Quick Answer: Mortar typically runs $8 to $15 per 80 lb bag as of 2026, with Type N at the low end, Type S in the middle, and Type M and specialty mortars at the top. The price you actually pay moves with type, formulation, bag weight, and the regional market. Use the ranges below as a planning anchor, then pull current quotes from your suppliers for the bid date.
What Drives the Price
Mortar type is the biggest single driver. The ASTM C270 types, N, S, and M, are the standard spec system, and they differ by compressive strength and the proportion of Portland cement to lime. Type N is the general purpose mortar at 750 psi, it is used for above grade brick and block in non load bearing walls, and it owns the low end of the range because it uses more lime and less cement. Type S is the workhorse at 1800 psi, it is used for below grade work, load bearing walls, and reinforced masonry, and it lands in the middle because it uses more cement. Type M is the high strength mortar at 2500 psi, it is used for foundations, retaining walls, and heavy load work, and it carries the top premium because it uses the most cement. Type O (350 psi) is a soft mortar for historic and interior tuckpointing, it is less common and often special order, so it can run at or above Type M pricing despite the lower strength.
Formulation moves the number within each type. Premixed mortar (cement and sand already blended in the bag, just add water) is the convenience product and runs at the top of the range because you pay for the blending. Preblended mortar cement (just the binder, you add sand on site) is cheaper per bag but you supply and batch the sand, so the true cost depends on your sand price. Polymer modified and colored mortars add a premium of $1 to $4 per bag for the additive or pigment package, and thin set and refractory mortars run higher still because they are specialty formulations. Bag weight matters too. An 80 lb bag is the baseline for site mixed work, a 60 lb bag is easier to handle on scaffolding, and a 40 lb bag is for repair and tuckpointing where the premium per pound is worth the convenience. Region and volume round out the drivers. Cement is energy intensive, so mill pricing moves with fuel and power costs, and freight from the plant to your market matters because mortar is heavy. Volume buyers pull pallet pricing 10 to 25 percent below single bag retail.
Typical Price Ranges by Type
These ranges cover material only, not labor, and are typical as of 2026. Add $2.00 to $6.00 per bag for mixing and laying on small jobs, less on production masonry.
- Type N premixed mortar (80 lb): $8 to $11 per bag. Above grade brick and block, non load bearing, general purpose.
- Type S premixed mortar (80 lb): $10 to $13 per bag. Below grade, load bearing, reinforced masonry.
- Type M premixed mortar (80 lb): $12 to $15 per bag. Foundations, retaining walls, heavy load work.
- Type O and historic mortar: $12 to $16 per bag. Soft historic and tuckpointing work, often special order.
- Mortar cement (preblended binder, no sand): $9 to $14 per bag. Lower per bag but you add sand on site, so total cost depends on sand and batching.
- Colored and polymer modified mortar: $11 to $16 per bag. Architectural masonry where color or flexibility is specified.
- Thin set and refractory mortar: $14 to $25 per bag. Tile, stone veneer, and high heat work, specialty formulation.
Pallet pricing cuts the per bag price 10 to 25 percent on volume jobs. If your wall runs more than a pallet, ask for the pallet rate, the savings show up fastest on the Type S line because that is the most common spec.
How to Calculate the Quantity You Need
Mortar takeoff is driven by wall square feet, joint thickness, and unit size. One 80 lb bag of premixed mortar yields about 0.7 cubic feet of wet mortar, which lays roughly 35 standard modular bricks (with 3/8 inch joints) or about 13 standard 8x8x16 concrete blocks. For brick, a common rule of thumb is 7 bricks per SF of wall face with standard modular units, so a 100 SF wall takes about 700 bricks and roughly 20 bags of mortar. For block, a common rule is 1.125 blocks per SF of wall face, so a 100 SF wall takes about 113 blocks and roughly 9 bags of mortar. Adjust for larger units (queen and king brick, 12 inch block) which cut the per SF count and the per bag coverage.
Apply a 10 percent waste factor for production work, 15 percent for cut up walls with many openings, corners, and lintels. Round up to the pallet (typically 40 to 49 bags per pallet) to avoid partial pallet premiums, and add a separate line for sand, bonding agent, or admix the spec calls for. Tie every quantity to the wall schedule so the bid is defensible, and note the joint thickness you assumed.
How to Buy Smarter
- Get three supplier quotes on the same type, formulation, and bag weight. Mortar pricing varies 15 to 30 percent between distributors on identical spec.
- Quote each type on its own line. Mixing Type N, S, and M into one line hides the real cost and lets a sub swap to a cheaper, weaker type.
- Buy by the pallet on volume jobs. Single bag retail can be 25 percent above pallet pricing on the same product.
- Lock quotes for 30 to 60 days on longer bids. Mortar moves with cement, fuel, and seasonal demand, so a stale quote is a losing quote.
- Specify the type by name (N, S, M), not just "mortar." A generic spec lets the low bidder substitute Type N where Type S was needed for a load bearing wall.
- Compare premixed to mortar cement plus sand on large walls. Premixed wins on small jobs, mortar cement plus bulk sand wins on big pours once batching is set up.
Where Estimators Get It Wrong
The most common mistake is treating all mortar as one line. A Type M bag costs 30 to 50 percent more than a Type N bag, so a blended line either overprices the brick veneer or underprices the foundation. The second is using the wrong coverage rule. Estimators who assume 35 bricks per bag on a king brick wall or a 1/2 inch joint wall lose money on both sides. The third is forgetting sand and admix. Mortar cement needs batched sand, and cold weather work needs accelerator, so skipping them means eating the cost. The fourth is using retail box store pricing for the bid. A masonry supply yard has pallet pricing 20 to 40 percent lower on the same type. The fifth is ignoring color and polymer premiums, which can add $2 to $4 per bag and blow the budget on an architectural wall.
Putting It Together
Build your mortar line from the spec up: list each type separately, price it by the pallet at the right bag weight, and calculate bags from the wall schedule using real coverage at the actual joint thickness. Add sand, bonding agent, and admix on their own lines where the spec calls for them. Pull three current quotes and lock them for 30 to 60 days. Mortar is a small line that leaks big money when it is mispriced, so a clean takeoff and separate lines per type are what keep the wall plumb and the margin in.