How to drill into brick
Updated: October 2026
You are in a UK hallway with a masonry bit in the chuck and a mark that might sit over a cable. How to drill into brick is the order of that hole: check the wall, start without hammer so the tip does not skate, then hammer in the brick and clear the dust before the plug goes in. Which set to buy is on the [stone drill bit comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/stone-drill-bit). The Products Compared editorial team used public UK guides and these listing notes on 15 October 2026, and did not drill a test wall.
You are in a UK hallway with a masonry bit in the chuck and a mark that might sit over a cable.
You are in a UK hallway with a masonry bit in the chuck and a mark that might sit over a cable. How to drill into brick is the order of that hole: check the wall, start without hammer so the tip does not skate, then hammer in the brick and clear the dust before the plug goes in. Which set to buy is on the stone drill bit comparison. The Products Compared editorial team used public UK guides and these listing notes on 15 October 2026, and did not drill a test wall.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Shank | Drill fit | Diameter | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Bosch Bosch Professional CYL-3 concrete set, 4–10 mm | Cylindrical | Impact drill, three-jaw chuck | 4–10 mm | 9.4 | about £16.52 | View offer |
| Alternative |  WORKPRO WORKPRO SDS Plus set, 8 pieces | SDS-Plus | SDS-Plus rotary hammer only | 5–12 mm | 8.1 | about £16.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  toolant toolant masonry set, 4–10 mm, 5 pieces | Brace | Hammer drill | 4–10 mm | 7.7 | about £9.99 | View offer |
On this page
Check the wall and the bit before the chuck turns
Solid brick, a hollow block and a tiled face need different handling. Common brick takes the hammer once you have a start. Keep hammering through a hollow block and the far skin can break out. If the face is glazed, use a diamond bit with the hammer off, on drilling porcelain and stone tile. A bent bit should go back under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. SELECT’s zones put likely cables within 150 mm of the top of the wall, a corner, or a socket. That is a likelihood, not a map.
Mark, set the depth, and start slowly
Mark the centre and tape the shank before the bit touches the wall. DIY Doctor allows about 10 mm more than the plug length, so a 40 mm plug is marked near 50 mm from the tip. That is their method, not a British Standard, and the packet wins if the sleeve is longer. Start with the hammer off so the tip can cut a dimple. Homebuilding uses the same order: mark, a slow start, tape, then clear the hole. If the bit walks, remake the dimple. A plug that spins means the hole is already too big.
Hammer on in the brick, and pull the bit out to clear dust
With the dimple in the brick, switch the hammer on and keep the drill in line. Sideways pressure snaps a thin bit. toolant reviews describe bits that cut quickly and then clogged, and one that snapped when it was levered sideways. Pull the bit back while it is still spinning so the flutes can empty. Stop if the tip changes colour in the first centimetre, as with the melted 5 mm bit in the XLLGYL1 notes. When the tape meets the wall, take the hammer off and vacuum the hole before the plug goes in.
Dust, cables, and the point where you stop
A sheet or a vacuum catches chips from a short job at home. HSE CN3 treats about 15 to 30 minutes in a day as short drilling. A business whose main job is drilling needs M-class or H-class extraction, or RPE rated APF 20. INDG463’s limit of 0.1 mg/m³ over eight hours is a workplace figure, and a householder is not the COSHH dutyholder. If the shank will not lock, read SDS-Plus or a masonry bit first.
Dimple first, hammer second
One plug in common brick is this sequence: detector, tape at plug length plus about 10 mm, hammer off until the dimple is in brick, then vacuum before the plug. Stop if the tip colours or you cannot scan the wall. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Do you start with hammer mode already on?
No. Start with the hammer off so the tip cuts a dimple instead of skating on plaster. Turn the hammer on only after that dimple is in brick or concrete. Homebuilding notes that a drill without hammer polishes brick and overheats the bit. If the surface is glazed, use a diamond bit with the hammer off until you are through the tile.
How do you mark depth for a wall plug?
Tape the shank at the plug length plus about 10 mm, the extra DIY Doctor allows for dust. A 40 mm plug is then near 50 mm from the tip. That is a guide, not a British Standard, and the packet wins if the sleeve is longer. Stop at the tape and vacuum before the plug goes in. A spinning plug means the hole is too wide.
What do you do when the flutes clog and the bit stops moving?
Pull the bit back while it is still turning, then continue square to the wall. toolant reviews here describe fast drilling that then clogged in brick, and one snap after a sideways lever. Do not use the bit to break out a core. If the tip colours in the first centimetre, as with a melted 5 mm bit in the XLLGYL1 notes, change the bit rather than leaning harder.
When is a combi drill no longer enough?
Hammer on a combi drill is enough for ordinary brick and a few plugs, after the dimple is started. Homebuilding moves the job to an SDS rotary hammer for engineering brick, for a hole of about 10 mm or more, or for many holes. A shelf is the combi case. A long run in hard brick is the SDS case.
How do you keep brick dust off the floor, and when is that not enough?
A sheet or a vacuum catches chips from a short job at home. CN3 calls about 15 to 30 minutes in a day short drilling, with the right bit and dust captured where you can. A business whose main work is drilling needs M-class or H-class extraction, or RPE at APF 20 if that is not enough. The 0.1 mg/m³ eight-hour figure in INDG463 is for the workplace, and a householder is not the COSHH dutyholder.
Where are cables most likely, and why is that not a map?
SELECT’s zones put likely cables within 150 mm of the top of the wall, within 150 mm of a corner, and in line with an accessory. That is not proof the middle is empty. Use a detector, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit, and fit an RCD to the drill. If you cannot scan the wall, stop and call a professional rather than guessing a clear path.
When should you stop and call a professional?
Stop for a structural fixing, an anchor whose approval names the bit, a wall you cannot scan, or drilling that is a business’s main job without the extraction CN3 describes. One plug in common brick, with a detector and a taped depth, is a job you can finish yourself. A bit that arrives bent is a return, not something to straighten in the chuck.
Related pages
Sources
Sources are the public UK pages and the twelve amazon.co.uk listings used for this comparison. Figures were taken from those pages for the October 2026 update.
- HSE CN3: drilling controls (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE INDG463: silica dust, workplace exposure limit (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE CIS36: construction dust and RPE (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- PGM and ISO 5468 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Bosch Professional CYL-3 concrete drill bits (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Homebuilding: drilling into tile (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Toolstore UK: drill bits buying guide (retrieved 16 October 2026)