Drill Bits for Brick Walls | Masonry Bits Explained

For the full breakdown, see our best Drill Bits for Brick guide.

Standard twist bits meant for wood or metal will dull quickly, snap, or overheat when they meet brick. The right tool for the job is a masonry bit — recognizable by its blunt, chisel-like carbide tip and wide, deep flutes that pull dust out of the hole as you cut. For most household jobs, a hammer drill fitted with a straight-shank masonry bit gets the work done.

What Exactly Is a Masonry Bit?

A masonry bit pairs a carbide tip with a steel body and deep, wide flutes for clearing brick dust. The carbide tip is the cutting edge. Its blunt profile takes the pounding from a hammer drill and chips through masonry rather than trying to slice it like a twist bit would.

Bosch’s U.S. masonry and concrete drill-bit lineup highlights its Multi-grind carbide centering tip, which the company says offers accurate starts in brick, masonry, and more. That carbide tip is what separates a masonry bit from every other bit in your toolbox.

Two shank styles dominate:

• Straight or round shank — fits a standard three-jaw chuck on a regular drill or hammer drill. Fine for light-to-medium brick work and occasional holes.
• SDS-Plus or SDS-Max — designed for rotary hammers. The shank locks into the chuck with a spring-loaded mechanism, transferring far more impact energy than a standard chuck can handle.

Brick and block remain their primary job, but the versatility is real.

Which Drill Works on Brick?

A plain drill/driver can manage occasional small holes in soft brick, but it works slowly because it lacks hammer action. For anything more than a one-off shelving bracket, use a hammer drill or a rotary hammer.

If you are drilling regularly into brick or any harder masonry, a rotary hammer with SDS bits is the better investment. The hammer mechanism in a rotary hammer is far more powerful than the mechanical clutch in a hammer drill. For hard or reinforced concrete, Screwfix and HowStuffWorks both note that SDS or rotary hammer setups are strongly preferred over a plain drill.

How to Drill Into Brick the Right Way

Good technique matters as much as the right bit. The difference between a clean hole and a chipped mess often comes down to the first few seconds.

1. Mark the spot. Screwfix recommends a pencil cross rather than a single dot — it gives the bit a target you can actually line up on.
2. Consider a starter indent. HowStuffWorks suggests tapping a center punch where you want the hole. This stops the bit from wandering across the face of the brick on your first push.
3. Start slow. Begin at low speed and apply steady, firm pressure. The hammer action does the cutting; you are just guiding it.
4. Let the bit breathe. Every few seconds, withdraw the bit slightly to clear dust from the flutes. A clogged hole overheats both the bit and the brick.
5. Stop at the right depth. Drill until the hole matches your wall plug or anchor — not the screw. Check depth against the plug before you start if you need to.

The success signal is a smooth, steady cut with fine brick dust spiraling out of the flutes. If the bit starts smoking or the drill binds, you are pushing too hard, going too fast, or using the wrong bit entirely.

Sizing, Limits, and Common Mistakes

Match the bit to the wall plug, not the screw. A plug needs a hole sized to its own diameter — that is the number printed on the plug package. Drill the pilot hole for the plug, tap it in, then drive the screw into the plug.

Tungsten-carbide masonry bits typically span small diameters up to around 20 mm for brick work.

Diamond-tipped bits exist, but Screwfix and HowStuffWorks both flag them as generally reserved for harder materials or bigger bores, with a higher price tag than carbide bits. For everyday brick drilling, carbide is the practical choice. The section on how to size a masonry bit for your project pairs with the product roundup on this site that covers the best drill bits for brick walls.

The most common mistake people make is grabbing an HSS twist bit out of habit. On brick, it dulls almost instantly, overheats, and runs a real risk of snapping while you push. The second most common mistake is drilling without hammer action and wondering why progress is measured in millimeters per minute.

Sizing Quick Reference

Brick dust and heat are your two enemies. Deep flutes exist to evacuate debris and keep the bit from clogging. When the flutes clog, the bit stops cutting and starts grinding — that is when heat builds and carbide tips suffer.

Every bit has a limit. Hard brick, reinforced concrete, or tile will test even a good carbide bit. If your straight-shank bit stops making progress on a hard surface, the fix is usually more hammer action, not more arm pressure. For genuinely reinforced concrete, step up to an SDS rotary hammer setup rather than fighting the material with the wrong tool.

When you are ready to pick up a set, look for reputable brands with solid warranty coverage. A set covering the common sizes between 5 mm and 10 mm handles most curtain rails, shelves, and TV brackets you will ever hang.