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Brick Calculator

Calculate how many bricks and how much mortar you need for a wall — with brick size presets, mortar joint thickness, openings, and waste factor

Standard: 10 mm

5% straight walls, 10% with cuts

Gross wall area 15.00 m²
Openings excluded −3.30 m²
Net wall area 11.70 m²

You need

737 bricks

59.3/m² × 11.70 m² + 5% waste

Bricks per m² 59.3
Bricks (without waste) 694
Waste (5%) +35
Mortar volume

0.023 m³/m²

0.27 m³
Ready-mix mortar bags

25 kg bags, ~0.014 m³ each

20 bags

About This Tool

Ordering the wrong number of bricks is expensive either way. Too few means a mid-project delay, a mismatched batch, and a visible color difference. Too many means pallets of unused bricks taking up space and money. This calculator takes your wall dimensions, subtracts doors and windows, and computes the exact number of bricks based on actual brick size and mortar joint thickness. It also estimates mortar volume — so you know how many bags of cement and how much sand to order. Choose from standard brick sizes used worldwide (UK, US, European, Indian, Australian) or enter custom dimensions. Set your wall thickness (half-brick or full-brick), adjust the mortar joint gap, add a waste percentage for cuts and breakage, and get a complete materials list.

How to Use

1. Enter wall length and height, or enter total wall area directly 2. Subtract openings — set the number and size of doors and windows 3. Pick a brick size preset or enter custom brick dimensions (L × W × H) 4. Choose wall thickness: half-brick (single skin) or full-brick (double skin) 5. Set mortar joint thickness (default 10 mm) 6. Adjust waste percentage (5–10% is typical) 7. Read the full breakdown: net area, bricks per m², total bricks, mortar volume, and cement bags

Formula

Bricks per m² = 1,000,000 ÷ ((brick_length + joint) × (brick_height + joint)) Full-brick wall = bricks per m² × 2 Total bricks = bricks per m² × net wall area × (1 + waste%) Mortar volume per m² = wall thickness − (bricks per m² × brick volume) Cement bags = mortar volume ÷ volume per bag

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bricks do I need per square meter?
For a standard UK brick (215 × 102.5 × 65 mm) with 10 mm mortar joints in a half-brick (single skin) wall, you need approximately 60 bricks per square meter. For a full-brick (double skin) wall, double that to about 120 bricks per m². US modular bricks are slightly smaller, so you need about 69 per m².
How do I calculate mortar for brickwork?
Mortar volume equals the total wall volume minus the volume of all bricks. For a typical half-brick wall with UK standard bricks and 10 mm joints, you need approximately 0.02–0.03 m³ of mortar per m² of wall. A standard 25 kg bag of ready-mix mortar covers about 0.014 m³, so plan roughly 1.5–2 bags per m².
What is the standard mortar joint thickness?
The standard mortar joint thickness is 10 mm (⅜ inch) for most brickwork. This applies to both bed joints (horizontal, under each course) and head joints (vertical, between bricks). Some decorative or thin-joint systems use 2–3 mm joints, while rustic or rough work may use 12–15 mm.
What waste percentage should I add for bricks?
Add 5% for simple straight walls with few cuts. Add 10% for walls with openings, corners, and angles that require cutting. Add 15% for complex designs, arches, or if you're a less experienced bricklayer. Bricks can crack during transport, cutting, or laying — it's always cheaper to over-order slightly than to re-order a mismatched batch.
What is the difference between a half-brick and full-brick wall?
A half-brick wall (single skin) is one brick wide — the wall thickness equals the brick width (e.g., 102.5 mm for UK bricks). A full-brick wall (double skin) is one brick length wide (e.g., 215 mm) and uses twice as many bricks. Half-brick walls are used for interior partitions and garden walls. Full-brick walls are used for load-bearing external walls.
What are standard brick sizes in different countries?
UK Standard: 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm. US Modular: 194 × 92 × 57 mm. European (NF): 240 × 115 × 71 mm. Indian Standard: 190 × 90 × 90 mm. Australian Standard: 230 × 110 × 76 mm. All dimensions are length × width × height. The mortar joint closes the remaining gap.

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