How Many Cinder Blocks Are on a Pallet?

Cinder blocks per pallet

72 standard 8 × 8 × 16 blocks per pallet.

72 standard blocks — the count at Home Depot, Lowe's and Amazon for 8 × 8 × 16 in.
About 2,376 lb — 72 blocks at 33 lb each, before the pallet.
Size changes the count — 65 for 12 × 8 × 16, 144 for 4 × 8 × 16.
Shipping a pallet? Check its freight class.

Home Depot, Lowe's and Amazon all sell the standard 8 × 8 × 16 in concrete block, the block most people call a cinder block, in pallets of 72. Other sizes differ: SiteOne lists 12 × 8 × 16 blocks at 65 per pallet, and 4 × 8 × 16 blocks come 144 to a pallet. At 33 lb a block, a pallet of 72 weighs about 2,376 lb.

Block size	Per pallet
8 × 8 × 16 in (standard)	72 blocks · about 2,376 lb at 33 lb each
12 × 8 × 16 in	65 blocks (SiteOne)
4 × 8 × 16 in	144 blocks

Cinder block or concrete block?

The name comes from older blocks made with coal cinders. The 8 × 8 × 16 in blocks sold today are generally concrete masonry units, but people and stores still call them cinder blocks, so both names point to the same product on the shelf.

The 8 × 8 × 16 is a nominal size. The block itself is a little smaller, so that with a mortar joint each one takes up 8 × 16 inches of wall.

That makes the sums easy. Each block covers 8 × 16 in, or 0.89 square feet of wall, so a square foot takes 1.125 blocks and a pallet of 72 builds about 64 square feet. A wall 20 ft long and 4 ft high is 80 square feet, or 90 blocks: one pallet plus 18.

Moving a pallet of blocks

At about 2,376 lb for 72 standard blocks, a pallet needs a forklift, a heavy-duty liftgate or a truck with a crane. Check the lifting rating before delivery, and remember that wet blocks weigh more.

For the bigger 12 × 8 × 16 block, 65 to a pallet, check the weight on the supplier's listing, since each block is heavier than a standard one.

Shipping a pallet of blocks?

Enter the pallet's size and weight to check its freight class before you book.