{"success":true,"version":"v1","request":{"tool":"get_calculator_schema","calculator_id":"brick"},"result":{"entity_type":"calculator","id":"brick","calculator_id":"brick","canonical_url":"https://tttkmbb.com/construction/brick","name":"Brick Calculator","title":"Brick Calculator – Bricks and Mortar for a Single-Leaf Wall from Wall Size, Brick Size and Joint Width","category":"construction","category_name":"Construction & Home","tool_name":"estimate_bricks_needed","featured_mcp_tool":false,"description":"Counts the bricks in a single-leaf (half-brick, stretcher-bond) wall from its length and height using a standard brick size with its mortar joint, adds waste, and estimates the mortar volume geometrically and the bags of mortar mix from a manufacturer rule of thumb.","use_when":"You need the number of bricks and the mortar for a garden wall, veneer or single-skin wall of known face area.","do_not_use_when":"The wall is concrete block (use the block face 440 × 215 mm or 8 × 16 in as a custom brick) or two leaves thick: double the brick count, or use concrete-slab for footings.","inputs":[{"name":"unit_system","label":"Unit system","type":"enum","required":false,"default":"metric","values":[{"value":"metric","label":"Metric (m, cm, mm, m²)","aliases":["si","metres","meters"]},{"value":"imperial","label":"Imperial / US customary (ft, in, ft²)","aliases":["us","feet","inches"]}],"description":"Unit system of the length inputs (metric: m / cm / mm; imperial: ft / in). Outputs are reported in both systems.","example":"metric"},{"name":"wall_length","label":"Wall length","type":"number","unit":"m or ft","required":true,"max":10000,"exclusive_min":0,"description":"Length of the wall face (m or ft).","example":6},{"name":"wall_height","label":"Wall height","type":"number","unit":"m or ft","required":true,"max":100,"exclusive_min":0,"description":"Height of the wall face (m or ft).","example":2.4},{"name":"brick_size","label":"Brick size","type":"enum","required":false,"values":[{"value":"us_modular","label":"US modular 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in, ⅜ in joints (nominal 8 × 2⅔ in, 6.75 per ft²)","aliases":["modular","us"]},{"value":"uk_standard","label":"UK standard 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm, 10 mm joints (59.3 per m²)","aliases":["uk","imperial_uk"]},{"value":"au_standard","label":"Australian standard 230 × 110 × 76 mm, 10 mm joints (48.4 per m²)","aliases":["australia","au"]},{"value":"de_nf","label":"German NF 240 × 115 × 71 mm, 10 mm joints (49.4 per m²)","aliases":["nf","germany"]},{"value":"metric_modular","label":"Metric modular 190 × 90 × 57 mm, 10 mm joints (74.6 per m²)","aliases":["canada"]},{"value":"custom","label":"Custom (use brick_length, brick_height, brick_width, mortar_joint)"}],"description":"Brick format. Default uk_standard (metric) or us_modular (imperial).","example":"uk_standard"},{"name":"brick_length","label":"Custom brick length","type":"number","unit":"mm or in","required":false,"max":1000,"exclusive_min":0,"description":"Brick length for brick_size = custom (mm or in).","example":215},{"name":"brick_height","label":"Custom brick height","type":"number","unit":"mm or in","required":false,"max":1000,"exclusive_min":0,"description":"Brick height for custom (mm or in).","example":65},{"name":"brick_width","label":"Custom brick width","type":"number","unit":"mm or in","required":false,"max":1000,"exclusive_min":0,"description":"Brick width (wall thickness) for custom, used for the mortar volume (mm or in).","example":102.5},{"name":"mortar_joint","label":"Custom mortar joint","type":"number","unit":"mm or in","required":false,"min":0,"max":50,"description":"Joint thickness for custom bricks. Default 10 mm (metric) or 3/8 in (imperial).","example":10},{"name":"waste_percent","label":"Waste allowance","type":"number","unit":"%","required":false,"default":5,"min":0,"max":50,"description":"Extra material for cuts, breakage and offcuts, applied as a multiplier (1 + waste_percent/100). 5 % covers cut and broken bricks on plain walls; 10 % for walls with many openings or corners.","example":5}],"outputs":[{"name":"wall_area_m2","label":"Wall face area","type":"number","unit":"m²","decimals":2,"description":"wall_length × wall_height."},{"name":"wall_area_ft2","label":"Wall face area","type":"number","unit":"ft²","decimals":2,"description":"Wall face area in square feet."},{"name":"bricks_per_m2","label":"Bricks per m²","type":"number","decimals":2,"description":"1 / ((length + joint) × (height + joint))."},{"name":"bricks_per_ft2","label":"Bricks per ft²","type":"number","decimals":2,"description":"Bricks per square foot."},{"name":"bricks_needed_no_waste","label":"Bricks (no waste)","type":"integer","decimals":4,"description":"ceil(area × bricks_per_m²)."},{"name":"bricks_needed","label":"Bricks to order","type":"integer","decimals":4,"description":"ceil(area × bricks_per_m² × (1 + waste_percent/100))."},{"name":"mortar_volume_m3","label":"Mortar in joints","type":"number","unit":"m³","decimals":3,"description":"Geometric joint volume: area × brick_width − bricks × brick volume."},{"name":"mortar_volume_cubic_feet","label":"Mortar in joints","type":"number","unit":"ft³","decimals":2,"description":"Same volume in cubic feet."},{"name":"mortar_bags_80lb","label":"80 lb mortar mix bags","type":"integer","decimals":4,"description":"ceil(bricks_no_waste / 37): QUIKRETE states one 80 lb (36 kg) bag lays up to 37 standard bricks, waste included."},{"name":"mortar_bags_25kg","label":"25 kg mortar mix bags","type":"integer","decimals":4,"description":"ceil(bricks_no_waste / 25), the 80 lb figure pro-rated by bag mass."}],"input_schema":{"type":"object","properties":{"unit_system":{"description":"Unit system of the length inputs (metric: m / cm / mm; imperial: ft / in). Outputs are reported in both systems.","type":"string","enum":["metric","imperial"],"default":"metric","examples":["metric"]},"wall_length":{"description":"Length of the wall face (m or ft). Unit: m or ft.","type":"number","maximum":10000,"exclusiveMinimum":0,"examples":[6],"x-unit":"m or ft"},"wall_height":{"description":"Height of the wall face (m or ft). Unit: m or ft.","type":"number","maximum":100,"exclusiveMinimum":0,"examples":[2.4],"x-unit":"m or ft"},"brick_size":{"description":"Brick format. Default uk_standard (metric) or us_modular (imperial).","type":"string","enum":["us_modular","uk_standard","au_standard","de_nf","metric_modular","custom"],"examples":["uk_standard"]},"brick_length":{"description":"Brick length for brick_size = custom (mm or in). Unit: mm or in.","type":"number","maximum":1000,"exclusiveMinimum":0,"examples":[215],"x-unit":"mm or in"},"brick_height":{"description":"Brick height for custom (mm or in). Unit: mm or in.","type":"number","maximum":1000,"exclusiveMinimum":0,"examples":[65],"x-unit":"mm or in"},"brick_width":{"description":"Brick width (wall thickness) for custom, used for the mortar volume (mm or in). Unit: mm or in.","type":"number","maximum":1000,"exclusiveMinimum":0,"examples":[102.5],"x-unit":"mm or in"},"mortar_joint":{"description":"Joint thickness for custom bricks. Default 10 mm (metric) or 3/8 in (imperial). Unit: mm or in.","type":"number","minimum":0,"maximum":50,"examples":[10],"x-unit":"mm or in"},"waste_percent":{"description":"Extra material for cuts, breakage and offcuts, applied as a multiplier (1 + waste_percent/100). 5 % covers cut and broken bricks on plain walls; 10 % for walls with many openings or corners. Unit: %.","type":"number","minimum":0,"maximum":50,"default":5,"examples":[5],"x-unit":"%"}},"additionalProperties":false,"required":["wall_length","wall_height"]},"output_schema":{"type":"object","properties":{"wall_area_m2":{"description":"wall_length × wall_height. Unit: m².","type":"number","x-unit":"m²"},"wall_area_ft2":{"description":"Wall face area in square feet. Unit: ft².","type":"number","x-unit":"ft²"},"bricks_per_m2":{"description":"1 / ((length + joint) × (height + joint)).","type":"number"},"bricks_per_ft2":{"description":"Bricks per square foot.","type":"number"},"bricks_needed_no_waste":{"description":"ceil(area × bricks_per_m²).","type":"integer"},"bricks_needed":{"description":"ceil(area × bricks_per_m² × (1 + waste_percent/100)).","type":"integer"},"mortar_volume_m3":{"description":"Geometric joint volume: area × brick_width − bricks × brick volume. Unit: m³.","type":"number","x-unit":"m³"},"mortar_volume_cubic_feet":{"description":"Same volume in cubic feet. Unit: ft³.","type":"number","x-unit":"ft³"},"mortar_bags_80lb":{"description":"ceil(bricks_no_waste / 37): QUIKRETE states one 80 lb (36 kg) bag lays up to 37 standard bricks, waste included.","type":"integer"},"mortar_bags_25kg":{"description":"ceil(bricks_no_waste / 25), the 80 lb figure pro-rated by bag mass.","type":"integer"}}},"formula":"bricks_per_m² = 1 / ((L + j) × (H + j)); bricks = ceil(wall_area × bricks_per_m² × (1 + waste/100)); mortar_m³ = wall_area × W − wall_area × bricks_per_m² × L × W × H; bags_80lb = ceil(bricks / 37); bags_25kg = ceil(bricks / 25). US modular uses the nominal 8 × 2⅔ in course module (3 courses = 8 in).","method":"Single-leaf stretcher bond only; the geometric mortar volume (≈ 0.018 m³ per m² for UK bricks, close to BIA's 5.5 ft³ per 100 ft² for modular brick) excludes frogs, perforations and dropped mortar, which is why bag counts use the manufacturer's per-brick rule instead.","sources":[{"name":"Brick Industry Association – Technical Note 10: Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry","url":"https://www.gobrick.com/media/file/10-dimensioning-and-estimating-brick-masonry.pdf","type":"standard","retrieved_at":"2026-09-23"},{"name":"QUIKRETE Mortar Mix No. 1102 product data sheet (80 lb bag lays up to 37 standard bricks)","url":"https://www.quikrete.com/pdfs/data_sheet-mortar%20mix%201102.pdf","type":"reference","retrieved_at":"2026-09-23"},{"name":"Wikipedia – Brick (standard sizes by country)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick","type":"reference","retrieved_at":"2026-09-23"}],"freshness":{"type":"static","max_age_seconds":null,"note":"Deterministic formula with fixed constants; results never go stale. Inputs supplied by the caller determine the output."},"examples":[{"name":"20 ft × 8 ft wall, US modular brick, 5 % waste","inputs":{"unit_system":"imperial","wall_length":20,"wall_height":8,"brick_size":"us_modular","waste_percent":5},"expected":{"wall_area_ft2":160,"wall_area_m2":14.86,"bricks_per_ft2":6.75,"bricks_per_m2":72.66,"bricks_needed_no_waste":1080,"bricks_needed":1134,"mortar_volume_cubic_feet":9.46,"mortar_volume_m3":0.268,"mortar_bags_80lb":30,"mortar_bags_25kg":44},"url":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/brick?unit_system=imperial&wall_length=20&wall_height=8&brick_size=us_modular&waste_percent=5"},{"name":"6 m × 2.4 m wall, UK standard brick, 5 % waste","inputs":{"unit_system":"metric","wall_length":6,"wall_height":2.4,"brick_size":"uk_standard","waste_percent":5},"expected":{"wall_area_m2":14.4,"bricks_per_m2":59.26,"bricks_needed_no_waste":854,"bricks_needed":896,"mortar_volume_m3":0.254,"mortar_bags_80lb":24,"mortar_bags_25kg":35},"url":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/brick?unit_system=metric&wall_length=6&wall_height=2.4&brick_size=uk_standard&waste_percent=5"}],"faq":[{"q":"How many bricks per square metre?","a":"About 60 for UK bricks (215 × 65 mm with 10 mm joints gives 59.3), 50 for Australian and German formats, 73 for US modular (6.75 per ft²) and 75 for the 190 × 57 mm metric modular brick, all for a single leaf in stretcher bond."},{"q":"What about a full-brick (one-brick-thick) wall?","a":"Double the brick count (≈ 120 per m² for UK bricks) and roughly triple the mortar, because the collar joint between the two leaves is also filled."},{"q":"Why do the mortar volume and the bag count not match?","a":"The volume is the net geometry of the joints; the bag rule (37 bricks per 80 lb bag) is the manufacturer's practical figure and includes frogs, perforations and spillage, which typically double the mortar actually used."}],"tags":["brick calculator","how many bricks","bricks per square metre","bricks per square foot","mortar calculator","brick wall"],"related":[{"calculator_id":"concrete-slab","reason":"Concrete for the footing under the wall."},{"calculator_id":"rectangle","reason":"Area of a wall with openings to subtract."},{"calculator_id":"gravel","reason":"Hardcore or sand under the footing."}],"links":{"html":"https://tttkmbb.com/construction/brick","markdown":"https://tttkmbb.com/construction/brick.md","json":"https://tttkmbb.com/construction/brick.json","api":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculate/brick","schema":"https://tttkmbb.com/api/v1/calculators/brick","openapi":"https://tttkmbb.com/openapi.json","mcp":"https://tttkmbb.com/mcp"},"version":"v1","updated_at":"2026-09-23"},"timestamp":"2026-09-23T23:23:13Z"}