Brick Calculator - Work Out How Many Bricks You Need (UK)
Pop in your wall length and height and this works out how many bricks you need - including a sensible wastage allowance - using the UK standard of 60 bricks per square metre.
Interested? Then → Quotato for Builders · More advice on the Blog & Chips guides.
How to use this calculator
Measure your wall's length and height in metres (gross - don't subtract small openings, that's your wastage buffer). Pick single skin for a garden/boundary wall or double skin for a structural one, choose your brick, and read off the order quantity.
How we calculate this
- Bricks needed = wall area × bricks per m² × (1 + wastage).
- We use 60 bricks per m² for a single-skin (half-brick) wall - the UK standard for a 215 × 102.5 × 65mm brick laid with a 10mm mortar joint. A double-skin (one-brick) wall is double that, 120 per m².
- We add 5% wastage for cuts, breakages and the odd dropped brick. Bump it up for lots of cuts or a fancy bond.
Worked example
A single-skin garden wall 5m long and 1.8m high is 9 m². 9 × 60 = 540 bricks, plus 5% wastage = 567 bricks. At an indicative £1.00 a brick that's about £567 in facing bricks before mortar.
UK notes & gotchas
- Standard UK brick is 215 × 102.5 × 65mm; with a 10mm joint that gives the 60-per-m² figure.
- Engineering bricks (dense, low-porosity) are used below DPC and for manholes - they cost a little more.
- Don't forget mortar, wall ties for cavity work, and a DPC - use the linked mortar calculator next.
FAQ
How many bricks are there in a square metre (UK)?
60 bricks per m² for a standard single-skin wall (215 × 102.5 × 65mm brick + 10mm joint). A double-skin wall is 120 per m².
How much wastage should I add for bricks?
5% is a sensible default for a straightforward wall. Add 10% if there are lots of cuts, returns or a decorative bond.
Does this include the mortar?
No - this is bricks only. Use the mortar calculator to work out the sand and cement for the same wall.
Single skin or double skin - which do I need?
Single skin (half-brick) suits most garden and boundary walls. Double skin (one-brick) is stronger and used for piers and structural walls - check with a builder if it's load-bearing.
Related calculators
mortar calculator · concrete block calculator · sand calculator