Drilling into brick becomes necessary when you hang pictures, mirrors, lightweight shelves, or cabinets on a masonry wall. It also comes up when large holes are needed for outdoor outlets and light fixtures. The job feels difficult with a conventional rotary drill and a bit that is not meant for masonry, but the right tools and a few techniques make it quick and predictable. With a hammer drill and a carbide-tipped bit, a single hole takes under a minute, and the whole project runs 20 to 30 minutes from setup to cleanup.
The fundamentals carry over from concrete to brick. This guide to drilling into concrete covers choosing drill bits and mastering masonry techniques that apply to both surfaces, and the same principles show up here. After that, the job comes down to picking the right spot, using a hammer drill, and letting the bit do the work.
Should You Drill Into the Brick or the Mortar?
Mortar is softer than brick and easier to drill, and patches to mortar are less noticeable than patches to brick. Those two facts make mortar tempting, but mortar is too soft and unpredictable for heavy, fragile, or valuable items. Voids can hide inside a joint without showing from the outside, so a screw that feels solid today may pull out tomorrow. Mortar also ages unevenly: a joint that looks fine can be powdery an inch below the surface.
Drill into the brick whenever possible. If you do use mortar, choose a plastic expansion anchor and keep the load light.
When Mortar Is the Only Option
Sometimes the layout forces you into a joint, such as when two items must hang at the same height on tight spacing. In that case use a plastic expansion anchor, drill slowly, and never hang anything that would cause damage if it fell. A picture frame is acceptable; a mirror or cabinet is not.
Before marking anything, clean the surface so you can see the true condition of the brick and mortar. A drill-powered cleaning setup turns a cordless drill into a scrubbing machine for masonry dust and efflorescence, and the same tool then drives the masonry bit.
Tools for Drilling Into Brick
A hammer drill is the best tool for brick, concrete, and other masonry. Hammer drills pound the hole in a chipping motion while the bit turns, delivering between 20,000 and 50,000 beats per minute depending on the model. That impact is what breaks up the brick; the rotation simply clears the debris. Most hammer drills also switch to plain rotary mode, so one tool still works for wood and metal jobs.
| Tool | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hammer drill | Brick, concrete, block | 20,000-50,000 BPM impact while rotating |
| Rotary drill | Wood, metal, drywall | Too slow for masonry; overheats bits |
| Impact driver | Driving screws | Wrong motion for drilling; useful for anchors |
| Cordless drill | Light masonry with carbide bits | Fine for occasional small holes |
Hammer Drill vs. Rotary Drill
A rotary drill spins but does not pound. On brick, the carbide tip skids and dulls while the motor works hard. A hammer drill adds the percussive action that breaks up the material in front of the bit, so the bit advances instead of spinning in place. If you only need one or two holes a year, renting a hammer drill from a home center is cheaper than buying one; if you plan several projects, ownership pays off quickly.
Masonry Bits and Anchors
Carbide-tipped masonry bits are the standard choice. They come in diameters from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch and larger, and the bit should match the anchor you plan to use. The carbide tip does the cutting while the steel body channels dust out of the hole, so resist the urge to use a wood bit, which has a different cutting geometry and dulls almost instantly on brick.
Bit Diameter and Depth
Pick a bit that matches the shank size of the anchor, then wrap a strip of tape around the bit at the required depth so you do not drill deeper than the anchor needs. For a typical plastic anchor, the hole matches the anchor body diameter and runs slightly deeper than the anchor length. Marking the depth keeps you from punching through a single wythe wall into the cavity behind it.
If the mortar joints are crumbling or missing material, the wall has a bigger problem than drilling. A guide to repointing brick explains when repointing is required and which joint types are involved, and a wall with sound joints holds anchors far better than one patched around failing mortar.
Step-by-Step: How to Drill Into Brick
The sequence below works for most anchor and shelf installations. It takes longer to read than to do. Set up everything before you pull the trigger: mark the hole, check the level, and confirm the bit is seated in the chuck with no wobble.
- Mark the hole location with a pencil and check it with a level.
- Fit a carbide-tipped masonry bit sized to the anchor.
- Start the drill at low speed with light pressure to seat the bit.
- Increase speed and let the hammer action do the cutting; do not push hard.
- Pull the bit out occasionally to clear dust, then continue.
- Reach the taped depth, then blow or vacuum the dust from the hole.
- Insert the anchor and drive it flush with the surface.
If the bit starts to wander at the start, use a center punch or a nail set to make a small divot at the mark first. The divot gives the tip something to bite into and keeps the hole exactly where you want it.
Keep the Bit Perpendicular
An angled hole makes the anchor sit crooked and weakens its grip. A drill guide removes the guesswork: the universal drill jig developed from UC Berkeley research led to a safer, faster way to drill concrete, and the same jig keeps brick holes perfectly perpendicular. Without a jig, hold the drill like a pool cue and sight down the bit from two directions before starting.
Choosing and Caring for Masonry Bits
A good masonry bit starts sharp and stays sharp with proper use. Carbide tips are hard, but they still wear out, and a dull bit generates heat instead of cutting. Heat is the enemy: it glazes the tip and can crack the brick as the bit pushes instead of cutting.
Signs a Bit Needs Attention
- The drill makes slow progress even at full speed.
- The bit smokes or the hole smells hot.
- The carbide tip looks rounded, chipped, or glazed.
- Holes come out undersized and need re-drilling.
Instead of tossing a dull bit, sharpen it. Drill bit sharpening with the Drill Doctor extends tool life on the construction jobsite, and a resharpened bit drills like new for a fraction of the replacement cost. Keep bits in a labeled case so the carbide tips do not knock against each other in a drawer.
Speeds and Pressure
Brick drills best at moderate speed with steady, light pressure. Pushing hard does not cut faster; it overheats the bit and can crack the brick. Let the hammer do the work and clear dust regularly so the flutes stay effective. If you feel the drill slowing down noticeably, pull back, let the bit cool, and clear the hole before continuing.
Common Mistakes and Pro Tips
Mistakes That Crack Brick
- Drilling with a rotary drill instead of a hammer drill.
- Pressing so hard that the bit binds and the brick fractures.
- Skipping the pilot hole and starting a large bit at full speed.
- Drilling into mortar for anything heavy.
- Using a wood or metal bit on masonry.
- Drilling too close to the edge of a brick, where the material is thinnest.
Pro Tips for Cleaner Holes
- Stick a strip of masking tape over the spot to stop the bit from walking.
- Start every hole at low speed, then ramp up.
- Vacuum dust as you go so the bit does not pack up.
- Cool the bit between holes when drilling several in a row.
- Keep a spray bottle of water handy for outdoor masonry work.
For a second opinion on technique, the pros at This Old House walk through drilling into brick with close-up photography and the same sequence of tools. Watching the process once makes the written steps easier to trust on your first hole.
Anchoring and Finishing the Job
The hole is only half the job. The anchor transfers the load from the screw into the brick, and choosing the right one matters as much as drilling straight. Match the anchor to both the weight of the item and the thickness of the wall.
Match the Anchor to the Load
- Plastic expansion anchors: light loads up to about 20 pounds, pictures and small shelves.
- Sleeve anchors: medium loads, cabinets and towel bars.
- Wedge anchors and through-bolts: heavy loads, railings and mounted equipment.
Drive the anchor in until it is flush, then set the screw so it is snug without being torqued down. Over-tightening crushes the plastic anchor or pulls the wedge deeper than it should go, and either way the grip weakens. For exterior brick, add a dab of exterior sealant around the anchor head so water cannot work its way into the hole.
Load transfer is a matter of connections, and the same principle applies whether you hang a shelf or build a tower: what the world’s tallest LEGO building teaches us about engineering at every scale is that small joints carry real forces. A shelf bracket depends on the same load path logic as a tall structure: the anchor, the screw, and the brick all have to work together.
The same discipline applies on other hard surfaces. Knowing how to drill porcelain tiles with diamond-tipped drill bits prevents chipped edges and cracked tile, and the technique transfers directly from masonry work. Go slow, keep the bit cool, and let the tool cut at its own pace.