Short answer
A standard 230 x 110 x 76 mm clay brick takes about 48.5 bricks per m² of single-skin wall with 10 mm joints. A 10 m long, 2.4 m high wall (24 m²) needs about 1,163 bricks, so order 1,221 with 5% spare. That is roughly 64 x 20 kg bags of premix mortar, and about $2,506 to $5,001 with common bricks and a bricklayer to lay them. Double brick has two skins, so it needs twice as many.
Use this free brick calculator to work out how many bricks or concrete blocks you need for a house wall, extension, fence or garden wall, with the mortar bags, a cost range and the time a bricklayer needs. Enter the wall size, take off doors and windows, and choose a brick size.
Brick calculator
Counts use a 10 mm mortar joint. Prices are indicative ranges from retailers and published cost guides and vary by state and supplier; ask your supplier for the real figure. Ranges reviewed October 2026.
How to calculate how many bricks you need
- Wall area: length x height in metres, less the area of doors and windows.
- Bricks per m²: 1,000,000 ÷ ((brick length + joint) x (brick height + joint)), with sizes in millimetres. A 230 x 76 mm brick with a 10 mm joint gives 1,000,000 ÷ (240 x 86) = 48.45, which suppliers round to 48.5.
- Skins: one skin for brick veneer, a fence or a garden wall; two for double brick.
- Spare: add 3% to 10% for breakage and cuts. Cement Australia’s mortar calculator uses 10%, and Littlehampton builds in about 3%.
- Courses: each course of a standard brick is 86 mm high including the joint, so a 2.4 m wall is 28 courses.
| Example | Needed | To order | Mortar (20 kg bags) | Cost range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 m x 2.4 m wall, single skin, common bricks, 5% spare | 1,163 | 1,221 | 64 | $2,506 to $5,001 |
| Same wall in face bricks | 1,163 | 1,221 | 64 | $2,995 to $7,443 |
| 8 m x 2.4 m double brick, 4 m² of openings | 1,473 | 1,547 | 82 | $3,175 to $6,335 |
| 12 m x 0.9 m garden wall, single skin | 524 | 550 | 29 | $1,129 to $2,253 |
| 6 m x 1.2 m block wall, 390 x 190 x 190 mm | 90 | 95 | 10 | $418 to $456 (blocks only) |
Bricks per square metre by size
These counts use a 10 mm joint and no spare. PGH Bricks lists the common sizes. The 48.5 figure is the manufacturer’s own, and we calculate the others from their dimensions, so confirm with your supplier.
| Size | Per m² (one skin) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard clay brick, 230 x 110 x 76 mm | 48.45 | 48.5 (manufacturer figure) |
| Split or thin clay brick, 230 x 110 x 50 mm | 69.44 | calculated |
| One-and-a-half brick, 230 x 110 x 119 mm | 32.30 | calculated |
| Double-height brick, 230 x 110 x 162 mm | 24.22 | calculated |
| Linear brick, 287 x 90 x 48 mm | 58.05 | calculated |
| Concrete block, 390 x 190 x 190 mm | 12.50 | 12.5 (co-ordinating size) |
A 390 x 190 x 140 mm block has the same face as a 190 mm block, so it also takes 12.5 per m².
Mortar
Cement Australia Trade Mortar (M4, just add water) lays about 20 standard bricks or 10 concrete blocks per 20 kg bag, which is 50 bags per 1,000 bricks. Cement Australia’s mortar calculator adds a 10% allowance, and that is what the calculator uses. Mixing your own is cheaper for big jobs. Cockburn’s technical sheet, as summarised by a search result, gives 1:1:6 cement, lime and sand (M3) for sites 1 to 10 km from the coast and 1:0.5:4.5 (M4) within 1 km. We could not confirm an exact volume of mortar per 1,000 bricks from a manufacturer, so we show bags only for standard bricks and blocks.
Brick and bricklaying costs
- Common bricks: about $1.10 to $2.00 each. Bunnings lists PGH commons at about $1.36 and Brighton Masonry commons at about $1.74.
- Face bricks: about $1.50 to $4.00 or more each. Midland Brick lists WA face bricks at about $3.50 to $4.10 each by the pallet of 600, before cartage.
- Concrete blocks: Bunnings lists 390 x 190 x 190 mm at about $4.40 to $4.75 and 390 x 190 x 140 mm at about $4.30.
- Bricklaying: the calculator applies this to standard clay bricks only. Guides quote about $1,000 to $2,200 per 1,000 bricks, or $55 to $120 per m² for a standard wall. Brick veneer is $50 to $100 per m² and a feature garden wall $140 to $450. These are lead-generation figures, so treat them as a guide.
- Brick fence: one guide puts a brick fence at $150 to $750 per lineal metre, and brick pillars add to that.
- Market: Altus Group reports brick prices up about 9% so far in 2026 in supplier data. Midland Brick has reported allocation and backorders in WA, so ask about lead times.
For other building costs see our tiler rates and landscaper rates guides, the quote comparator for red flags, and our retaining wall cost calculator if your wall is holding back soil.
Brick fences and garden walls
- Height limits: the NSW Planning Portal says exempt masonry side and rear fences are limited to 1.2 m in height, and front fences to 1.2 m. Victorian councils generally want a permit for masonry front fences over 1.2 m and for side and rear fences over 2 m. Queensland councils do not require building approval for fences up to 2 m.
- Other fence types: see our fence cost calculator for Colorbond, timber and pool fences.
- On a retaining wall: the combined height of the fence and the wall is assessed, and a wall of 1 m or more, or one with a load above it, needs approval in Queensland.
- Structure: a freestanding brick wall needs footings, piers and thickness designed for wind load, and we could not find public pier spacing or footing tables. Use an engineer or the AS 3700 tables, and the concrete calculator for the footing volume.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the second skin. Double brick needs about 97 bricks per m² of wall.
- Not allowing for spare. Cuts and breakage need 3% to 10%, and later batches may not match.
- Using the wrong brick height. A 50 mm brick takes about 69 per m², not 48.5.
- Counting door and window areas. Deduct them, but keep some spare for the cuts around them.
- Ordering too late. Some bricks have long lead times, so order early.
- Skipping approval on tall fences. Masonry fences over 1.2 m often need a permit.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks per square metre in Australia?
A standard 230 x 110 x 76 mm clay brick takes 48.5 per m² of single-skin wall with a 10 mm mortar joint, according to Littlehampton and Midland Brick. Littlehampton suggests ordering at 50 per m², which includes about 3% extra. A double brick wall has two skins, so it takes about 97 per m² of wall. A 390 x 190 x 190 mm concrete block takes 12.5 per m².
How many bricks do I need for a wall?
Multiply the wall area by the bricks per m², then add 5% to 10% for breakage and cuts. A 10 m x 2.4 m single-skin wall is 24 m², which is about 1,163 bricks, or 1,221 with 5% spare. Take off the area of doors and windows first, and double the figure for double brick.
How many bricks does a bag of mortar lay?
Cement Australia Trade Mortar says a 20 kg bag lays about 20 standard bricks or 10 concrete blocks, which is 50 bags per 1,000 bricks. Cement Australia’s mortar calculator adds a 10% allowance. Another supplier’s figure, quoted second-hand by a cost guide, is about 28 bricks per bag, so check the bag on the product you buy.
How much do bricks cost in Australia?
Bunnings lists PGH common bricks at about $1.36 each and Brighton Masonry common bricks at about $1.74. Face bricks cost more: Midland Brick lists WA face bricks at about $3.50 to $4.10 each by the pallet of 600, before cartage. One cost guide puts clay bricks at $800 to $1,200 per 1,000 and face bricks from $1,200 per 1,000. Prices vary by state and supplier.
How much does bricklaying cost?
Published guides put bricklaying at about $1,000 to $2,200 per 1,000 bricks laid (typical $1,600), or $55 to $120 per m² for a standard wall and $50 to $100 per m² for brick veneer. Garden feature walls cost more, at $140 to $450 per m². These come from lead-generation sites rather than an official rate card, so get several quotes.
How many bricks can a bricklayer lay in a day?
Guides quote about 300 to 500 bricks a day for one bricklayer on a straightforward wall, so a 1,000-brick job takes two to four days. Corners, openings, tall walls and face brickwork are slower.
How high can a brick fence be without approval?
It depends on the state. The NSW Planning Portal caps masonry side and rear fences at 1.2 m for exempt development, and front fences at 1.2 m. Victorian councils generally require a permit for masonry front fences over 1.2 m and for side and rear fences over 2 m, and Queensland councils say fences up to 2 m do not need building approval, though a fence on a retaining wall is assessed on the combined height. Always check with your council.
Do I need an engineer for a brick fence or garden wall?
A freestanding brick wall has to resist wind, so its footing, thickness and pier spacing need to be designed. Those details come from an engineer or the tables in AS 3700, and the Think Brick design notes that cover them are behind a login, so we do not give pier or footing sizes. Ask your bricklayer or engineer, and use our concrete calculator for footing volumes once you have them.
Are brick prices going up?
Altus Group reports brick prices up about 9% so far in 2026 in its supplier data, although the ABS figure for the June quarter was under 1%. In Western Australia, trade press reported that Midland Brick had put customers on allocation, with some products on backorder. Get a current quote and ask about lead times before you commit.
Related tools
- Concrete calculator - footings, slabs and bags
- Retaining wall cost calculator - sleeper, block and sandstone walls
- Materials calculator - floor, paint and wall tile quantities
- Renovation quote comparator - paste bricklaying quotes for red-flag analysis
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