About Bricks Calculator
This calculator uses standard UK brick dimensions (215 x 102.5 x 65 mm) by default, but you can customise the brick size and mortar joint thickness. The calculation includes the mortar joint in the brick spacing.
Standard bricks typically need about 6.8-7.2 bricks per sq ft of wall when using a 10mm mortar joint. One cubic foot of mortar covers roughly 40-50 bricks. Always add 5-10% for breakage and cutting.
How to Use the Bricks Calculator
Let's say you're building a garden wall that's 20 feet long and 4 feet high using standard UK bricks (215 x 102.5 x 65 mm). Start by entering the wall length (20 ft) and height (4 ft) into the calculator. The default brick size is already set to standard dimensions, but you can adjust these if you're using different bricks — maybe you got a deal on imperial-sized ones at a local yard. Set the mortar thickness to 10 mm unless you know your bricklayer prefers a different joint size. Enter the price per brick — if you're paying $0.65 each for wire-cut commons, type that in. Hit calculate, and you'll see you need roughly 572 bricks for that wall, with about 3.2 cubic feet of mortar. Add 5-10% for breakage, so order around 630 bricks.
How to Interpret Your Results
The calculator gives you four key numbers. Total Bricks Needed is your main number — for a 20x8 ft wall with standard bricks, that's about 980 bricks. Wall Area (160 sq ft) tells you the surface you're covering. Bricks per sq ft (around 6.8) helps you do quick mental estimates for other walls on the same job. The Mortar Volume (~4.9 cu ft) tells you how much mortar mix to buy; one 80lb bag of pre-mixed mortar covers about 0.6 cubic feet, so you'd need around 8-9 bags. The Total Cost figure lets you compare material options at a glance.
When to Use This Calculator
Building a garden wall: Planning a boundary or retaining wall? You need to know exactly how many bricks to order so you don't run short mid-project or get stuck with piles of leftover material. A typical 30-foot-long, 3-foot-high garden wall needs around 650 bricks depending on size.
Constructing a house extension: Adding a new room or garage? Proper brick estimation helps you budget accurately and schedule deliveries. A single-skin 10x10 ft extension wall might need 900-1,000 bricks.
Estimating a DIY BBQ or fire pit: Outdoor projects are more fun when you have the right materials. A circular fire pit 3 feet in diameter and 18 inches high uses roughly 120-150 fire bricks.