Brick Calculator
Enter your wall size and brick type to get the number of bricks — including 10% for cuts and breakage — plus how many bags of mortar you'll need to lay them.
Results
How the brick calculator works
Bricks are estimated per square foot of wall face. The count depends on the brick size including the mortar joint — a standard modular brick with a 3/8" joint covers about 6.9 bricks per square foot. Multiply by your wall area, by the number of wythes (brick layers thick), and add 10% for cuts and breakage.
Formula: wall area (sq ft) × bricks per sq ft × wythes × 1.10 = bricks
| Brick | Face size | Bricks / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Modular | 7⅝ × 2¼" | ≈ 6.9 |
| Queen | 7⅝ × 2¾" | ≈ 5.8 |
| King | 9⅝ × 2¾" | ≈ 4.9 |
| Utility | 11⅝ × 3⅝" | ≈ 3.0 |
Mortar and waste
One 80 lb bag of premixed mortar lays roughly 30–37 standard bricks, so the calculator budgets about one bag per 33 bricks. If you mix your own, plan on about 7 bags of masonry cement and one ton of sand per 1,000 bricks.
- The 10% waste allowance covers cut bricks at corners and openings, plus the ones that arrive chipped — order it, you'll use it.
- A "single wythe" wall is one brick thick, typical for veneer over a framed or block wall. Free-standing garden walls are often two wythes — set the thickness to double.
- Bricks are sold by the piece, the strap (usually around 500) and the cube (typically about 500–535). Round your order up to full straps.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks do I need per square foot?
For standard modular brick with a 3/8" mortar joint, about 6.9 bricks per square foot of wall face (often rounded to 7). Larger queen and king sizes need fewer — about 5.8 and 4.9 per square foot.
How many bricks are in a 10x8 ft wall?
A 10 × 8 ft single-wythe wall is 80 square feet, which needs about 604 modular bricks including 10% waste, plus roughly 19 bags of premixed mortar.
How much mortar do I need for brick?
About one 80 lb bag of premixed mortar per 30–37 bricks. For 1,000 bricks that's roughly 30 bags of premix, or about 7 bags of masonry cement plus a ton of sand if you mix your own.
How much extra brick should I order?
Add about 10%. That covers the bricks you cut to fit at corners and around openings, breakage in delivery and handling, and a small stash for future repairs that will match your batch.