UK standard brick
215.0 × 65.0 × 102.5 mm
8.46 × 2.56 × 4.04 in · format 225.0 × 75.0 mm · 60 per m² · United Kingdom
About this unit
The British standard since metrication and the size almost every new UK brick is made to. On its own 215 × 65 tells you nothing useful — add the 10 mm joint and it becomes 225 × 75, which is the number every setting-out drawing is built on.
The size that matters is the format
A brick is never laid on its own. Add one 10.0 mm joint and the working unit becomes 225.0 × 75.0 mm, and every dimension in the wall is a multiple of that rather than of the brick.
| Actual size | 215.0 × 65.0 × 102.5 mm |
| Mortar joint | 10.0 mm |
| Format size | 225.0 × 75.0 mm |
| Per square metre, single skin | 59.26 — order 63 with 5% waste |
| Courses per metre of height | 13.33 |
| Units per metre of length | 4.44 |
Setting out
Ten courses rise 750 mm and ten units run 2250 mm. Openings, sills and damp courses are placed on those multiples wherever possible, because a wall that has to be cut to reach a dimension costs labour and shows.
Other United Kingdom units
| Unit | Actual | Format | Per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK imperial brick | 228 × 68 × 108 mm | 238.0 × 78.0 | 53.9 |
| UK metric modular | 200 × 75 × 100 mm | 210.0 × 85.0 | 56.0 |
| UK concrete block | 440 × 215 × 100 mm | 450.0 × 225.0 | 9.9 |
Frequently asked questions
What size is a uk standard brick?
215.0 × 65.0 × 102.5 mm (8.46 × 2.56 × 4.04 in). Add the 10.0 mm joint and the working size — the format — is 225.0 × 75.0 mm.
How many bricks per square metre?
59.3 for a single skin — 60 in practice, before allowing for breakage. That comes straight from the format: 1,000,000 mm² ÷ (225.0 × 75.0) = 59.26.
How many courses per metre of height?
13.33 courses, at 75.0 mm each. Setting out from a fixed course height is why a window head or a damp course lands where it does rather than where a drawing might prefer.
Why does the joint matter so much?
Because the brick on its own is never the unit of construction. Masonry is set out on the format size — one unit plus one joint — and every dimension in a wall is a multiple of it. A 65.0 mm brick with a 10.0 mm bed rises 75.0 mm per course, and that 75.0 is the number the wall is actually built from.