Planning stud walls, brick walls and blockwork

Walls are built from repeated parts: studs and plasterboard for a partition inside, bricks or blocks and mortar for a masonry wall. The counts are simple sums from the area, but the quality depends on the layout, the foundation and the level of each course or the straightness of each stud.

This planner covers an internal stud wall, a garden wall and blockwork. Loadbearing walls, and anything that changes how the house is held up, need an engineer and Building Regulations approval.

Step 1: Check the rules and what the wall does

Find out whether the wall is loadbearing. If it is, get professional advice before you touch it. New rooms and walls near escape routes may bring fire and sound rules under the Building Regulations. Garden walls above a certain height need planning permission and a proper foundation.

Step 2: Lay out the wall

Mark the line, check the corners are square and find what is above and below, such as pipes, cables and joists. For masonry, set out the foundation trench and the first course with string lines.

Step 3: A stud partition

A timber stud wall has a head plate, a sole plate and studs at 400 mm centres, with noggins between, and plasterboard on each side. The calculator counts the studs, plates, noggins, boards and screws for a given length and height.

Step 4: A garden wall

A brick garden wall needs a concrete foundation below frost depth, a damp-proof course, wall ties for double skins and movement joints. Work out the bricks, the mortar and the foundation concrete from the area.

Step 5: Blockwork

Concrete blocks are laid quickly and need about ten per square metre of wall. The calculator also gives the mortar and the cement and sand to mix. The thickness of the block depends on the job.

Before you start

• Confirmation that the wall is not loadbearing, or the engineer's design.
• Building Regulations notice or approval where required.
• Services in the walls and floors, found with a detector.
• A level, a line and a spirit level for every course.
• A registered electrician for any wiring in the new wall.

Mistakes that cost people money

• Removing or building a wall without checking whether it is loadbearing.
• A garden wall without a proper foundation or damp-proof course.
• Drilling or nailing into a hidden pipe or cable.
• Mortar mixed too wet or too dry.
• Starting the first course out of level.

Frequently asked questions