Brick Calculator – Bricks, Cement & Sand

Brick Calculator – Bricks, Cement and Sand for a Wall

Planning to build a wall, a room or a compound wall? This free brick calculator tells you how many bricks you need and how much cement and sand the mortar will take. Enter the wall length, height and thickness in feet or metres, subtract doors and windows, choose the brick size and the mortar mix, and you instantly get the number of bricks (with wastage), the mortar volume, cement bags, sand in cubic metres and cubic feet, and an optional material cost estimate.

The calculator uses the standard volume method used by civil engineers and quantity surveyors in India, with brick sizes as per Indian practice – modular bricks of 190 × 90 × 90 mm (IS 1077), conventional red bricks of about 230 × 115 × 75 mm (9" × 4.5" × 3") and fly ash bricks.

How to Use the Brick Calculator

1. Pick feet or metres and enter the length and height of the wall.
2. Select the wall thickness – 9 inch (230 mm) for outer and load-bearing walls, 4.5 inch (115 mm) for partition walls.
3. Enter the total area of doors and windows so the openings are deducted. A standard door of 3 × 7 ft is 21 sq ft; a 4 × 4 ft window is 16 sq ft.
4. Choose the brick size and mortar mix – 1:6 for internal walls, 1:4 for external or load-bearing walls.
5. Set the mortar joint (10 mm is standard) and the wastage (5% is typical for bricks).
6. Optional: enter local rates of bricks, cement and sand for a cost estimate.
7. Tap "Calculate Bricks".

Brick Calculation Formula

1. Brickwork volume = (Length × Height − openings) × Thickness
2. Volume of one brick with mortar = (l + joint) × (b + joint) × (h + joint). For a modular brick: 0.20 × 0.10 × 0.10 = 0.002 m³
3. Number of bricks = Brickwork volume ÷ Volume of one brick with mortar
4. Wet mortar = Brickwork volume − (Number of bricks × Volume of one brick without mortar)
5. Dry mortar = Wet mortar × 1.33 (to allow for voids and bulking of sand)
6. Cement = Dry mortar × cement part ÷ total parts; cement bags = cement volume ÷ 0.0347 m³ (one 50 kg bag)
7. Sand = Dry mortar × sand part ÷ total parts; 1 m³ = 35.3147 cft

How Many Bricks in 1 Cubic Metre?

Brick type	Size without mortar	Bricks per m³	Cement for 1:6 mortar	Sand for 1:6 mortar
Modular (IS 1077)	190 × 90 × 90 mm	500	1.26 bags	0.263 m³ (9.3 cft)
Conventional red brick	230 × 115 × 75 mm	about 393	1.22 bags	0.253 m³ (8.9 cft)

Figures are without wastage and with a 10 mm mortar joint. Add about 5% wastage for bricks and round cement up to the next full bag when you buy.

Bricks for a 10 × 10 ft Wall

Wall (10 ft × 10 ft)	Bricks (with 5% wastage)	Cement	Sand
9 inch wall, conventional bricks, 1:6	880	2.6 bags	19.1 cft
4.5 inch wall, conventional bricks, 1:4	440	1.8 bags	8.9 cft

Example with an opening: a 20 ft long, 10 ft high, 9-inch wall with one 3 × 7 ft door has a net area of 179 sq ft and a volume of 3.825 m³. It needs about 1,500 conventional bricks (1,575 with 5% wastage), 4.7 bags of cement and 34.2 cft of sand in 1:6 mortar.

Example – Bricks for a Room

A room of 12 ft × 10 ft with 10 ft high, 9-inch walls has a total wall length of 44 ft (12 + 10 + 12 + 10). With one 3 × 7 ft door (21 sq ft) and two 4 × 4 ft windows (32 sq ft), the net wall area is 387 sq ft. Using conventional bricks and 1:6 mortar, you need about 3,243 bricks (3,406 with 5% wastage), 10 bags of cement and 74 cft of sand. For a more precise count, calculate each wall separately and avoid counting the corners twice.

Cost Estimate Example

For a 10 × 10 ft, 9-inch wall with conventional bricks and 1:6 mortar, at ₹9 per brick, ₹380 per cement bag and ₹60 per cft of sand, the material cost is about ₹10,206: ₹7,920 for 880 bricks, ₹1,140 for 3 bags of cement and ₹1,146 for 19.1 cft of sand. Labour, water, curing and scaffolding are extra, and rates vary widely between cities, so enter your local prices in the calculator.

Types of Bricks Used in India

• Red clay bricks: the most common burnt bricks; strong, cheap and widely available. First-class bricks have sharp edges and a metallic sound.
• Modular bricks: standard size 190 × 90 × 90 mm as per IS 1077; with mortar they fit exactly into 200 × 100 × 100 mm modules.
• Fly ash bricks: made from fly ash, lime and gypsum; uniform size, smooth finish, lower water absorption and eco-friendly.
• AAC blocks: large lightweight blocks (for example 600 × 200 × 200 mm) that reduce the structural load and need less mortar – use a block calculator for them.
• Concrete blocks: solid or hollow blocks used for compound walls and partitions.

Mortar Mix Ratio for Brickwork

Mix (cement : sand)	Typical use
1:3	Very strong masonry, reinforced brickwork, damp areas
1:4	External walls, load-bearing walls, foundations
1:5	General brickwork
1:6	Internal non-load-bearing and partition walls

Tips to Reduce Brick and Cement Wastage

• Soak burnt clay bricks in water for a few hours before laying so they do not absorb water from the mortar.
• Keep mortar joints at 10 mm – thicker joints waste cement and weaken the wall.
• Mix only as much mortar as can be used within about 30 minutes.
• Store cement bags on a raised platform away from moisture and use them within three months.
• Order bricks from one kiln so the size stays uniform.
• Cure the brickwork with water for at least 7 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: IS 1077 (common burnt clay building bricks); standard quantity estimation practice for brick masonry in India.