LEGO® SNOT Bricks: Essential Pieces for Modern MOCs
26 August 2026
Anyone who regularly looks at LEGO® MOCs will increasingly notice structures with smooth facades, slanted shapes, and surprisingly small details. Many of these building techniques are made possible by SNOT bricks: modified LEGO® bricks with one or more studs on the side.
These pieces are among the most versatile building blocks for creative builders. You can use them to build sideways, attach details to vertical surfaces, and create shapes that are difficult to achieve with standard bricks.
What does SNOT mean in LEGO®?
SNOT stands for “Studs Not On Top.” In simple terms, this means studs that aren’t on top. On a traditional LEGO® brick, the studs point upward. A SNOT brick also has one or more studs on the front or side.
This allows you to attach plates, tiles, and other pieces sideways. So the structure doesn’t have to be built exclusively from the bottom up. You can build in multiple directions at the same time.
SNOT isn’t a single specific building technique or a single piece. It’s a collective term for various ways of building sideways.
Why are SNOT bricks so popular among MOC builders?
Modern MOCs are becoming increasingly detailed. Builders want curved shapes, realistic vehicles, smooth walls, and decorations that are placed exactly where they should be. SNOT bricks offer a lot of creative freedom for this.
You can use these pieces for, among other things:
- - Smooth walls and facades without visible studs
- - Headlights, grilles, and details on vehicles
- - Faces and decorations on buildable figures
- - Windows, window frames, and ornaments on buildings
- - Round or irregular shapes
- - Letters, numbers, and mosaics
- - Micro-builds and scale models
Every stud matters, especially on small models. With a single side connection, you can place a detail exactly at the right height and position.
The 1 x 1 LEGO® brick with a stud on one side
One of the best-known SNOT pieces is the 1 x 1 LEGO® brick with a stud on one side. This compact brick is the same size as a regular 1 x 1 brick but features an extra stud on the side.
You can attach a tile, plate, light, or decorative piece to that side stud, for example. This makes the brick suitable for both simple details and complex building structures.
Thanks to the wide range of available colors, the piece can be incorporated visibly into the design or, conversely, completely hidden within the structure.
Building in Multiple Directions
Is a single side connection not enough? There are also bricks with studs on two or four sides. These allow you to place pieces in multiple directions around the same central brick.
For example, the LEGO® custom 1 x 1 brick with studs on two sides is useful for corner constructions. You can use it to create two vertical surfaces that are perpendicular to each other.
A brick with studs on four sides, on the other hand, can be used as the core of a round model, a tree trunk, a lamppost, or a buildable figure. From the center, you can expand the structure in all directions.
The Classic Headlight Brick
Another popular SNOT piece is the LEGO® modified 1 x 1 headlight brick, also known as Design ID 4070. This piece has been around for a long time and is still widely used by experienced builders.
The stud on the front is set back slightly from the bottom of the brick. That small difference allows for unique connections and offsets. The brick isn’t just used for headlights, but also for facade details, robots, furniture, and micro-builds.
Creating Smooth Surfaces with Tiles
SNOT bricks are often combined with LEGO® tiles. After placing the sideways bricks in the structure, you can cover the vertical studs with tiles. This creates a sleek and smooth surface.
This technique is popular for modern buildings and vehicles. For example, a sideways-placed tile can serve as a sleek car door, storefront, information sign, or decorative wall panel.
By combining tiles of different colors, you can also build patterns, logo-like shapes, and entire mosaics without leaving all the studs exposed.
Pay attention to LEGO® dimensions
When building sideways, it’s important to take the proportions of LEGO® pieces into account. This is because the height of a brick is not equal to the width of a single stud.
Five plates stacked on top of each other have a combined height equal to two studs wide. This ratio is often used to ensure that a sideways-built section connects neatly to an upright section.
Test a new design with a few pieces first before ordering a large supply. This way, you’ll quickly discover whether the tiles and plates line up exactly where you want them.
Inspiration for Your First SNOT MOC
Want to practice SNOT techniques on your own? Start with a small build. For example, make a simple house with a smooth facade or build a compact car with side-mounted headlights.
Other fun projects to get started with include:
- - A street sign with printed or colored bricks
- - A vending machine or storefront for a LEGO® city
- - A small spaceship with smooth sides
- - An animal head with eyes and ears built on the sides
- - A miniature building with detailed windows
- - A colorful mosaic or nameplate
Once you’re familiar with the technique, you can combine multiple types of SNOT bricks. This allows you to create increasingly complex shapes, and the possibilities become virtually endless.
Buy LEGO® SNOT bricks at ToyPro
Are you looking for bricks with studs on the sides? Then check out the custom LEGO® bricks at ToyPro. In this category, you’ll find various SNOT bricks, headlight bricks, and other custom parts in a wide range of colors and sizes.
With just a small selection of these pieces, you can quickly add new building directions and extra details to your MOC. Whether you’re building a vehicle, a building, a minifigure, or a work of art, SNOT bricks give you the freedom to build beyond just straight up.
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