Brick Calculator
Estimate how many bricks and bags of mortar you need for a wall, with openings, the mortar joint and waste, for modular, standard, queen, king or utility bricks.
Results
| Item | Value |
|---|
Quick Answer
Bricks per square foot = 144 ÷ ((brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint)). Modular bricks with 3/8 inch joints need about 6.86 per sq ft. A 20 ft by 6 ft wall needs about 864 bricks with 5% waste, and about 24 bags of 80 lb mortar mix.
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Table of Contents
- Brick Calculator
- Quick Answer
- Related Calculators
- How This Brick Calculator Works
- How to Use the Brick Calculator
- Core Formulas
- Key Terms
- Worked Example
- Real-Life Examples
- Brick vs Concrete Block
- Bricks per Square Foot by Size
- Planning Tips
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References & Sources
How This Brick Calculator Works
Enter the wall length and height, choose your brick size and mortar joint, and subtract any doors or windows. The calculator finds how much wall each brick covers with its joint, divides the wall area by it, and adds waste for broken and cut bricks. It also estimates bags of mortar and the number of courses.
Quick explanation: each brick covers its own face plus half the mortar around it.
- Modular bricks: the most common US size, about 6.75 per sq ft with 3/8 inch joints.
- Bigger bricks: fewer per square foot.
- Waste: 5% to 10% is common.
How to Use the Brick Calculator
- Enter the wall length and height in feet.
- Choose the brick size and enter the mortar joint, usually 3/8 inch.
- Subtract the area of any openings.
- Set the waste allowance.
- Press Calculate and read the bricks, mortar bags and courses.
Core Formulas
- Wall area: length × height − openings
- Bricks per sq ft: 144 ÷ ((L + j) × (H + j))
- Bricks: wall area × bricks per sq ft × (1 + waste %)
- Mortar: bricks ÷ 37 per 80 lb bag
L and H are the brick’s actual length and height in inches, and j is the mortar joint.
Key Terms
- Modular brick: a common US brick, 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in actual size.
- Mortar joint: the layer of mortar between bricks, often 3/8 inch.
- Wythe: one layer of brick, one brick thick.
- Course: one horizontal row of bricks.
- Running bond: a pattern where each row is offset by half a brick.
Worked Example
A garden wall is 10 ft long and 4 ft high, built with king bricks (9⅝ × 2⅝ in) and 3/8 inch joints, with 10% waste.
- Bricks per sq ft = 144 ÷ (10 × 3) = 4.80
- 40 sq ft × 4.80 × 1.10 = 212 bricks
- Mortar = 212 ÷ 37 = about 6 bags
Real-Life Examples
- A garden wall: 20 ft by 3 ft of modular brick needs 432 bricks.
- A brick veneer wall: 30 ft by 8 ft with a 3 × 7 ft door needs 1,577 bricks.
- A barbecue: about 60 sq ft of wall needs 432 modular bricks and 12 bags of mortar.
- Utility bricks: the same 60 sq ft needs only 189 utility bricks.
Brick vs Concrete Block
- Brick: smaller units with a finished look, often used as veneer or for garden walls.
- Concrete block: larger 8 × 16 inch units, faster to lay, often used for structure.
- Count: about 6.75 modular bricks per sq ft, versus 1.125 standard blocks. Try our Concrete Block Calculator.
Bricks per Square Foot by Size
Before waste. Sizes are typical; check your brick.
| Brick | Bricks per sq ft | Per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Modular, 7⅝ × 2¼ in | 6.86 | 686 |
| Standard, 8 × 2¼ in | 6.55 | 655 |
| Queen, 7⅝ × 2¾ in | 5.76 | 576 |
| King, 9⅝ × 2⅝ in | 4.80 | 480 |
| Utility, 11⅝ × 3⅝ in | 3.00 | 300 |
Planning Tips
- Plan in brick modules: modular bricks fit an 8 inch grid, which cuts down on cutting.
- Double walls: for two layers (two wythes), double the brick count.
- Footings: brick walls need a solid concrete footing.
- Veneer ties: brick veneer on a house needs ties to the framing, as set by code.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting the mortar joint. It changes the count a lot.
- Using nominal size as actual. Enter the brick’s real size when you can.
- No extra bricks. Bricks chip and need cutting, so add 5% to 10%.
- Counting one layer for a double wall. Two wythes need twice the bricks.
- Ordering from different batches. Colors can vary between batches.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 6.75 modular bricks with 3/8 inch joints. Larger bricks need fewer.
About 686 modular bricks before waste, or 720 with 5% extra.
QUIKRETE says one 80 lb bag of Mason Mix lays up to 37 standard bricks.
In the US, the most common is the modular brick, 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in.
Usually 3/8 inch for brick.
About 5% for plain walls, and up to 10% for walls with many corners or cuts.
With modular bricks and 3/8 inch joints, three courses equal 8 inches, so about 4.5 courses per foot.
No. Count one face of the wall. For a double-thick wall, double the result.
It depends on the size, clay and whether the brick has holes (cores). Check the maker’s data, especially when planning how many bricks a truck or shelf can carry.
Only roughly. Pavers are laid flat with sand joints, so use the paver’s size and a joint of 0.
Brick veneer is a single layer of brick tied to a framed wall. It is not the main structure.
Enter your price per brick to see the brick cost. Add mortar, footing, ties and labor for the full cost.
References & Sources
| Source | Used For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia, Brick | US modular brick sizes and coursing. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick |
| QUIKRETE, Mason Mix (No. 1136) | Mortar for brick, with its yield data sheet. | https://www.quikrete.com/productlines/masonmix.asp |