Practical guides for people who build.
Estimating, pricing, hiring and logistics — written for site conditions in Ghana, not textbook conditions.
What 22 m³ of sand actually looks like on a site
Volume, weight, the space a tipper needs to raise its body, and why the access road matters more than the price.
Ama Mensah · 24 Jul 2026 · 6 min readEstimatingHow many blocks for a three-bedroom shell? A working method
A simple wall-area calculation, the wastage figure to use, and the mortar you'll need alongside it.
Ama Mensah · 18 Jul 2026 · 7 min readPrice watchCement and steel: what moved in July, and why
Our monthly read on material prices across the four zones, with the bulk tiers that softened the rise.
Ama Mensah · 12 Jul 2026 · 5 min readHiring tradesSeven questions to ask a mason before you agree a day rate
What to establish about team size, tools, materials responsibility and clean-up — before work starts, not after.
Ama Mensah · 5 Jul 2026 · 6 min readBuying guidesHire or buy? Running the numbers on a concrete mixer
The break-even point is further out than most people assume. Here's the calculation with real day rates.
Ama Mensah · 27 Jun 2026 · 9 min readBuying guidesGetting a useful quote: what to include in a bulk request
Quantity, unit, site access, staging and timing. Vague requests get vague prices.
Ama Mensah · 20 Jun 2026 · 5 min readPrice watch, once a month.
Cement, steel and aggregate movements across all four zones, plus the bulk tiers worth knowing about. No sales mail.