Brick and Block Calculator
Enter the length and height of the wall, the type of brick or block and the joint thickness. You get the number to buy and the mortar needed.
This is an estimate. Ask your supplier for the pack size, because bricks come on pallets.
Worked examples
A garden wall
10 m long, 2 m high, standard bricks, one skin, 10 mm joints, 5% waste
1,245 bricks and 0.44 cubic metres of mortar
There are 1,185 bricks before waste.
About Brick and Block Calculator
A brick calculator tells you how many bricks or blocks to buy for a wall. Enter the length and height, take off doors and windows, choose a standard brick or a 100 mm or 140 mm block and the thickness of the mortar joint, and the tool counts the units, adds an allowance for breakage and works out the mortar.
It uses the real size of each unit plus the mortar joint. A standard 215 by 65 mm brick with a 10 mm joint takes up an area of 225 by 75 mm, which gives about 59 bricks to the square metre for a single skin wall. Blocks of 440 by 215 mm give about 10 to the square metre. A wall two bricks thick uses twice as many.
How to use Brick and Block Calculator
- Enter the length and height of the wall.
- Enter the area of any doors and windows to leave out.
- Choose the brick or block and the thickness of the wall.
- Read the number to buy and the mortar needed.
Common uses
- A garden wall
- A house extension
- A barbecue or planter
- Checking a builder's quote
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks are in a square metre?
About 59 for a single skin wall using standard bricks and a 10 mm joint, and builders usually round this to 60. Blocks are about 10 to the square metre.
How many bricks for a 10 m by 2 m wall?
The wall is 20 square metres, which needs 1,185 bricks. With 5% for breakage, buy 1,245.
How much mortar do I need?
The volume of mortar is the wall volume less the volume of the bricks. For that wall it comes to 0.35 cubic metres, and the tool adds 25% for waste, 0.44 cubic metres. Your supplier can turn this into bags of cement and sand.
How much waste should I allow for bricks?
Allow at least 5% for breakage and cutting, and more for walls with many corners, piers or openings.
What about a cavity wall?
A cavity wall is two separate leaves, so calculate each leaf as its own wall, often with brick on the outside and block on the inside.