PRODUCER’S GUIDE
Understanding Which Concrete Masonry Units are Assessed under Your CMU Checkoff Program
Gray Block
Prefaced
Fence Block
HOW ASSESSMENTS WORK
The Program
This program only assesses concrete masonry units as defined in the Order and outlined in this online guide.
Assessments
Assessments are calculated at the same rate ($0.01) per unit regardless of the sales price, the cost to manufacture, the type of customer to whom the unit is sold, or other factors.
Inclusions & Exclusions
This guide provides information on how to determine which units you might manufacture should be included in your assessment calculations.
When are Assessments due?
Assessments began on April 1, 2023. Quarterly assessments are due 60 days following the end of that quarter (For example, products sold April 1, 2025-June 30, 2025 would have a payment deadline of August 29, 2025).
WHAT’S CONSIDERED
A CONCRETE MASONRY UNIT?
The Checkoff utilizes these four basic criteria to determine what constitutes a concrete masonry unit (CMU) covered by the reporting and assessment requirement.
MATERIALS USED IN MANUFACTURING
Only units made with “dry-cast concrete” are assessed.
METHODS OF MANUFACTURING
Only units made on a mechanized equipment such as a block machine that utilizes vibration and compaction to form the product are assessed.
PURPOSE OF UNIT
Only units manufactured for use in masonry construction are included. “Masonry” means a built-up construction or combination of building units bonded together with or without mortar, grout or other accepted methods of joining.
SIZE OF UNIT
Only units with an actual width (or bed depth) of 3 inches or greater are included.
INCLUDED PRODUCTS
Together, these four attributes determine if a concrete masonry unit is INCLUDED in assessments:
It's Made
of dry-cast concrete
It's Manufactured
on mechanized block-making equipment by vibrating and compacting into forms
It's suitable for masonry construction
defined as “the act of building structures from single units laid and bound together”.
Its Width
is 3 inches or greater
Gray Block
Architectural Block
Includes smooth color, split-face, ribbed, scored, polished, textured, ground face, et
Prefaced
The units have a glazed finish integrally bonded to the face of the concrete block.
Sound Block
Pre-Insulated Block
Half-high Units
Fence Block
Lintel Block
Concrete masonry units joined to create a lintel are included, while lintels designed to span an entire opening are excluded.
Open-Ended Block
Screen Block
These architectural units are included if their actual widths are 3 inches or greater and if they are made on a block machine.
Chimney, Pilaster or, Column Block
Sill Block
These units and related specialty units are included if their actual widths are 3 inches or greater and if they are made on a block machine.
Veneer units
( 3 inches or greater in actual width)
Architectural Concrete Brick
Pre-Assembled Block
Products consisting of individual concrete masonry face shells combined with other materials to create a unit for masonry construction are part of the assessment.
Other Units could be
There may be additional units you produce that meet the assessment criteria (made of dry-cast concrete, formed mechanically, intended for masonry and at least 3 inches in actual width) so they would also be INCLUDED even if they are not shown here.
EXCLUDED PRODUCTS
Not all products you stock on the yard or even concrete products manufactured on your machinery are covered by the program. This section covers example products that are EXCLUDED from assessments.
If the material used to make the product
is not dry-cast concrete or the unit is primarily made with materials such as clay, adobe, pressed wood, etc., they are excluded.
If the products are manufactured by
pouring wet concrete into forms (precasting), compacting materials by hand in a mold, or by other manual methods they are excluded.
If the products are not suitable for masonry applications
such as pavers, segmental retaining wall units, gray utility brick, or other products not suitable for masonry applications they are excluded.
If the depth of the product
is under 3-inches, such as products to be used as adhered masonry veneers, they are excluded.
Concrete Paving Units
EXCLUDED
Paving Unit
EXCLUDED
Segmental retaining wall units
EXCLUDED
Manufactured stone veneer units
EXCLUDED
Deck Block
EXCLUDED
Gray Utility Brick
EXCLUDED
Clay brick
EXCLUDED
Aerated concrete units
EXCLUDED
Adobe masonry units
EXCLUDED
Hempcrete block
EXCLUDED
Wet-cast (precast) units
EXCLUDED
Hollow-core concrete plank
EXCLUDED
Precast concrete lintels
EXCLUDED
Cast stone units
EXCLUDED
GOVERNING DEFINITIONS
These are the legal definitions your Concrete Masonry Checkoff program follows.
§ 1500.2 Block machine
Block machine means a piece of equipment that utilizes vibration and compaction to form concrete masonry products.
§ 1500.5 Concrete masonry products
Concrete masonry products means a broader class of products, including concrete masonry units as well as hardscape products such as concrete pavers and segmental retaining wall units, manufactured on a block machine using dry-cast concrete.
§ 1500.6 Concrete masonry unit
Concrete masonry unit means a concrete masonry product that is a manmade masonry unit having an actual width of 3 inches or greater and manufactured from dry-cast concrete using a block machine. Such term includes concrete block and related concrete units used in masonry applications.
§ 1500.9 Dry-cast concrete
Dry-cast concrete means a composite material that is composed essentially of aggregates embedded in a binding medium composed of a mixture of cementitious materials (including hydraulic cement, pozzolans, or other cementitious materials) and water of such a consistency to maintain its shape after forming in a block machine
§ 1500.15 Masonry unit
Masonry unit means a noncombustible building product intended to be laid by hand or joined using mortar, grout, surface bonding, post-tensioning or some combination of these methods.
