{
  "id": "brick",
  "version": "0d81ae1f3f2f",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Brick Calculator",
  "question": "How many bricks do I need?",
  "summary": "Brick calculator: how many bricks a wall needs from its length and height, less doors and windows, for US modular, UK or your own brick size with its mortar joint, plus waste and cost.",
  "category": "construction",
  "subcategory": "materials",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/construction/brick-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/construction/brick-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Bricks = (length × height − openings) × (1 + waste ÷ 100) ÷ ((brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint)), rounded up.",
  "assumptions": [
    "One layer of brick (a single wythe) laid in running bond; each brick fills its face plus one joint.",
    "US modular brick is 7 5/8 × 2 1/4 in on its face; UK standard brick 215 × 65 mm.",
    "Waste is 5% by default for cuts and breakage."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "l": {
        "title": "Wall length",
        "description": "The length of the wall.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
        "maximum": 10000
      },
      "h": {
        "title": "Wall height",
        "description": "The height of the wall.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "exclusiveMinimum": 0,
        "maximum": 10000
      },
      "o": {
        "title": "Doors and windows",
        "description": "The total area of doors, windows and other openings to leave out. Leave empty for none.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "area",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100000000
      },
      "b": {
        "title": "Brick size",
        "description": "The face of one brick as laid: its length and height.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "modular",
          "uk",
          "custom"
        ]
      },
      "bl": {
        "title": "Brick length",
        "description": "The length of one brick.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.001,
        "maximum": 1
      },
      "bh": {
        "title": "Brick height",
        "description": "The height of one brick.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0.001,
        "maximum": 1
      },
      "j": {
        "title": "Mortar joint",
        "description": "The thickness of the mortar joint: 3/8 in in the US, 10 mm in the UK.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "length",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 0.1
      },
      "x": {
        "title": "Waste",
        "description": "Extra bricks for cuts and breakage, in percent.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "percent",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 100
      },
      "p": {
        "title": "Price per brick",
        "description": "The price of one brick. Leave empty to skip the cost.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "bricks": {
      "label": "Bricks to buy",
      "description": "Net wall area × (1 + waste) ÷ the face of one brick with its joint, rounded up.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "exactBricks": {
      "label": "Bricks without waste",
      "description": "Net wall area ÷ the face of one brick with its joint, before rounding.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "perSqFt": {
      "label": "Bricks per square foot",
      "description": "1 ft² ÷ (brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint).",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "perSqM": {
      "label": "Bricks per square metre",
      "description": "1 m² ÷ (brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint).",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "area": {
      "label": "Net wall area",
      "description": "Length × height, less the openings.",
      "format": "quantity",
      "unit": "ft2"
    },
    "cost": {
      "label": "Cost",
      "description": "Bricks to buy × the price per brick.",
      "format": "money"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "l": 3.048,
      "h": 2.4384,
      "b": "modular",
      "bl": 0.19367499999999999,
      "bh": 0.05715,
      "j": 0.009524999999999999,
      "x": 5
    },
    "outputs": {
      "bricks": 576,
      "exactBricks": 548.5714285714286,
      "perSqFt": 6.857142857142857,
      "perSqM": 73.80967142886666,
      "area": 7.4322432
    },
    "text": "You need 576 bricks (6.857 bricks per square foot)."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "l": 3.048,
        "h": 2.4384,
        "b": "modular",
        "j": 0.009524999999999999,
        "x": 5
      },
      "expect": {
        "bricks": 576,
        "perSqFt": 6.857142857142857,
        "exactBricks": 548.5714285714286
      },
      "source": "Wikipedia, Brick (US modular brick 7 5/8 × 3 5/8 × 2 1/4 in; UK brick 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm with a nominal 10 mm joint), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: (7.625 + 0.375) × (2.25 + 0.375) = 21 in²; 80 ft² × 144 ÷ 21 = 548.57; × 1.05 = 576",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "l": 5,
        "h": 2,
        "b": "uk",
        "j": 0.01,
        "x": 0,
        "p": 0.6
      },
      "expect": {
        "bricks": 593,
        "perSqM": 59.25925925925926,
        "cost": 355.8
      },
      "source": "Wikipedia, Brick (US modular brick 7 5/8 × 3 5/8 × 2 1/4 in; UK brick 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm with a nominal 10 mm joint), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 225 × 75 = 16,875 mm²; 10 m² ÷ 0.016875 = 592.59, so 593; × £0.60 = 355.80",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "l": 6.096,
        "h": 2.4384,
        "o": 1.9509638400000002,
        "b": "custom",
        "bl": 0.2032,
        "bh": 0.05715,
        "j": 0.0127,
        "x": 10
      },
      "expect": {
        "area": 12.91352256,
        "bricks": 942
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: (8 + 0.5) × (2.25 + 0.5) = 23.375 in²; 160 − 21 = 139 ft² × 144 ÷ 23.375 = 856.30; × 1.1 = 941.93, so 942",
      "tolerance": 1e-12
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Wikipedia, Brick: US modular brick 7 5/8 × 3 5/8 × 2 1/4 in with a 3/8 in joint; UK brick 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm with a nominal 10 mm joint, retrieved 2026-10-03. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick",
    "NIST Special Publication 811 (2008), Appendix B: 1 in = 0.0254 m and 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, retrieved 2026-10-03. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811"
  ],
  "related": [
    "mortar",
    "concrete-block",
    "square-footage"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}