Brick Size Calculator
Pick the brick type, set the mortar joint and enter the height and length you are building. The calculator gives the number of courses, the height they reach, the joint needed to hit your height exactly and the bricks in each course.
- Brick courses
- Course gauge
- Joint size
Joints between 8 and 12 mm are normal. Most bricklayers use 10 mm.
Brickwork rises in fixed steps called courses. A UK brick is 65 mm tall, so with a 10 mm joint each course adds 75 mm. Four courses make 300 mm and a 2.1 m door opening takes 28 courses. If a height falls between courses, adjust the joints slightly over the whole wall.
UK brick course chart
65 mm bricks, 10 mm joints. Search for a height.
| Courses | Height (mm) | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 300 | Gauge check |
| 8 | 600 | Low garden wall |
| 12 | 900 | Raised bed |
| 14 | 1050 | Window sill height |
| 24 | 1800 | Garden wall |
| 28 | 2100 | Door opening |
| 32 | 2400 | Room height |
75 mm a course.
Height and courses
UK bricks, 10 mm joints. Slide the height.
The wall rises course by course beside a gauge rod.
How to work out brick courses
Height to courses. Step through it.
Brick height
Plus joint.
Set door and window heights to whole courses where you can, so you avoid cut bricks.
UK, US or European bricks
Brick sizes. Compare them.
215 × 102.5 × 65 mm.
194 × 92 × 57 mm.
240 × 115 × 71 mm.
Reclaimed and imperial bricks are often bigger, around 70 to 75 mm tall.
Before you lay
Coursing checks. Tick each item.
Tick each item as you go.
Lay out the first course dry to check bond and cuts before mixing mortar.
What you get
Brick coursing. Each tile explains one result.
Count.
Per course.
Reached.
For exact fit.
Bricks.
Coordinating sizes include the joint, such as 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm for UK bricks.
Frequently Asked Questions
No question matches that search.
How many brick courses are in a metre?
About thirteen and a third with UK bricks and ten millimetre joints.
What is brick gauge?
The height of one course, brick plus joint, seventy-five millimetres for UK bricks.
How thick should mortar joints be?
Ten millimetres is standard, within eight to twelve.
How many courses make a door opening?
Twenty-eight UK courses reach two point one metres.
What size is a standard UK brick?
Two hundred and fifteen by one hundred and two point five by sixty-five millimetres.
How do I hit an exact height?
Spread the difference across all the joints, keeping each within eight to twelve millimetres.
How many bricks are in a course?
Divide the wall length plus one joint by the brick length plus one joint.
Brickwork that lines up
Plan whole courses to every height that matters, and doors, windows and corners all meet neatly.
More size calculators
Each one has its own calculator, worked examples and answers to common questions.