How many bricks are needed for a 100 ft boundary wall?

For a 5 ft high, 9 inch thick wall with modular bricks, about 5,300 bricks plus 3 to 5 percent for breakage. A 4.5 inch wall needs about half of that.

How much cement is needed for a brick boundary wall?

For the brickwork alone in a 1:6 mortar, about 1.5 bags per 10 running feet of a 5 ft high 9 inch wall. Plaster and RCC pillars need more.

Is a precast boundary wall cheaper than brick?

It depends on the wall height, the site and the rates that day. Work out the full quantities for both and compare. Precast saves time, and brick gives you more control over the finish.

What thickness should a boundary wall be?

A 4.5 inch wall with pillars is common for low walls. For walls above about 5 ft, use 9 inch thickness or a stronger pillar and beam frame. Ask your engineer for the final design.

Boundary wall materials per running foot: brick and precast

Why quantities first, rates later

Brick, cement, sand and steel rates differ by brand, season and distance. If you know how much of each material one running foot of wall needs, you can price the wall yourself on the day you buy. The numbers below are working figures, not exact. Wastage, brick size and mortar thickness shift them by 5 to 10 percent.

Brick wall: bricks per running foot

A modular brick is 190 x 90 x 90 mm, and with a 10 mm mortar joint it occupies 200 x 100 x 100 mm. That gives about 500 bricks per cubic metre of wall. One running foot is 0.3048 m long. A 9 inch (230 mm) thick wall, 5 ft (1.524 m) high, has a volume of 0.3048 x 1.524 x 0.23, about 0.107 m³ per running foot.

That works out to roughly 53 bricks per running foot for a 5 ft high 9 inch wall. A 4.5 inch (115 mm) wall needs about half of that.

Bricks per running foot (modular brick, 500 per m³ of wall)
Wall height	9 inch wall (bricks per ft)	4.5 inch wall (bricks per ft)
4 ft	about 42	about 21
5 ft	about 53	about 27
6 ft	about 64	about 32
7 ft	about 74	about 37

Add 3 to 5 percent for breakage. Local bricks in older sizes (for example 9 x 4.5 x 3 inch) give a different count, so ask the supplier for the exact brick size.

Mortar: cement and sand

Mortar is about 25 percent of the wall volume. Wet mortar needs about 1.3 times that in dry material. In a 1:6 mix (one part cement, six parts sand) the cement is one seventh of the dry volume.

For 10 running feet of a 5 ft high, 9 inch wall (about 1.07 m³), the mortar is about 0.27 m³ wet. That is about 0.35 m³ dry, which means roughly 1.5 bags of cement (50 kg each) and 0.3 m³ of sand, about 11 cubic feet. Plaster on both faces adds about the same again. A 1:4 mix uses more cement per cubic metre, so ask your mason which mix the drawing calls for.

Foundation, pillars and coping

Foundation: most boundary walls use a brick or stone footing below ground. Its depth depends on soil, so it should come from your engineer, not a thumb rule.
Pillars: usually every 10 to 12 ft, in RCC with 4 bars (commonly 10 or 12 mm) and ring ties. Count the steel per pillar and multiply by the number of pillars.
Plinth beam and top band: one RCC beam at the base and one at the top tie the wall together. Use the steel calculator for the bar quantity.
Coping: a sloped top finish sheds rain and protects the wall. Add cement and sand for it.

Precast wall: panels and posts per running foot

A precast (readymade) boundary wall is made of concrete posts with slotted grooves and panels that slide between them. Panel width and height depend on the maker. A common panel is about 2 m (6.5 ft) wide, so the number of panels is the wall length divided by the panel width, and the number of posts is one more than the number of panels.

Example: 100 ft is 30.48 m. At 2 m per panel that is 15.24, so plan 16 panels and 17 posts. Corners and gates need extra posts. Check the exact panel size with the maker before you order.

Posts need a foundation pit filled with concrete. Ask the maker for the pit size.
Panels per running foot are fewer than bricks, but the posts, base and transport weigh more. Compare the full installed quantity, not only the panel count.
Precast goes up in days. Brick wall takes longer but is easier to adjust on uneven ground.

How to price your wall

Take the length in feet, multiply by the bricks, cement and sand per foot from above, then add pillar steel, beams and plaster. Multiply each quantity by that day's rate. Visit us or call and we will give the current rate for each item.

Frequently asked questions

How many bricks are needed for a 100 ft boundary wall?: For a 5 ft high, 9 inch thick wall with modular bricks, about 5,300 bricks plus 3 to 5 percent for breakage. A 4.5 inch wall needs about half of that.
How much cement is needed for a brick boundary wall?: For the brickwork alone in a 1:6 mortar, about 1.5 bags per 10 running feet of a 5 ft high 9 inch wall. Plaster and RCC pillars need more.
Is a precast boundary wall cheaper than brick?: It depends on the wall height, the site and the rates that day. Work out the full quantities for both and compare. Precast saves time, and brick gives you more control over the finish.
What thickness should a boundary wall be?: A 4.5 inch wall with pillars is common for low walls. For walls above about 5 ft, use 9 inch thickness or a stronger pillar and beam frame. Ask your engineer for the final design.