Brick Calculator

How many bricks you need for a wall, single or double skin, with US, UK or Australian brick sizes, plus the mortar, cement bags and sand.

The number of bricks per square foot or square metre comes from the brick's face plus a mortar joint around it. A UK standard brick (215 × 65 mm) with a 10 mm joint takes 225 × 75 mm, which is 59.3 bricks per m², the familiar 60 per square metre. A US modular brick (7⅝ × 2¼ in) with a ⅜ in joint takes 8 × 2⅝ in, 6.86 bricks per ft², and an Australian standard brick (230 × 76 mm) comes to about 48.4 per m². A garden wall 20 ft long and 4 ft high is 80 ft², or 549 modular bricks, 576 with 5% extra. Enter your walls, choose a brick and single or double skin, and the calculator also gives the mortar and the cement and sand to mix it.

Units
Bag sizes
Wall
ft
ft
Feet and inches work too: type 12'6 or 12.5.
Doors and windows to leave out
ft
ft
ft
ft
%
Wall
%
Bricks
576

6.86 per ft²

Mortar
5.31 ft³

150 L

Cement
2 bags

94 lb bag (1 ft³) · 127 lb

Sand
564 lb

0.28 tons

How it was worked out
  1. Wall: 20 ft × 4 ft = 80 ft²
  2. Area to cover: 80 ft²
  3. Each 7.625 × 2.25 in brick with a 0.375 in joint takes 8 × 2.625 in: 6.86 per ft²
  4. 80 ft² × 6.86 = 548.6; plus 5% = 576, rounded up to 576 bricks
  5. Mortar in the joints: 4.42 ft³, plus 20% = 5.31 ft³
  6. 1 : 4 mortar: 127 lb of cement (2 bags of 94 lb) and 564 lb of sand

Mortar is worked out from the joints alone. Frogs laid upwards, droppings and mixing waste use more, which is what the extra mortar allowance is for. If you buy premixed mortar, use the mortar volume and the yield printed on the bag.

Common use cases

  • A garden wall, planter or barbecue
  • Brick piers, pillars and gate posts
  • An extension or garage wall (alongside the quantities on your plans)
  • Pricing bricks and mortar before getting quotes

How to use

  1. Choose your units and country (for the brick sizes and cement bags).
  2. Enter each wall's length and height; use Triangle for gables.
  3. Choose the brick size, or type your own, and single or double skin.
  4. Pick the mortar mix, then read the bricks, mortar, cement and sand.

FAQ

How many bricks are in a square metre?

About 60 UK standard bricks per m² for a single-skin (half-brick) wall with 10 mm joints, and about 120 for a double-skin (one-brick) wall. Australian standard bricks come to about 48 to 50 per m².

How many bricks per square foot?

About 6.86 US modular bricks per ft² with ⅜ in joints, often rounded to 7. Standard (8 in) bricks come to about 6.55 per ft².

How much mortar do bricks need?

For UK bricks, the joints alone are about 0.018 m³ per m² of single-skin wall. Bricks laid frog up, droppings and mixing waste need more, which is why the calculator adds 20% by default.

How many extra bricks should I order?

Around 5% covers cuts and breakages for most walls. Order from one batch so the colour matches.

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