How Many Bricks Per Square Metre? (Plus Mortar)
Last updated: September 2026
The quick answer: 60 bricks per square metre for a single-skin wall built with standard UK bricks and 10mm mortar joints. Here's where that number comes from, and what changes it.
Where 60 bricks per m² comes from
| Wall type | Bricks or blocks per m² |
|---|---|
| Single-skin brick (half-brick thick, stretcher bond) | 60 |
| Double-skin brick (one brick thick, e.g. English or Flemish bond) | 120 |
| Concrete blocks, 440 × 215mm, single skin | 10 |
A standard UK brick is 215 × 102.5 × 65mm. With a 10mm mortar joint, each brick takes up 225mm × 75mm on the face of the wall. That's 0.016875m², and 1 ÷ 0.016875 = 59.3 – rounded up to 60 bricks per m².
Concrete blocks work the same way: 440 × 215mm plus 10mm joints is 450 × 225mm, or about 10 blocks per m².
Working out a wall
- Multiply length × height to get the wall area in m².
- Take off the area of any windows, doors or openings.
- Multiply by 60 (single skin) or 120 (double skin).
- Add around 5% for breakages and cuts – more if you're cutting a lot for a pattern or piers.
For example, a garden wall 6m long and 1m high, single skin, is 6m² × 60 = 360 bricks, or 378 with 5% extra. Add piers every 2–3m for strength on a single-skin wall. The Bricks & Blocks Calculator handles openings, piers and bond patterns.
How much mortar do you need?
As a rule of thumb, allow roughly 0.5–0.6m³ of mortar for every 1,000 bricks. At a 1:4 cement-to-sand mix, that's just under a tonne of building sand and around eight 25kg bags of cement per 1,000 bricks. The exact amount depends on joint thickness, frogs in the bricks, and wastage. The Mortar Calculator works it out for your wall and mix.
Which mortar mix?
| Mix | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 1:3 | Below ground, below the damp-proof course, copings and very exposed walls |
| 1:4 | Most general walls above ground – garden walls, extensions |
| 1:5 to 1:6 | Internal blockwork and sheltered walls |
Mixes are given as parts of cement to parts of building sand, by volume:
Tips for garden walls
- A garden wall needs a concrete footing, typically about twice the width of the wall and around 150–225mm deep, on firm ground below the topsoil.
- Single-skin walls over about 450mm high need piers for stability.
- Don't lay bricks in frost or when temperatures are near freezing and falling. Cover new work overnight.
- Buy all your bricks in one batch so the colour matches.
- For taller or retaining walls, check with your local council and seek structural advice.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks in a pallet?
It varies by manufacturer and brick, but commonly around 400–500 bricks per pack. Check with your supplier.
How many bricks per m² for a cavity wall?
Around 60 for the outer brick skin, plus about 10 blocks per m² for the inner block skin.
What mortar mix for a garden wall?
Usually 1:4, or 1:3 for the courses below ground and for the coping.
How much waste should I allow for bricks?
About 5% for straightforward walls, 10% for walls with lots of cuts.