Dimensions / Building materials / Bricks / Face brick
A US face brick is ordered by its specified size. The modular brick is 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 7-5/8 in (92 × 57 × 194 mm), width first as BIA asks; with a 3/8 in joint it fills a 4 × 2-2/3 × 8 in module, so 3 courses = 8 in, and BIA counts 675 to 100 sq ft before waste. Queen (2-3/4 × 2-3/4 × 7-5/8 in) and King (2-3/4 × 2-5/8 × 9-5/8 in) are non-modular and course 5C = 16 in. In the UK the usual work size is 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm, which coordinates at 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm with a 10 mm joint. Facing brick is graded for weathering (SW, MW) and appearance (FBX, FBS, FBA); FBS allows ±3/32 in on a 2-1/4 in height.
| US modular, length; width × height (BIA) | UK work size, length; width × height (BDA) | Modular bricks per 100 sq ft, net (BIA) |
|---|---|---|
| 7-5/8in3-5/8 × 2-1/4 in | 215mm102.5 × 65 mm | 675727 / 10 m² |
Sources: BIA, BDA. Checked October 2026.
A modular brick wall is filled in. Enter your wall, the bricks you ordered, the height to build and a measured brick, or switch to UK sizes; each check follows a figure on this page.
US counts are the BIA Technical Note figures, net of waste; UK counts take the brick plus one joint. Measure one US brick; for the UK classes, average a sample.
300 sq ft of wall in Modular brick, at 6.75 a sq ft, is 2025; with 5% waste you need 2127, or 5 packs of 480. 2200 ordered covers it.
BIA Technical Note 10 counts 675 modular bricks to 100 sq ft, net; it adds at least 5% for waste. General Shale packs 480 modular bricks; the 300 sq ft wall is an example.
96 in is 36 courses of Modular (3C = 8 in), so no course is cut.
Modular brick courses 3C = 8 in, so a 96 in wall is 36 whole courses; UK brickwork courses four to 300 mm.
FBS: 2-1/4 ± 3/32 in, so 2-5/32–2-11/32 in; 2.3 in is inside.
C216 type FBS allows ±3/32 in on a 2-1/4 in height (BIA Technical Note 9A); 2.3 in is an example reading.
Selling face brick abroad? Photograph a brick on its face and end, mark the specified size, the grade and the type in SizeMarker, and send it with your quote.
Mark a photoMaker sheets, sizes as each prints them: US makers give thickness × height × length, UK makers length × width × height.
| Brick | Size, as printed | Per sq ft or m² | Weight; pack; grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen-Gery ModularThis page | 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 7-5/8 in (92 × 57 × 194 mm) | 6.75 (profile); 6.86 (sizes sheet) | 4.0 lb (1.8 kg) |
| Glen-Gery Queen | 3 × 2-3/4 × 7-5/8 in (76 × 70 × 194 mm) | 5.63 (profile); 5.76 (sizes sheet) | 4.0 lb (1.8 kg) |
| Glen-Gery King | 3-5/8 × 2-3/4 × 9-5/8 in (92 × 70 × 244 mm) | 4.55 | 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) |
| Glen-Gery Norman; Utility | 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 11-5/8 in; 3-5/8 × 3-5/8 × 11-5/8 in | 4.50; 3.00 | 6.0 lb; 9.6 lb |
| Acme Amaretto Modular Velour | 7.625 × 3.625 × 2.25 in | 6.86 | C216, grade SW, type FBS |
| Acme Brookstone Queen Heritage | 7.625 × 2.75 × 2.75 in | 5.76 | C216, type FBA |
| Acme Glacier White King Velour | 2-1/2–2-3/4 × 2-5/8 × 9-5/8 in | 4.8 | C652 hollow, grade SW, type HBS |
| General ShalePackage chart | Modular 3-1/2 × 2-1/4 × 7-5/8 in; Queen 3 × 2-3/4 × 7-5/8 in; Utility 3-5/8 × 3-5/8 × 11-5/8 in | — | 480, 460 and 198 to a package |
| Ibstock Leicester Weathered Red StockUK | 215 × 102 × 65 mm | — | 2.2 kg; 500 to a pack; T2, R1 |
| Wienerberger Heritage Blend; Kempley Antique; Graphite BlackUK | 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm | — | 2.2, 2.2 and 2.7 kg; 652, 680 and 528 to a pack |
| Michelmersh Hampshire Stock Dark MultiUK | 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm | 60 per m² | 2.02 kg; 495 to a pack; T1 |
| GIMA clinkerGermany | NF 240 × 115 × 71 mm; DF 240 × 115 × 52 mm | — | — |
Sources: Glen-Gery · Glen-Gery · Acme Brick · Acme Brick · Acme Brick · General Shale · Ibstock · Wienerberger · Wienerberger · Wienerberger · Michelmersh · GIMA
Specified sizes for a 3/8 in joint, width × height × length; with a 1/2 in joint the modular brick is 3-1/2 × 2-1/4 × 7-1/2 in. Queen, King and Standard are non-modular, without a nominal size. Counts are net of waste.
| Size | Nominal, in | Specified, in (mm) | Coursing | Per 100 sq ft (10 m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 4 × 2-2/3 × 8 | 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 7-5/8 (92 × 57 × 194) | 3C = 8 in | 675 (727) |
| Engineer Modular | 4 × 3-1/5 × 8 | 3-5/8 × 2-13/16 × 7-5/8 (92 × 71 × 194) | 5C = 16 in | 563 (605) |
| Queen | — | 2-3/4 × 2-3/4 × 7-5/8 (70 × 70 × 194) | 5C = 16 in | 550 (592) |
| King | — | 2-3/4 × 2-5/8 × 9-5/8 (70 × 67 × 244) | 5C = 16 in | 455 (490) |
| Norman | 4 × 2-2/3 × 12 | 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 11-5/8 (92 × 57 × 295) | 3C = 8 in | 450 (484) |
| Utility | 4 × 4 × 12 | 3-5/8 × 3-5/8 × 11-5/8 (92 × 92 × 295) | 1C = 4 in | 300 (323) |
| Roman | 4 × 2 × 12 | 3-5/8 × 1-5/8 × 11-5/8 (92 × 41 × 295) | 2C = 4 in | 600 (646) |
| Standard | — | 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 8 (92 × 57 × 203) | — | 655 (705) |
Sources: BIA
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Work sizeBDA | 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm (8.46 × 4.04 × 2.56 in), the most widely used UK clay brick |
| Coordinating sizeBDA | 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm with a nominal 10 mm joint; four courses = 300 mm |
| CO, CO+ and CO−BDA | Brick plus one joint, plus two joints for openings, brick only for piers: four bricks = 900, 910 and 890 mm |
| Tolerance T2BDA | Mean size ±4, ±3 and ±2 mm: 211–219, 99–105 and 63–67 mm |
| Tolerance T1BDA | Mean size ±6, ±4 and ±3 mm: 209–221, 98–106 and 62–68 mm |
| Range R2; R1BDA | Largest less smallest in a sample: 4; 9 mm on 215, 3; 6 mm on 102.5, 2; 5 mm on 65 |
| BS EN 771-1BSI | Sets no standard sizes; the maker declares the work size, tolerance and range |
| GermanyGIMA | Normal format NF 240 × 115 × 71 mm; thin format DF 240 × 115 × 52 mm |
| ChinaGB/T 5101-2017; GB 50203-2011 | 240 × 115 × 53 mm, companion size 175 × 115 × 53 mm; joints 10 mm, not under 8 or over 12 mm |
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Weathering gradeBIA TN 9A | SW for severe weathering, MW for moderate |
| Appearance typeBIA TN 9A | FBX extra control, FBS standard production, FBA architectural |
| Size tolerance, C216BIA TN 9A Table 6A | FBX; FBS: 3 in and under ±1/16; ±3/32 in, over 3 to 4 in ±3/32; ±1/8 in, over 6 to 8 in ±5/32; ±1/4 in |
| Out of squareBIA TN 9A | FBS 1/8 in, FBX 3/32 in |
| Solid or hollowBIA TN 9A | Solid: cores up to 25% of the bed area; hollow: over 25% up to 60% |
| Waste; broken brickBIA TN 10; TN 9A | Add at least 5% to net counts; a delivery may hold up to 5% broken |
| BondBIA TN 10 | Full headers add 1/2 for English bond, 1/3 for Flemish bond |
| Mortar shareGlen-Gery | About 20% of a modular wall at a 3/8 in joint |
| Queen coursingGlen-Gery | Five courses for every 16 in; modular takes six |
| Curved wallsAcme | Radial shapes may not be needed from a radius of 8’0” for modular, 10’0” for King, 12’0” for Utility and Norman |
| In the check aboveOur calculation | 300 sq ft × 675 ÷ 100 = 2,025 + 5% = 2,126.25, so 2,127 bricks, 5 packs of 480; 96 in ÷ 8 × 3 = 36 courses; 2.3 in within 2-1/4 ± 3/32 in. UK: 10⁶ ÷ (225 × 75) = 59.26 a m² |
Sources: BIA · BIA · Glen-Gery · Acme Brick
In the US the modular face brick is specified 3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 7-5/8 in (92 × 57 × 194 mm); with its 3/8 in joint it is 4 × 2-2/3 × 8 in nominal and courses 3C = 8 in. In the UK the usual work size is 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm.
BIA counts 675 modular bricks to 100 sq ft (6.75 a sq ft), 550 Queen, 455 King and 450 Norman, without waste; add at least 5%. Glen-Gery and Acme quote 6.86 for modular, worked from the brick plus a 3/8 in joint. A UK half-brick wall takes about 60 per m² (Michelmersh).
Both are non-modular and course 5C = 16 in. BIA gives Queen 2-3/4 × 2-3/4 × 7-5/8 in and King 2-3/4 × 2-5/8 × 9-5/8 in; makers vary, and Glen-Gery’s Queen is 3 in deep, its King 3-5/8 in.
They are C216 appearance types: FBX allows the least size variation, FBS is standard production and FBA architectural. On a 2-1/4 in height FBX allows ±1/16 in and FBS ±3/32 in (BIA Technical Note 9A).
215 × 102.5 × 65 mm work size; with a 10 mm joint it coordinates at 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm, so four courses make 300 mm (BDA). BS EN 771-1 itself sets no standard sizes, and German bricks are 240 × 115 × 71 mm (NF).
Buyers ask for the specified size and its order (width first in the US, length first in the UK), the tolerance class (FBX, FBS or T1, T2), the weathering grade or freeze-thaw class, the water absorption, cores or frog and the void share, the weight, and bricks per pack and packs per truck. Mark them on a photo of your own brick in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
