:
- Partition. Blocks for non-structural interior walls. These are the No. 4 and No. 5 blocks, with horizontal or vertical cores.
- Load-bearing. Bricks for walls that carry the structure, such as vertically cored units.
- Facade. Pressed or extruded bricks left exposed.
The design sets the family. In load-bearing masonry, the structural engineer specifies the unit and its complementary pieces, so the purchase should quote the manufacturer’s exact reference.
How many units fit in a square meter
| Unit | Use | Size (cm) | Units per m² | Weight per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 block, horizontal cores | Partition | 33 × 9 × 23 | 12.25 | 5.5 kg |
| No. 5 block, horizontal cores | Partition | 33 × 11.5 × 23 | 12.25 | 6.2 kg |
| Load-bearing brick, vertical cores, double wall | Load-bearing | 33 × 11.5 × 23 | 12.25 | 8.3 kg |
| Load-bearing brick 30 | Load-bearing | 29 × 14.5 × 9 | 33.3 | 4.8 kg |
| Lightweight pressed brick, 6 cm | Facade | 24.5 × 12 × 6 | 56 | 2.2 kg |
Look at the second and third rows. The No. 5 partition block and the vertically cored load-bearing brick have the same size, yet the load-bearing unit weighs about a third more and does a different job. Two quotes with the same size can be different products. Always compare by reference.
How to calculate the purchase
1. Measure the net wall area
Take the project’s wall area by unit type and subtract doors and windows. Keep partition, load-bearing and facade walls apart because each uses a different unit.
2. Multiply by the yield
With the No. 5 block, 400 m² of interior wall is 4,900 blocks (400 × 12.25). With load-bearing brick 30, the same 400 m² is about 13,320 units (400 × 33.3). Catalog yields exclude waste: add the percentage your site manager uses for cuts and breakage.
3. Work out the weight
The 4,900 No. 5 blocks weigh about 30 tons (4,900 × 6.2 kg). That figure sets how many deliveries you need, the storage space on site and whether you need equipment to lift material floor by floor.
4. Split by floor
Order deliveries by floor or by work front. Storage then leaves room for other activities and material is handled less. Each delivery is a purchase order, which a revolving line lets you pay on terms without a new application.
What to check at delivery
- Reference and quantity against the purchase order. Count by bundle and check that the units belong to the family you ordered.
- Complementary pieces. In load-bearing masonry, half units and bond pieces have their own reference.
- Breakage. Broken or cracked units are noted on the delivery note before you sign.
- Pre-cut units. Some bundles include units pre-cut for the half bond piece. They are part of the order.
How to pay for masonry with Parex
Masonry starts once the structure has advanced and the project usually has several work fronts open. Buying it on terms keeps cash for payroll, steel and concrete on the floors still to come.
- Upfront from your first order. Every purchase adds to your payment history.
- On credit on 30, 60 or 90-day terms with a revolving line. Decision within 48 hours of receiving your company’s complete documents.
- The supplier gets paid on delivery, which makes it easier to agree deliveries by floor.
- One line for masonry, the cement for the mortar and the rest of the project’s materials.
Build the list in the quoter with the reference and quantity of each unit. To see how much masonry weighs in the total cost of a building, read the guide how to finance the materials for a project. Parex operates in Bogotá, Medellín, the Coffee Region, Barranquilla and Cartagena.