Some people, usually beginners or DIYers, often struggle to calculate the number of bricks or blocks needed to construct a wall.
Order too few and you’ll waste time ordering another delivery. Pay for too many and you’ll waste money and have to arrange disposal of the excess materials.
Use our guide below to quickly and easily calculate how many bricks you need.
First: Choose Your Type of Wall
Brick walls are laid in various thicknesses and the description of each type can be a little confusing.
We suggest you avoid terms such as “single” or “double” because they’re ambiguous and likely to be misunderstood
The terms half, one brick and one and a half brick are most commonly used:
The slimmest wall, if made from typical house bricks, is usually 4 inches wide and is called a half brick wall, here’s a photo:
The next size is 9 inches and is called a one brick wall, here’s an image:
Here is a one and half brick wall:
How Many Bricks Are Needed Per Square Metre of Wall?
The tables below are for bricks and blocks:
Standard bricks, laid to a half brick thick wall:
| Area: | Quantity: |
|---|---|
| Bricks (4" or half brick thickness) | 60 per sq mtr |
| Cement | 11.5kgs per sq mtr |
| Sand | 58.5kg per sq mtr |
| Plasticiser | 8ml per sq mtr |
| Extra bricks per pier (single brick pier) | 14 bricks per vertical mtr |
| Extra bricks per pier (brick and a half pier) | 34 bricks per vertical mtr |
Standard bricks, laid to a one brick thick wall:
| Area: | Quantity: |
|---|---|
| Bricks (9" or 1 brick thickness) | 120 per sq mtr |
| Cement | 22.5kg per sq mtr |
| Sand | 122.5kg per sq mtr |
| Plasticiser | 15ml per sq mtr |
Blocks:
| Area: | Quantity: |
|---|---|
| Blocks | 10 per sq mtr |
| Cement | 4.3kgs per sq mtr |
| Sand | 21.4kg per sq mtr |
| Plasticiser | 2.9ml per sq mtr |
(All tables assume a mix ratio of 5:1)
How to Calculate The Square Metre of a Wall
To use our tables on this page, you’ll need to know the size of the wall in square metres.
Here’s how you calculate this:
For a gable or apex, it’s easier to calculate this section separately.
Just get the overall height and length, calculate the square metre and then divide in half:
Don’t Forget Wastage
Bricks are sold in packs and it’s quite normal for a few to be damaged, usually from a forklift, being dropped or from miss-cuts.
For most projects, we suggest you increase your order by at least 5% to allow for wastage.
If your wall has lots of gables or unusual shapes then you’ll lose more through wastage, so allow for an extra 10%.
How Many Bricks or Blocks in a Pack or Pallet?
Bricks are not sold by the pallet but by the pack.
Most packs contain between 400 and 500 bricks but there’s no universally accepted quantity, each manufacturer is different.
Further Reading
We’ve got many more helpful guides on our site, so explore these related pages:
Discover the best sand/cement mix ratio for various projects.
See how to waterproof bricks whilst allowing them to breathe.
Our bricklaying guide for DIYers is a great place for beginners to start.
