Building a beautiful and durable brick patio is a rewarding project. To ensure you purchase the correct amount of materials, accurate calculation is key. This calculator helps you determine the total number of bricks needed for your patio, accounting for its dimensions, the size of individual bricks, the space for mortar joints, and a buffer for waste.
How the Calculation Works
The core of this calculation involves determining the area of your patio and the area covered by a single brick (including its mortar joint), then dividing the total patio area by the area per brick. We also factor in a waste percentage to account for cuts, breakages, and errors.
1. Patio Area Calculation:
First, we calculate the total area of your desired patio in square feet.
Patio Area (sq ft) = Patio Length (ft) * Patio Width (ft)
2. Brick Area Calculation (with Mortar):
Next, we determine the effective area each brick will cover on the patio. Since bricks are measured in inches, we need to convert them to feet.
Effective Brick Length (ft) = (Brick Length (in) + Mortar Joint (in)) / 12
Effective Brick Width (ft) = (Brick Width (in) + Mortar Joint (in)) / 12
Area per Brick (sq ft) = Effective Brick Length (ft) * Effective Brick Width (ft)
3. Bricks Needed (Net):
We then find out how many bricks are needed to cover the patio area without considering waste.
Net Bricks Needed = Patio Area (sq ft) / Area per Brick (sq ft)
4. Accounting for Waste:
It's standard practice to add a percentage for waste. This covers bricks that might break during transport or installation, or pieces that are cut and unusable.
Total Bricks Required = Net Bricks Needed * (1 + Waste Factor (%) / 100)
Example Calculation
Let's say you want to build a patio that is 12 feet long and 10 feet wide. You plan to use standard bricks that are 8 inches long and 4 inches wide, with a 0.5-inch mortar joint. You estimate a 10% waste factor.
Patio Area: 12 ft * 10 ft = 120 sq ft
Effective Brick Dimensions:
Length: (8 in + 0.5 in) / 12 = 8.5 in / 12 = 0.7083 ft
Width: (4 in + 0.5 in) / 12 = 4.5 in / 12 = 0.375 ft
Area per Brick: 0.7083 ft * 0.375 ft = 0.2656 sq ft
Net Bricks Needed: 120 sq ft / 0.2656 sq ft/brick ≈ 451.8 bricks