🧱 Construction
Bricks per m² Calculator
Enter the brick length, height and mortar joint, then press Calculate to get bricks per square metre and for a wall area.
About the Bricks per m² Calculator
How many bricks per m2 depends on the brick plus the mortar joint, not the brick alone. A 190 × 90 mm brick with a 10 mm joint occupies a 200 × 100 mm module, which is exactly 50 bricks per square metre in theory and about 60 in practice once you allow for cutting and waste.
Always order 5-10% extra. Corners, openings and the cut bricks around them consume more than the area calculation suggests, and matching a brick colour six months later is rarely possible.
How the calculation works
- Bricks/m² = 1,000,000 ÷ ((length + joint) × (height + joint))
- Add 5-10% for cutting and breakage
- Standard 190×90 mm brick with 10 mm joint ≈ 50/m² theoretical
Reference values
| Brick size | Joint | Bricks per m² |
|---|---|---|
| 190 × 90 mm | 10 mm | 50 |
| 190 × 90 mm | 12 mm | 47 |
| 215 × 65 mm | 10 mm | 64 |
| 215 × 102.5 mm | 10 mm | 42 |
| 290 × 90 mm | 10 mm | 33 |
| 390 × 190 mm block | 10 mm | 12.5 |
Worked examples
- A 10 m² wall with 190 × 90 mm bricks needs 500 bricks, so order 525.
- A 25 m² wall needs 1,250, and 50 m² needs 2,500.
- A 390 × 190 mm block wall uses only 12.5 blocks per m².
Why the count is higher in practice
The theoretical figure assumes a perfect grid. Real walls need half-bricks at every opening and corner, and a pier or a soldier course consumes more. That is why estimators add 5% for a plain wall and 10% where there are several openings, and why the surplus is cheaper than a second delivery.
Common mistakes
- Using the brick's face area without the mortar joint, which overstates the count by 10-20%.
- Forgetting that a 215 mm brick and a 190 mm brick need different counts on the same wall.
- Ordering exactly the calculated number and running short at the top course.
A last check on the Brick size table: 190 × 90 mm 10 mm sits at the base of the chart, and the rows above it step in the same proportion, so you can scale from that first row instead of reading every line. If a figure you were quoted falls between two rows, it is the Joint side that has been rounded, not the conversion itself.