How to use this calculator
- Enter or choose units.
- Enter or choose wall length.
- Enter or choose wall height.
- Enter or choose doors and windows (total area).
- Enter or choose bricks through the wall thickness.
- The bricks to buy (with waste) updates as you type. Use Copy result or Share to keep it.
Method
Bricks = (L × H − Openings) ÷ [(l + j)(h + j)] × Leaves × (1 + Waste); Mortar = (Wall volume − Bricks laid × l × h × w) × (1 + Waste)
- L, H
- wall length and height
- l, h, w
- brick length, height and width
- j
- mortar joint thickness
- Leaves
- bricks through the thickness; wall thickness = Leaves × w + (Leaves − 1) × j
Worked example
- Net area = 5 × 3 − 2 = 13 m².
- Each brick with its joint covers 0.20 × 0.10 = 0.02 m², so 50 bricks per m².
- Bricks laid = 13 × 50 = 650; with 5% waste, 682.5 → 683 bricks.
- Mortar = 13 × 0.09 − 650 × 0.19 × 0.09 × 0.09 = 0.170 m³, ×1.05 = 0.178 m³ wet.
A 5 × 3 m single-leaf wall with 2 m² of openings needs about 683 bricks and 0.18 m³ of wet mortar.
What the result means
Order whole packs above the "bricks to buy" figure, and keep a few spare from the same batch for later repairs. To turn the mortar volume into cement and sand, use the Sand Quantity for Mortar Calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- Stretcher bond with full mortar joints on every face; the cross-joint between leaves is filled.
- The waste allowance applies to both bricks and mortar.
- Frogged or perforated bricks take more mortar than solid ones.
- Piers, returns, corners and special bonds (English, Flemish) are not modelled separately.
Questions
How many bricks are in 1 m² of wall?
For a single leaf: 1 ÷ [(brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint)]. That is 50 for a 190 × 90 mm brick with 10 mm joints and about 60 for a UK 215 × 65 mm brick.
What waste allowance should I use?
5% is a common starting point for plain walls; use more for lots of cuts, fragile bricks or reclaimed stock.
Please note: Quantities are estimates. Confirm requirements with your engineer or supplier before ordering materials.