"How many bricks per square metre in the UK?"

"A standard UK single-leaf (half-brick) wall uses approximately 60 bricks per square metre. This is based on the standard UK brick size of 215×102.5×65mm with 10mm mortar joints, giving an effective face size of 225×75mm."

"What size are standard UK bricks?"

"Standard UK bricks measure 215mm long × 102.5mm wide × 65mm high (co-ordinating size 225×112.5×75mm including mortar joints). Most brickwork in England and Wales uses this format."

"How much mortar do I need for brickwork?"

"As a rule of thumb, allow approximately 0.03 m³ of mortar per m² of single-leaf brickwork. For a standard 1:6 mix (cement:sand), 1 m³ of mortar requires roughly 200kg of cement and 1,200kg of soft sand."

"How much waste allowance should I add?"

"A 5% waste allowance is standard for straightforward stretcher-bond brickwork. Allow 10% for complex bonding patterns, walls with many corners, openings, or where cutting is involved."

"Does this calculator include bricks for corners and openings?"

"This calculator works out the gross wall area and then calculates bricks required. Deduct any window or door openings from your wall height and length before entering dimensions, or run separate calculations for each section."

Brick Calculator UK | How Many Bricks Do I Need?

Free UK brick calculator. Enter your wall dimensions and get bricks needed, mortar volume and wall area instantly. Based on standard UK brick sizes (215×102.5×65mm).

Brick Calculator

Dimensions

Results are estimates only and may vary depending on site conditions, material specifications and waste. EasyEstimate and its affiliates accept no responsibility for any loss or damage arising from reliance on these figures. Always verify quantities with your supplier before ordering.

How to Calculate Bricks for a Wall

Working out how many bricks you need is straightforward once you understand the maths. The calculation is based on the face area of each brick including its mortar joint, multiplied by your wall area, plus a waste allowance.

The Formula

For a standard UK single-leaf wall (half-brick thick, stretcher bond):

Wall area = Length (m) × Height (m)
Bricks per m² = 60 (standard UK figure for 215×65mm bricks with 10mm joints)
Total bricks needed = Wall area × 60 × (1 + waste%)

UK Standard Brick Dimensions

Measurement	Size
Brick length	215 mm
Brick width	102.5 mm
Brick height	65 mm
Mortar joint	10 mm
Co-ordinating face size	225 × 75 mm
Bricks per m² (single leaf)	~60

Worked Example

Wall: 5m long × 2.4m high, 5% waste

Wall area = 5 × 2.4 = 12 m²
Bricks required = 12 × 60 = 720 bricks
Add 5% waste = 720 × 1.05 = 756 bricks
Mortar = 12 × 0.03 = 0.36 m³

Mortar for Brickwork

Mortar is typically a 1:6 cement-to-sand mix for general brickwork. To make 1 m³ of mortar you need approximately:

200 kg of cement (4 × 50kg bags)
1,200 kg of soft sand

For a 1:4 mix (stronger, for engineering bricks or below DPC):

300 kg of cement
1,200 kg of sand

What About Cavity Walls?

A cavity wall has two leaves — an outer facing brick leaf and an inner block leaf — with a cavity in between. The calculator above works out quantities for a single leaf only. For a full cavity wall calculation, use our Blockwork Calculator for the inner leaf separately.

Beyond Brick Quantities

The calculator gives you bricks, mortar and wall area. A complete brickwork estimate also includes:

Wall ties (cavity walls)
DPC (damp proof course at base and over lintels)
Lintels (over openings)
Pointing or repointing mortar
Labour (typically 60–80 bricks per hour for an experienced bricklayer)

EasyEstimate’s full brickwork calculator handles all of these items — including live pricing, labour hours, and a material schedule you can send directly to your supplier.

Blockwork Calculator — calculate blocks, mortar and lintels for the inner leaf of a cavity wall or internal partitions
Concrete Calculator — work out concrete volume and bags for foundations, slabs and pads

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bricks per square metre in the UK?: A standard UK single-leaf (half-brick) wall uses approximately 60 bricks per square metre. This is based on the standard UK brick size of 215×102.5×65mm with 10mm mortar joints, giving an effective face size of 225×75mm.
What size are standard UK bricks?: Standard UK bricks measure 215mm long × 102.5mm wide × 65mm high (co-ordinating size 225×112.5×75mm including mortar joints). Most brickwork in England and Wales uses this format.
How much mortar do I need for brickwork?: As a rule of thumb, allow approximately 0.03 m³ of mortar per m² of single-leaf brickwork. For a standard 1:6 mix (cement:sand), 1 m³ of mortar requires roughly 200kg of cement and 1,200kg of soft sand.
How much waste allowance should I add?: A 5% waste allowance is standard for straightforward stretcher-bond brickwork. Allow 10% for complex bonding patterns, walls with many corners, openings, or where cutting is involved.
Does this calculator include bricks for corners and openings?: This calculator works out the gross wall area and then calculates bricks required. Deduct any window or door openings from your wall height and length before entering dimensions, or run separate calculations for each section.

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