Contents
- The recipe: 73 six-inch blocks from one bag of cement
- Our assumptions
- Cost per 6-inch block in Freetown
- Selling price and profit per block
- Profit by machine size in Freetown
- 25 mm or 30 mm shells: what is the difference?
- The Sierra Leone market
- Which machine for which volume?
- What this calculation does not include
- Sources for the prices
- Frequently asked questions
Short answer: yes, if you sell what the machine makes. In Freetown a machine-made 6-inch hollow block (400×200×150 mm) with 25 mm shells costs about NLe 11.4 to make, even with cement at about NLe 220 a bag. Freetown sellers advertise machine-made blocks at about NLe 25–26; at a cautious NLe 16–20 for our slightly smaller block, the margin is 28–43%. A BLOCKMASTER 4 making 5,000 blocks a day earns about ≈US$18,300 a month at the low end of that range.
We use the method of our general guide is a block making business profitable, as in our guides for Ghana and Nigeria. Figures are in new leones (NLe); we convert at about NLe 23 to the US dollar.
The recipe: 73 six-inch blocks from one bag of cement
One of our customers made 7,500 hollow blocks of 400×200×150 mm with 30 mm shells from 120 bags of cement, 55.5 m³ of sand and 37 m³ of chippings: 62.5 blocks per bag. With 25 mm shells the same block needs about 14% less concrete, so one bag makes about 73 six-inch blocks. The machine vibrates and presses a stiff mix, which is why it gets far more blocks from a bag than hand moulding. Many Freetown yards make sandcrete with sand only; adding chippings gives a stronger block for the same cement.
Our assumptions
- A BLOCKMASTER 4 or CBM 12 with a crew of 8, making 5,000 6-inch blocks a day at full capacity, 26 days a month, and selling its full output.
- Cement bought by the truckload at about NLe 220 a bag. The government's Western Area retail cap is NLe 205 for imported 42.5R and NLe 195 for local 32.5R, but shops often charge NLe 230–250.
- Sand delivered at about NLe 400 per m³ and granite chippings at about NLe 1,100 per m³. Chippings are scarce around Freetown, so we priced them high; if you buy cheaper, your cost falls.
- General hands at about NLe 120 a day; a generator burning about 45 litres of diesel a day at the NPRA pump price of NLe 45 a litre; 6% added for water, curing, maintenance and breakage.
- Monthly profit is cautious: the low end of the price range, 5% material waste, 30% higher pay for skilled operators, 10% other costs and about US$1,500 a month of fixed costs (manager, security, rent).
Cost per 6-inch block in Freetown
| Item | Price used | Cost per block |
|---|---|---|
| Cement (50 kg bag, 73 blocks per bag) | NLe 220 | NLe 3 |
| Sand | NLe 400 per m³ | NLe 2.5 |
| Granite chippings | NLe 1,100 per m³ | NLe 4.7 |
| Labour (8 people) | NLe 120 a day each | NLe 0.2 |
| Diesel (45 litres a day) | NLe 45 a litre | NLe 0.4 |
| Water, curing, maintenance, breakage (6%) | NLe 0.6 | |
| Cost per 6-inch block | ≈NLe 11.4 (≈US$0.50) |
Cement is about 26% of the cost; labour and diesel together only NLe 0.6. An 8-inch hollow block (400×200×200 mm, 4,000 a day) costs about NLe 13.1.
Selling price and profit per block
We found no published block price list for Freetown. Advertised machine-made blocks sell at about NLe 25–26, often for the larger local 6-inch block with a face of about 450×225 mm. Our 400×200 mm block covers about 80% of that wall area per block, so we use a cautious NLe 16–20. Check prices in your area before you decide.
| Our 6-inch block | Cost per block | Profit per block | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLe 16–20 (estimate) | ≈NLe 11.4 | NLe 4.6–8.6 | 28–43% |
Profit by machine size in Freetown
6-inch blocks with 25 mm shells, at NLe 16 a block, 26 days a month, cautious costs as above:
| Machine | 6-inch blocks a day | Crew | Fixed costs a month | Profit per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOCKMASTER 4 / CBM 12 | 5,000 | 8 | US$1,500 | ≈US$18,300 |
| BLOCKMASTER 8 / CBM 20 | 10,000 | 11 | US$2,500 | ≈US$39,100 |
| BLOCKMASTER 10 / CBM 25 | 12,000 | 14 | US$3,000 | ≈US$47,500 |
We assume about 45, 70 and 70 litres of diesel a day. Selling 10,000 or 12,000 blocks a day needs contractor and project customers, not only walk-in buyers.
25 mm or 30 mm shells: what is the difference?
| 6-inch block | Blocks per bag | Cost per block | Margin at NLe 16–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mm shells | 73 | ≈NLe 11.4 | 28–43% |
| 30 mm shells | 62.5 | ≈NLe 13.3 | 17–34% |
Thinner shells use less cement, sand and chippings, so 25 mm shells are more profitable. A 30 mm shell gives a stronger block and some builders ask for it; offer both and price the 30 mm block higher.
The Sierra Leone market
- Cement is the big cost: after the price rise this year, Sierra Leone is among the most expensive cement markets in West Africa, and about NLe 30–45 of a bag is taxes and charges. That is why blocks per bag matter: a machine that gets 73 blocks from a bag wins against hand moulds.
- Quality sells: many hand-made sandcrete blocks are weak and break in transport. Uniform, pressed and properly cured blocks let you sell to contractors and larger projects.
- Diesel: pump prices change often (NLe 28.50 at the start of the year, NLe 45 after the September review). A BLOCKMASTER 4 uses only about NLe 0.4 of diesel per block, so fuel moves your cost little.
- Rainy season: building slows during the heaviest rains, about June to September; plan stock and cash for those months.
- Outside Freetown: cement caps are higher up-country (up to NLe 245 a bag), so costs rise, but there are fewer machine-made blocks to compete with.
Which machine for which volume?
- About 5,000 a day: BLOCKMASTER 4 or CBM 12; the egg-laying MBM4 works without pallets.
- About 10,000 a day: BLOCKMASTER 8 or CBM 20.
- About 12,000 a day: BLOCKMASTER 10, or the CBM 25, which also makes paving blocks.
We have already shipped a CBM 12 block machine to Sierra Leone; see our Sierra Leone page for models and prices. Our nearest installations are in Conakry, Guinea (BLOCKMASTER 4) and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (BLOCKMASTER 8). Plan your output with block machine capacity calculation; for mix design, see concrete block mix proportions.
What this calculation does not include
Land, buildings, delivery trucks, depreciation, taxes, permits, loan repayments, unsold stock and slow rainy-season months.
Sources for the prices
- Cement: Ministry of Trade and Industry price benchmarks (Sierraloaded, Sierra Leone Monitor), This Day. Blocks: Freetown classified listings. Diesel: NPRA pump price notices.
- Sand, chippings, the wage and our block price are estimates; check them locally.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to make a block in Sierra Leone?
About NLe 11.4 for a machine-made 6-inch hollow block with 25 mm shells in Freetown, and NLe 13.3 with 30 mm shells, using the prices in this guide.
How many blocks from one bag of cement?
With our machines, about 73 six-inch blocks with 25 mm shells, or 62.5 with 30 mm shells, using sand and chippings.
How much profit per block in Freetown?
NLe 4.6–8.6 on a 6-inch block at NLe 16–20, a margin of 28–43%.
Does İBAR MAKİNA install the machine in Sierra Leone?
Yes. We build our machines in our own factory in Çerkezköy, Türkiye, with more than 45 years of experience and installations in more than 30 countries. Installation and operator training are included in the price, machines carry a 2-year warranty and spare parts ship from stock the same day.
Send us your town, the blocks you want to make and your target daily output on WhatsApp, and we will recommend a machine and run these numbers with your local prices.
