Getting Your Brick Quantities Right: Save Time, Reduce Wastage, Avoid Delays

Ordering the correct quantity of bricks is critical to maintaining batch consistency, avoiding site delays and keeping brickwork programmes on track. Whether delivering extensions, new build plots or restoration projects. Securing a full matching batch of bricks from the outset helps prevent variation issues, wasted labour time and unnecessary project costs.

Why Does Ordering the Right Number of Bricks Matter?

Failing to order enough bricks can cause several problems both visually and logistically:

Mismatched batches if additional bricks are needed later
Project delays while waiting for new stock
Increased labour costs due to downtime
Potential planning issues for heritage or conservation areas
Reduced build quality from inconsistent materials

How Can Brick Allocations Impact Your Brick Supply?

Manufacturers occasionally place certain brick types 'on allocation', meaning availability becomes restricted. This is typically due to high demand, kiln capacity limitations, raw material shortages or seasonal production cycles.

Reasons for Allocation:

High Seasonal Demand - Longer lead times and restricted stock
Limited Kiln Capacity - Fewer bricks produced per cycle
Raw Material Issues - Temporary shortages or delays
Large Development Demand - Priority given to existing bulk orders

Stock levels can change rapidly, and lead times may extend for several weeks or even months during allocation periods. This makes brick matching far more difficult if additional bricks are needed midway through a project, which is why early ordering and securing the full quantity upfront is so important.

We stay in regular contact with manufacturers and suppliers to keep up to date with allocation updates and stock availability. This allows us to relay the latest information on brick lead times as quickly and efficiently as possible, helping you plan your project with greater confidence.

What Does Brick Wastage on Site Mean for Your Project?

Wastage is an unavoidable consideration when ordering bricks. The UK industry standard recommends allowing between 5% and 15% extra depending on the complexity of the project.

Wastage Factors:

5% (Low) - Simple walls, minimal cutting required
10% (Medium) - Standard builds with window and door openings
15% (High) - Complex designs, piers, arches, decorative details

Cutting bricks around windows, doors and structural openings will naturally increase wastage on site, particularly where tight reveals or detailed brickwork are involved. Heavily textured or more fragile bricks can also be more prone to damage during handling, loading and setting out. Handmade bricks often vary slightly in size and shape so allowing a larger buffer helps ensure there are enough usable bricks to maintain line, level and a consistent finish across the elevation.

Brick Delivery Damage: The Elephant in The Room

Even with good packaging and careful loading, a certain amount of brick damage during transport is unavoidable. Bricks are heavy, they move in transit, and pallets can shift slightly while being handled by forklifts or lorries. This can lead to things like chipped edges, cracked or snapped bricks, scuffed faces, or loose bricks rattling inside the pack due to vibration on the road.

For this reason, it’s important to check every pallet as soon as it lands on site. Make sure bricks are stored on firm, level ground and kept covered with breathable protection to prevent any further damage. Allowing for a realistic level of breakage helps keep the job running smoothly and avoids delays when you least need them.

If a delivery arrives with damage that seems excessive or beyond what you’d normally expect, it’s worth getting in touch with our team. We can review the order with you and where appropriate discuss the situation with the supplier to see what steps may be possible.