Brick & Block Calculator
Calculate bricks and blocks for any wall — facing brick, engineering brick, commons and concrete blocks. Includes bond patterns, pallet counts, door and window deductions and inline mortar summary. 2026 UK pricing.
Stretcher bond: 60 bricks/m². Half-brick thick — standard for garden walls and single-skin construction.
Single skin (half brick): standard for garden walls, partition walls and infill panels.
0.9×2.0m each
1.2×1.0m each
Guide
Bricks, Blocks & Bond Patterns
Standard brick sizes and coordinating dimensions
The standard UK metric brick is 215×65×102.5mm. With a 10mm mortar joint on each face, the coordinating dimension becomes 225×75mm. This gives exactly 60 bricks per m² in stretcher bond: (1000 ÷ 225) × (1000 ÷ 75) = 4.44 × 13.33 = 59.2, rounded to 60.
Concrete blocks (440×215mm face) have a coordinating size of 450×225mm, giving exactly 10 blocks per m²: (1000 ÷ 450) × (1000 ÷ 225) = 2.22 × 4.44 = 9.87, rounded to 10. Aircrete blocks follow the same coordinating dimensions as dense concrete blocks — the 100mm depth varies but face count is the same.
Bond patterns explained
Stretcher bond: Every brick is laid showing only its long face (stretcher). The most economical pattern, producing a single-skin (half-brick) wall at 102.5mm thick. Used for most garden walls and external cavity wall leaves. 60 bricks/m².
English bond: Alternates complete courses of stretchers and headers (bricks laid crossways). Produces a solid full-brick (215mm) wall with excellent structural strength — the strongest brick bond. 82 bricks/m² face count but the wall uses double the material per m of run.
Flemish bond: Each course alternates headers and stretchers. Highly decorative and common in period architecture. Same face count as English bond (82/m²) but the alternating pattern is more distinctive. Used for solid walls and decorative feature panels.
Choosing the right masonry unit
Facing bricks: Decorative finish, used for visible external and garden walls. Wide range of colours and textures. Not all are frost-resistant — check the manufacturer's durability designation (F0, F1, F2) for exposed locations.
Engineering bricks (Class B): Very dense, low water absorption. Used below DPC, in manholes, sewers and anywhere exposed to moisture or frost. Usually blue-grey in colour.
Commons / utility bricks: No decorative finish — used for internal walls, backings and areas to be rendered or plastered.
Aircrete blocks (Thermalite/Celcon): Lightweight, excellent thermal insulation. Used for inner leaf of cavity walls and internal partitions. Cannot be used below DPC or in permanently wet conditions without tanking.
Planning permission — wall height rules
Garden walls are generally permitted development (no planning permission required) provided: walls adjacent to a road or footpath used by vehicles are no more than 1m high; and walls elsewhere are no more than 2m high. These limits are for the finished structure including any foundations projecting above ground.
Walls in Conservation Areas or associated with listed buildings may require permission even below these heights. Any wall over 1m should include piers at regular intervals (typically every 3m) for structural stability against wind loading.
FAQ
Common Questions
For standard UK facing brick (215×65mm) in stretcher bond with 10mm mortar joints: 60 bricks per m². For Flemish or English bond: 82 bricks per m². For double-skin walls, double these figures. Always add 5–10% for wastage. Our calculator works this out automatically for your chosen bond and wall type.
Standard concrete blocks (440×215mm face) with 10mm mortar joints: 10 blocks per m². This applies to both aircrete (Thermalite/Celcon) and dense concrete blocks as they share the same coordinating face dimensions. Add 5% for wastage on straightforward walls.
Facing brick pallets typically contain 400–500 bricks (varies by supplier and brick size). Engineering brick pallets are usually 400. Concrete block pallets contain approximately 40–72 blocks depending on thickness (100mm blocks: ~72 per pallet; 140mm blocks: ~40). Our calculator shows pallet counts and flags when you're close to a pallet boundary.
Facing bricks have a decorative finish and are used for visible walls. Engineering bricks are very dense with low water absorption — used below DPC, in drainage structures and anywhere exposed to persistent moisture. Common (utility) bricks have no decorative finish and are used for backing work, internal walls and areas to be rendered or plastered.