Brick Calculator
Count the bricks a wall needs from its area and the brick size, with a waste allowance and the mortar volume.
How many bricks a wall takes, with mortar.
How the brick calculator works
Bricks per square metre come from the brick face size plus its mortar joints: a 230 × 76 mm brick with 10 mm joints occupies 240 × 86 mm, so about 48 fill a square metre; a 215 × 65 mm brick with 10 mm joints gives about 59; a US modular brick (7⅝ × 2¼ in with ⅜ in joints) about 6.9 per square foot. Multiply by the wall area, subtract openings, and add 5% for cuts and breakages.
Mortar for a single-skin wall runs about 0.022 m³ per square metre of wall face.
Formula: bricks = wall area ÷ (brick face + joint area) × (1 + waste)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Bricks to order | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 6 × 2.4 m wall, 230 mm bricks | 732 | 732 bricks |
| 6 × 2.4 m wall, 215 mm bricks, 2 m² of openings | 773 | 773 bricks |
| 20 × 8 ft wall, US modular | 1,152 | 1,152 bricks |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How many bricks per square metre?
About 48 for a 230 × 76 mm brick, 59–60 for a 215 × 65 mm brick, both with 10 mm joints; about 74 per m² (6.9 per sq ft) for a US modular brick.
How much mortar do I need?
Roughly 0.02–0.03 m³ per square metre of single-skin wall — about 1 m³ per 1,500–2,000 bricks. A 20 kg bag of mortar mix makes about 11 litres.
Should I subtract windows and doors?
Yes — enter their total area. Bricklayers sometimes ignore small openings because cuts around them waste bricks; the 5% allowance covers that.
Does the calculator handle double-skin walls?
Count each skin as a wall: double the bricks and the mortar, or run it twice and pin the first result.
Where these figures come from
- The Engineering ToolBox — material densities, coverage and unit data — bulk densities, concrete at 2,400 kg/m³, board and sheet sizes
- Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia — concrete basics and yields — bag yields, density 2,400 kg/m³
- Australian Building Codes Board — the National Construction Code
Last checked: September 2026. Coverage rates and material sizes are typical manufacturer figures — check the product you buy.