What this calculator does
A brick course is one horizontal layer of bricks in a wall, and its height is the brick height plus one mortar joint, since every course sits on a bed of mortar. This brick course calculator takes your actual brick height and joint thickness, which vary by brick type, region and bricklayer, and works out both the course height and how many courses are needed to reach a target wall height.
Getting course height right matters before the first brick goes down, because it sets how many courses line up with door heights, window sills and damp-proof courses. Guessing at a standard brick size is a common mistake: bricks and blocks come in enough different sizes and joint conventions that the only reliable figure is the one measured from the units actually being used.
The formula
Course height is simply brick height plus mortar joint thickness, since each course adds one brick and one joint to the wall. The number of courses needed for a target wall height is the target height divided by the course height, rounded up to a whole course, since a wall is always built in complete courses.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Course height | The height added to the wall by each layer: brick height + mortar joint thickness. |
| Course | One complete horizontal layer of bricks or blocks, including its bed of mortar. |
| Courses needed | Target wall height divided by course height, rounded up to the next whole course. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Brick height (mm) | The height of a single brick or block, measured on its bed face, in millimetres. |
| Mortar joint thickness (mm) | The thickness of the mortar joint between courses, in millimetres. This varies by bricklayer and specification, typically around 10mm, but should be measured or specified rather than assumed. |
| Target wall height (m) | The wall height you are trying to reach, in metres. |
When to use it
Planning a wall to meet a door or window height
Working out how many courses land at a required height, and by how much the nearest whole course overshoots or falls short of it, helps decide whether to adjust the joint thickness slightly or accept the difference.
Setting out a gauge rod before laying starts
Bricklayers mark a gauge rod with the course height before laying begins, so every course can be checked against it as the wall goes up rather than relying on a tape measure at every layer.
Comparing brick types for the same wall height
Different brick or block heights reach the same wall height in different numbers of courses, which affects both the mortar quantity and how neatly the coursing meets fixed points like a lintel.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How courses needed change with wall height, on a standard 76mm brick and 10mm joint
A fixed 76mm brick and 10mm joint, across a range of target wall heights.
| Target wall height | Courses needed | Actual wall height at that course count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 m | 12 | 1.03 m |
| 1.5 m | 18 | 1.55 m |
| 2 m | 24 | 2.06 m |
| 2.4 m | 28 | 2.41 m |
| 3 m | 35 | 3.01 m |
| 4 m | 47 | 4.04 m |
How course height and courses needed change with joint thickness, for a fixed 2.4m wall
A fixed 90mm block height and 2.4m target wall, across a range of mortar joint thicknesses.
| Mortar joint thickness | Course height | Courses needed |
|---|---|---|
| 8 mm | 98.0 mm | 25 |
| 10 mm | 100.0 mm | 24 |
| 12 mm | 102.0 mm | 24 |
| 15 mm | 105.0 mm | 23 |
| 20 mm | 110.0 mm | 22 |
Questions
Why is my course height not a round number?
Course height is simply brick height plus joint thickness, and neither figure is normally chosen to produce a round total. What matters is using it consistently to plan how the coursing lines up with fixed points on the wall, not the roundness of the number itself.
Can I adjust the joint thickness to hit an exact wall height?
Within a small tolerance, yes: bricklayers routinely fine-tune joint thickness slightly, course by course, to bring a wall to an exact height at a door, window or capping course, rather than leaving a whole brick cut at the top.
Does this account for a damp-proof course or footing?
No, this calculates courses of brick and mortar only. Any damp-proof course, footing height or capping detail sits outside the brick coursing itself and should be added to or subtracted from the target wall height before entering it here.
Is the mortar joint thickness the same on every wall?
No, it varies by specification, brick size and bricklayer preference, commonly somewhere between 8mm and 15mm. It should be measured from an existing wall or taken from the job specification rather than assumed.
To work out how many bricks or blocks the whole wall needs, see the bricks or blocks needed calculator. For the steps of a staircase built into the same project, see the stair rise and run calculator.