Brick Calculator
How many bricks and how much mortar a wall needs.
Calculate the number of bricks, bags of mortar, and estimated cost for a wall from its length and height, for single- or double-skin brickwork.
- Wall area24.0 m²
- Bricks required1 33653/m² + 5% breakage
- Mortarcement, class II8 × 50 kg bags
- Estimated built costR 220/m² (supply + lay)R 5 280
Based on standard SA imperial bricks (~53/m² single skin, 106/m² double). Built-cost rate from NNAQS benchmark data (supply and lay, incl. mortar).
A worked example
With the calculator’s starting values (wall length: 10 m; wall height: 2.4 m; wall type: Single skin (110 mm)), it returns:
- Wall area: 24.0 m²
- Bricks required: 1 336 (53/m² + 5% breakage)
- Mortar: 8 × 50 kg bags (cement, class II)
- Estimated built cost: R 5 280 (R 220/m² (supply + lay))
How the count is worked out
The calculator works on standard South African imperial bricks of about 222 × 106 × 73 mm. A single-skin 110 mm wall in stretcher bond takes about 53 bricks per square metre; a double-skin 220 mm wall takes about 106. It adds 5% for breakage and cutting, estimates the mortar in 50 kg cement bags, and prices the wall at a supply-and-lay benchmark rate.
Measuring a wall properly
Multiply the length by the height for each wall, then deduct the openings. A standard single door frame is about 0.8 m wide and 2.1 m high, so each one takes roughly 1.7 m² out of the wall. Measure windows from the frame sizes on the drawings. For a whole house, measure the external walls on the centre line and add the internal walls, keeping 220 mm and 110 mm walls in separate totals because they use bricks at different rates.
Remember the foundation walling below floor level. It is usually built in a different brick and priced separately from the superstructure.
Choosing the brick
- NFP (non-facing plaster) bricks are for walls that will be plastered and painted. They are the cheapest per brick but need plaster and paint.
- NFX (non-facing extra) bricks are stronger and suit foundations and other heavily loaded or wet locations.
- Face bricks (FBS, FBX and FBA grades) are left exposed. They cost more per brick but save the plaster and paint, which changes the comparison.
- Maxi bricks and cement blocks cover more area per unit, so fewer are needed and laying is faster.
What the cost covers and what it doesn't
The rate covers bricks, mortar and the bricklayer's labour. Brickforce, wall ties, the damp-proof course, lintels over openings, scaffolding on high walls and plaster are extra and appear as separate items on a bill of quantities. For walls over about 2 m, and for boundary walls, the plans or SANS 10400-K set requirements for thickness, piers and reinforcement that affect the quantity.
Questions
- How many bricks per square metre?
- For standard SA imperial bricks laid in stretcher bond: ~53 per m² for a single 110 mm skin, ~106 per m² for a 220 mm double skin. Add ~5% for breakage and cuts.
- Does the cost include labour?
- Yes — the built-cost figure is a supply-and-lay rate covering bricks, mortar, and bricklaying labour. Scaffolding and wall ties on tall walls are extra.
- What about maxi or cement bricks?
- Maxi bricks cover more area per unit (~33/m²), so you need fewer. This calculator uses standard imperial bricks; adjust down ~40% for maxis.
Compiled by Setout. Figures are planning-stage estimates, not quotes.
Reviewed by Aidan Koetaan MBA PMP, quantity surveyor and construction project manager.