If there are no rules in place, you can’t cheat. However, The Block is full of rules. In fact, The Block might have more serious rules than any other reality series that’s airing. This is why this programme features cheating scandal after cheating scandal after cheating scandal.
So, what are these Block rules? What separates the honest hustlers from those who cheat? Here are the nine commandments of The Block bible.
Thou Shall Not Work Ahead
In the 2023 season of The Block, all of the contestants know what rooms they’re designing week-to-week. However, that doesn’t mean you can work ahead of schedule. That would be an unfair advantage and make for heaps worse television.
Thou Shall Not Use Power Tools at Night
When Scotty Cam says “tools down” each arvo, you have to put your power tools down. Otherwise, every contestant would be using drills and jackhammers every night, which wouldn’t be nice of their neighbours.
Thou Shall Not Use Power Tools on a Sunday
On The Block, Sunday isn’t a day of the rest. It’s instead a time to put the final touches on your room. This means that if your room still needs power tools, you’ve made some chungus mistakes.
Thou Shall Hire Thy Own Tradies
No, Channel 9 won’t hire your tradies for you. If you’re on The Block, that is 100% your responsibility.
Thou Shall Induct All Thy Tradies
The Block is essentially a huge construction site. Likewise, it’s also a giant film set. Both construction sites and film feature a tonne of rules to keep things safe. Therefore, every tradie must be inducted before they get to work on this series.
Thou Shall Not Receive Help From Other Designers
If you’re designing a house for this series, you cannot receive help from other people. This is to prevent contestants from just hiring someone to do all this labour.
Thou Shall Do All the Painting Thyself
On The Block, each pair is responsible for painting their own house. We’re talking the walls, the ceiling, the stairs. It doesn’t matter if your place is tiny or a mansion, each contestant must paint every inch of their homes themselves.
Thou Shall Pay My Tradies the Award Rates
Exploitation of the lower class? What a flop. Properly compensating people for their labour? Slay.
Thou Shall Nor Receive More Than a 50% Discount on Trade Goods
This Block rule is here to prevent people from ripping shops off. If this rule didn’t exist, some teams would be asking Mitre Ten for 99% discounts.
The Block drops on Sundays through to Wednesdays on Channel 9 and the 9Now app.
Want more Block details? Read all of our coverage here, and click the links below:
- Where Was It Filmed? A 2023 Deep Dive
- The 2023 Block Cast — Meet the New Teams
- The 2023 Details — The Host, Trailer, and More
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