Brick Counts: Why Walls Need a Waste Allowance
Bricks break, get cut for openings, and sometimes arrive damaged. A 10 percent allowance keeps the wall going without a second delivery.
What is the Bricks Calculator?
Enter the wall area and the bricks needed per square metre, and the tool multiplies them, adds a 10 percent allowance for breakage and cuts, and rounds up. The allowance is shown separately so the exact figure stays visible.
How to use it
- Measure the wall area in square metres.
- Enter the bricks per square metre for your brick and mortar joint.
- Click Count Bricks.
Worked example
10 sq m at 60 bricks per square metre needs 600 bricks exactly, or 660 with the 10 percent allowance.
How many bricks per square metre is typical?
For a standard brick with a 10 mm mortar joint, around 60 per square metre for a single skin is a common planning figure.
Frequently asked questions
Do I subtract windows and doors?
For large openings, yes, subtract their area first; for small ones, keeping them in adds a useful margin.
What about a double-skin wall?
Double the single-skin figure, since two leaves of brickwork need twice the bricks.