13 Stylish Brick Patterns for Walkways, Walls & More

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Plus, a guide to bricklaying terminology to describe your dream pattern

Co-authored by Reese Baloutine (she/her) and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: July 22, 2026 Fact Checked

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Patios & Walkways

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Walls & Fireplaces

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Brick Terminology

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Can you lay bricks yourself?

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A brick pathway, patio, driveway, or wall is a timeless, elegant touch that adds visual appeal to your garden or home. The best part is, every brick surface is unique because there are so many patterns to choose from! Here, we’ll cover the best designs for paths and patios as well as walls and fireplaces. We’ll also break down some common bricklaying terminology so you have all the words you need to describe your ideal pattern.

Brick Layout Pattern Ideas

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A compilation image showing the most common and decorative brick patterns for walkways, patios, and walls.

Simple brick patterns for DIY paths and patios include the running bond, basketweave, half-basketweave, or stacked bond. For more visual appeal, a pinwheel, herringbone, chevron, or whorled design is a great choice. For walls and fireplaces, classic patterns like the American or English bond never go out of style.

Section 1 of 4:

Best Brick Patterns for Patios & Walkways

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Herringbone A herringbone pattern is simple to lay, but has a dazzling zig-zag effect that makes patios, walkways, driveways, and paths visually appealing. In this pattern, bricks are laid at 90-degree angles to each other in zig-zag patterns. You don’t have to make any cuts to the bricks within the main field area, but for straight perimeter edges, the outer bricks have to be cut at 45-degree angles.^{[1]
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- The herringbone pattern is strong and durable, so it’s a great choice for driveways and other high-traffic areas.
- Herringbone patterns can be oriented perpendicular to your outer edges or at a 45-degree angle, depending on how you want the zig-zag lines to travel across your space.
- DIY difficulty? Moderate. The bricks need to be laid at fairly precise angles to each other and spaced evenly apart to make the pattern pop.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $12 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Chevron A chevron pattern is similar to a herringbone, but instead of laying bricks at right angles to each other, the bricks are actually cut at an angle (typically 45 degrees) so that they form continuous “V” shapes (rather than the interlocking “L” shapes of a herringbone). A chevron pattern is sleek and modern, whereas the herringbone is more traditional.
- DIY difficulty? Hard. Each brick needs to be cut and fitted at the same precise angle to create the signature “V” shapes of the pattern.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Running bond (stretcher bond) The running or stretcher bond is one of the most classic brick patterns (and one of the easiest to install). In this layout, bricks are laid longways so that the joint between 2 bricks is directly over the center of the brick below them (known as a 1-over-2 pattern). It’s fairly easy to curve this pattern without having to cut bricks, making it ideal for winding walkways and paths.^{[2]
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- The pattern can also be offset so that the joints between bricks are in varied locations, rather than strictly in the middle of the brick below.
- DIY difficulty? Easy. The straight lines are simple to lay, and the joints don’t have to be precisely over the center of other bricks to look uniform and cohesive.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $10 to $20+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Basketweave A basketweave looks like a checkerboard pattern made out of pairs of bricks. One pair will be laid vertically, while the pair next to and above/below it will be laid horizontally, and so on, creating a “woven” look. This is a simple way to add a classic, eye-catching pattern to open areas like patios (you can even install it on a diagonal for an additional twist).^{[3]
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- DIY difficulty? Easy. As long as your pairs of bricks are straight, you can install this pattern with minimal difficulty.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $10 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Half-basketweave The half-basketweave is a more complex and visually stimulating version of the typical basketweave pattern. Here, a pair of 2 horizontal bricks will butt up against a single vertical brick (rather than a pair of them); this pattern repeats along the row. In the row underneath, the order is flipped—a single vertical brick is laid first, then 2 horizontal bricks are laid next to it, and so on.^{[4]
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- DIY difficulty? Moderate. The pattern is more complex than a regular basketweave, but doesn’t require any cutting or odd angles.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $10 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Jack-on-Jack (stacked bond) This is about as simple as it gets! This pattern consists of bricks laid in perfectly aligned rows, making for a very orderly and geometric look. While this is more often used to make brick walls, it can be effective for edged paths and walkways since the edging can keep the bricks from shifting (too much movement of the bricks from cars or heavy furniture can distort the neat and orderly lines).^{[5]
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- DIY difficulty? Easy. The straight lines are simple to line up with each other, although it does take slightly more precision than a running (stretcher) bond.
- Pro installation cost? $10 to $25+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Pinwheel This whimsical pattern looks like a series of geometric pinwheels. To make each individual “wheel,” 4 bricks are laid in a square pattern, leaving a gap in the center large enough to fit a half brick (the “pin” of each wheel). This pattern is then repeated down the row. Multiple rows of pinwheels can be aligned directly for a grid-like look, or staggered for a more complex pattern.^{[6]
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- Pinwheels are excellent for open areas like patios since they create a large and eye-catching design.
- DIY difficulty? Moderate to difficult. You’ll have to cut a brick in half for every 2 pinwheels you’re making. However, this is a simple cut compared to angled or diagonal cuts needed for other patterns.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Grid A gridded effect is not an actual brick pattern itself. Instead, an open grid is laid with wood, cement, or another material. Within each section of the grid, a brick pattern of your choice is laid (a basketweave is a classic and easy choice, but other patterns like pinwheels or stacked bonds can work great too). This is a great choice for patios, but works well with wide paths and walkways as well.
- DIY difficulty? Moderate to difficult. Laying an even, precise grid is key. If the grid spaces can fit your chosen brick pattern without needing to make any cuts, though, the process will be simpler.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $35+ per square foot (parts and labor), depending on the materials and patterns.
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Whorled A whorled brick pattern is a dazzling, complex design of concentric circles of bricks. The bricks can be laid horizontally or vertically, with the gaps between them usually fitted with precisely cut brick slivers to create smooth circles. This pattern is ideal for circular patios, creating a focus point in the center. They can also be placed at the center of a larger space within a less complex pattern.^{[7]
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- DIY difficulty? Very difficult and not recommended. It requires very precise cuts to many of the bricks (often more than half, depending on the specific design) and is very time-consuming to lay.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $35+ per square foot (parts and labor); the more complex the design, the higher the cost is likely to be.

Section 2 of 4:

More Brick Patterns for Walls & Fireplaces

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American bond (common bond) The American bond (common bond) is a simple but pleasing pattern often found on exterior walls. It’s essentially a running (stretcher) bond with a twist; every 5th, 6th, or 7th row is laid with the short side of the bricks laid horizontally (headers). This pattern provides structure and strength to the wall, as well as visual interest.^{[8]
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- DIY difficulty? Easy to moderate for short garden walls, fireplaces, or veneers (it’s recommended to call a pro for load-bearing walls).
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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English bond The English bond pattern alternates rows of stretchers (the long, narrow face of the brick) and headers (the short, narrow face). The headers are centered on the stretchers, and the joints between stretchers are vertically aligned. This is considered a simple but strong pattern.^{[9]
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- DIY difficulty? Easy to moderate for short garden walls, fireplaces, or veneers (it’s recommended to call a pro for load-bearing walls).
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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Flemish bond The Flemish bond consists of rows of alternating stretchers and headers. The rows themselves are staggered so that the headers are always centered on the stretchers above and below them. This is a common pattern, especially in historic buildings.^{[10]
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- DIY difficulty? Moderate for short garden walls, fireplaces, or veneers (it’s recommended to call a pro for load-bearing walls). The pattern requires precise cutting of bricks at the end of each row to create even edges.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $35+ per square foot (parts and labor).
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English cross or Dutch bond This is a variation of the English bond. The only difference is that the joints between the stretchers don’t line up vertically. Instead, the joints are centered on the stretchers above and below them.^{[11]
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- DIY difficulty? Moderate for short garden walls, fireplaces, or veneers (it’s recommended to call a pro for load-bearing walls). The pattern requires more attention to detail than a typical English bond.
- Pro installation cost? Typically $15 to $30+ per square foot (parts and labor).

Section 3 of 4:

Brick Terminology

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Brick orientations These are the terms used to describe which face of the brick is exposed and how it’s oriented. You’ll hear these a lot when various visual brick patterns are discussed:^{[12]
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- Stretcher: The long, narrow face of the brick is laid horizontally.
- Header: The short end of the brick is laid horizontally.
- Soldier: The long, narrow face of the brick is laid vertically (like the binding of a book upright on a shelf).
- Rowlock: The short end of the brick is laid vertically.
- Shiner: The largest, broadest face of the brick (the bed) is laid horizontally.
- Sailor: The largest, broadest face of the brick is laid vertically.
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Bonds In bricklaying, the bond is the pattern that the bricks are laid in to create structural stability and/or create an aesthetic look.^{[13]
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Research source} There are several ways to think about bonds:
- Structural bond: Refers to how the bricks are interlocked together to create stability and act as one large unit to distribute weight.
- Pattern bond: Refers to the visual pattern formed by how the bricks are interlocked together. The pattern bond can be structural, purely visual, or both.
- Mortar bond: Refers to the adhesion of mortar to the bricks themselves or to reinforcing steel.
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Mortar joints Mortar joints are the areas of mortar that fill in the spaces between bricks and adhere them together. Aesthetically, the color of the mortar joints can make a big difference in the appearance of the brick pattern on your driveway, path, patio, or wall. The shape and profile of the mortar can also add shadow and depth to the look, as well as serve practical purposes:^{[14]
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- Bucket handle joint: The face of the joint is compressed, creating the most durable profile. This is the most commonly used type of joint.
- Flush joint: The joint has not been compressed at all and is flush with the surface of the brick. It’s the simplest joint, but also the least durable.
- Weather struck joint: The joint is recessed at the top, creating a slight slope that allows rainwater to easily disperse. It’s a strong, water-resistant joint.
- Recessed (raked) joint: The mortar is compressed up to 4mm back from the brick face, creating deep and defined shadow lines that accentuate the brickwork. These are typically used for aesthetic reasons and can trap water, so they’re best for dry climates.

Section 4 of 4:

Can you lay bricks yourself?

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Yes; simple brick paths and patios can generally be laid by DIYers. The answer ultimately depends on how complex your brick pattern is, how many bricks you’ll have to cut (and at what angle), and how large or oddly-shaped your space is. For relatively straight paths or square patio spaces, it’s pretty straightforward to lay bricks yourself. However, for driveways (which must withstand lots of weight), difficult patterns that require precise cuts, or load-bearing walls, it’s best to call a professional to ensure safe, quality work.
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The process involves excavation and several layers of simple materials. You don’t need a ton of expensive materials to make a brick path or patio—in fact, you can do it entirely with rope, sand, and bricks! “You want to excavate enough so that you'll have enough room for 3 to 4 inches (7.6-10.2 cm) of rope base and then whatever brick thickness that you have, plus at least half an inch to an inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) of sand,” according to eco-friendly landscape designer Reese Baloutine.^{[15]
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Reese Baloutine (she/her)
Eco-Friendly Landscape Designer

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- “First, you excavate the area. Then you put down 3-4 inches (7.6-10.2 cm) of rope base and compact that down," she explains.^{[16]
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  Reese Baloutine (she/her)
  Eco-Friendly Landscape Designer
  
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- “Then, you put about half an inch to an inch of sand (1.3 to 2.5 cm) and smooth it out really well” so it’s level, Baloutine continues.^{[17]
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  Reese Baloutine (she/her)
  Eco-Friendly Landscape Designer
  
  Expert Interview}
- “Set all your bricks, then take more sand and put it in between the bricks to hold them in place. Make sure they're tight,” she says.^{[18]
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  Reese Baloutine (she/her)
  Eco-Friendly Landscape Designer
  
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Precision is key when laying bricks yourself. “The main thing is to make sure that every joint is aligned,” explains masonry specialist Gerber Ortiz-Vega. “You'll want to make sure that everything is symmetrical, all the lines are straight, and everything is squared off with the ground. Make sure that the first two to three courses (rows) are perfectly squared and aligned, and from there on it's pretty fast and straightforward.”^{[19]
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Gerber Ortiz-Vega
Masonry Specialist

Expert Interview}