Brick Calculator
Estimate bricks and bags of mortar for a wall, veneer, or chimney - with openings deducted and cost.
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Use the wall-face height for the area you are estimating.
Enter the wall area after subtracting openings. Door and window deductions are not applied in this mode.
Deducts 21 ft² each (3 × 7 ft). Use Other opening area for different sizes.
Deducts 15 ft² each (3 × 5 ft). Use Other opening area for different sizes.
Cost estimateOptional brick price
How to Use
- Enter wall dimensions - or enter a known net wall area if you already have the square footage.
- Pick the brick size - the presets use BIA quantity estimates; modular is 6.75 bricks per square foot before waste.
- Deduct openings - standard door/window counts are built in, with a measured opening-area option under Advanced options.
- Choose brick waste - 10% is the brick-order planning default; mortar is calculated from bricks actually laid, not from spare bricks.
- Check mortar assumptions - the default uses 35 standard bricks per 80 lb bag plus a separate 15% mortar-waste allowance; both are adjustable.
- Verify product data - use a manufacturer brick rate or mortar-bag yield when it differs from the planning defaults.
The Brick Industry Association estimating table uses 675 modular bricks per 100 square feet, or 6.75 per square foot, for a 3/8-inch joint before waste. A 10 × 10 ft single-wythe wall therefore needs 675 bricks installed, about 743 bricks ordered with 10% brick waste, and about 23 bags of 80 lb mortar at the calculator defaults of 35 standard bricks per bag plus 15% mortar waste. Enter your wall dimensions or known net square footage above for a project-specific estimate.
A basic tool for finishing mortar joints
Laying it yourself? A masonry pointing trowel keeps the joints clean:
Masonry trowel on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate, CalcShed earns from qualifying purchases.How Many Bricks and How Much Mortar Do I Need?
Start with net wall area: length times height, less openings. Then multiply by the selected bricks-per-square-foot rate and the number of wythes. The BIA wall-area method uses this same structure and notes that brick size and mortar-joint width must be known for accurate estimates. Brick waste is added only to the brick order, not to the mortar calculation for bricks that will never be laid. Mortar then gets its own separate waste allowance, because BIA treats brick waste and mortar waste as different estimating factors.
The mortar estimate uses an adjustable 80 lb bag yield. The default is 35 standard bricks per bag because Sakrete Type N and Type S list that yield; QUIKRETE Mason Mix lists up to 37 standard bricks per 80 lb bag. The calculator separately defaults mortar waste to 15%, the lower end of BIA's general 15% to 25% allowance. Product, joint geometry, workmanship, and multi-wythe collar joints can change actual mortar use, so the bag label and project conditions control.
How Bricks Cover a Wall
Bricks per Square Foot by Size
BIA Technical Note 10 gives these wall-area quantity estimates for common U.S. brick designations with 3/8-inch joints. The rates are before waste; names and specified dimensions can vary by manufacturer:
| Brick designation | Specified face | Bricks per ft² |
|---|---|---|
| Modular | 7⅝ × 2¼ in | 6.75 |
| Standard | 8 × 2¼ in | 6.55 |
| Engineer Modular | 7⅝ × 2¾ in | 5.63 |
| Queen | 7⅝ × 2¾ in | 5.50 |
| Engineer Standard | 8 × 2¾ in | 5.39 |
| King | 9⅝ × 2⅝ in | 4.55 |
| Norman | 11⅝ × 2¼ in | 4.50 |
| Utility | 11⅝ × 3⅝ in | 3.00 |
Use Custom brick rate under Advanced options when the manufacturer lists a different pieces-per-square-foot value. Double wythe doubles the face-brick quantity for the same net wall area.
Single Wythe vs Double Wythe Brick Walls
A single wythe is one unit thick and uses the face-area rates above directly. A double-wythe wall has two brick wythes, so the face-brick quantity doubles for the same net wall area. Some references call these half-brick and full-brick walls, but actual finished thickness depends on the brick width and the wall assembly, so this calculator uses wythe count rather than assuming a universal 4.5- or 9-inch thickness.
For 100 ft² of modular wall, the BIA rate gives 675 installed bricks for one wythe and 1,350 for two wythes before brick waste. With 10% brick waste, the order quantities are about 743 and 1,485 respectively. A fully mortared collar joint between wythes can add mortar beyond the basic bag-yield estimate.
Estimating the Mortar
Preblended mortar yield varies by product. Sakrete Type N and Type S list 35 standard bricks per 80 lb bag, while QUIKRETE Mason Mix lists up to 37 standard bricks per 80 lb bag. The calculator therefore defaults to 35 and lets you replace that value under Advanced options with the yield printed on your bag. It also applies a separate 15% mortar-waste allowance by default, adjustable from 0% to 25%.
Mortar is calculated from the brick requirement before the brick waste allowance, because spare bricks are not laid. BIA Technical Note 10 treats mortar waste separately and gives 15% to 25% as a general allowance after net mortar quantities are determined. Actual mortar use still varies with brick dimensions, joint width, bond, workmanship, hollow-unit bedding, and multi-wythe collar joints.
Quick Reference: Modular Brick (6.75 / ft², 10% brick waste)
| Wall | Net area | Bricks to order | 80 lb mortar bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 8 ft | 80 ft² | 594 | 18 |
| 20 × 8 ft | 160 ft² | 1,188 | 36 |
| 24 × 9 ft | 216 ft² | 1,604 | 48 |
| 40 × 8 ft | 320 ft² | 2,376 | 71 |
Before deducting openings. Brick order uses the BIA 6.75/ft² modular rate plus 10% brick waste. Mortar uses the installed brick requirement at the default 35 standard bricks per 80 lb bag plus 15% separate mortar waste.
Worked Examples
Garden wall, no openings. A 20 × 8 ft single-wythe wall is 160 ft². At the BIA modular rate of 6.75 bricks per ft², the wall itself requires 1,080 bricks. Adding 10% brick waste gives 1,188 bricks to order. At 35 standard bricks per 80 lb mortar bag plus the default 15% mortar-waste allowance, the estimate is 36 bags.
House wall with a door. A 24 × 9 ft veneer wall is 216 ft² gross. Subtract one 3 × 7 ft door (21 ft²) for 195 ft² net. The modular rate gives about 1,317 installed bricks, 1,448 to order with 10% brick waste, and 44 mortar bags at the default 35-brick yield plus 15% mortar waste.
Double-wythe wall. The same 20 × 8 ft face area uses 2,160 installed modular bricks across two wythes, or about 2,376 ordered with 10% brick waste. The default bag estimate is 71 bags at 35 standard bricks per bag plus 15% mortar waste, before any extra mortar for a solid collar joint, so verify multi-wythe mortar with the project detail. For a block wall that holds back soil rather than standing free, use the retaining wall calculator instead.
Brick Formulas
Area first, then installed bricks, then the purchase allowance:
Installed bricks = net area × bricks per ft² × wythe
Bricks to order = installed brick requirement × (1 + brick waste), rounded up
Mortar bags = (installed brick requirement ÷ entered bricks per 80 lb bag) × (1 + mortar waste), rounded up
1,000-brick coverage = 1,000 ÷ (bricks per ft² × wythe)
If you enter Known net wall area, the calculator uses that value directly and does not subtract door/window counts. Brick pallet and strap quantities vary by product and supplier, so verify the exact packaging rather than assuming a universal pallet count.
Finish the Wall Estimate
A brick wall needs more than brick. The usual order from here:
Standard & Source Notes
- BIA Technical Note 10 describes the wall-area estimating method as net wall area multiplied by known material quantities per square foot. Its Table 4 gives 675 modular bricks, 655 standard bricks, 550 queen bricks, and other size-specific quantities per 100 ft² at 3/8-inch joints before waste. BIA also warns that brick names and specified dimensions can vary by manufacturer. After net mortar quantities are determined, it gives 15% to 25% as a general mortar-waste allowance.Brick Industry Association - Technical Note 10
- Sakrete Mortar Mix Type N lists an 80 lb bag yield of 35 standard bricks. The calculator uses 35 as its editable planning default.Sakrete Mortar Mix Type N
- QUIKRETE Mason Mix lists up to 37 standard bricks per 80 lb bag, confirming that mortar-bag yield is product-specific rather than a universal 30-brick rule.QUIKRETE Mason Mix technical data
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
BIA Technical Note 10 uses 675 modular bricks per 100 square feet, or 6.75 per square foot, for a 3/8-inch joint before waste. The common mental shortcut is about 7. Other BIA rates include 6.55 for standard, 5.50 for queen, 4.50 for Norman, and 3.00 for utility brick. Verify the manufacturer rate because brick names and dimensions can vary.
How many bags of mortar do I need per 1,000 bricks?
At 35 standard bricks per 80 lb bag, 1,000 installed bricks are about 29 bags before mortar waste. With the calculator's default 15% mortar-waste allowance, order about 33 bags. Sakrete Type N and Type S list 35 standard bricks per 80 lb bag; QUIKRETE Mason Mix lists up to 37. Actual yield depends on the product, brick, joints, and workmanship, so use the bag label when available.
How many bricks do I need for a 20x8 wall?
A 20 × 8 ft wall is 160 ft². At the BIA modular rate of 6.75 bricks per ft², it needs 1,080 installed bricks before waste and about 1,188 bricks to order with 10% brick waste. The mortar estimate is 36 bags at 35 standard bricks per 80 lb bag plus the default 15% mortar waste. Subtract openings first.
How many bricks are in 100 square feet?
For a single-wythe modular wall, the BIA estimating table gives 675 bricks per 100 ft² before waste. With 10% brick waste, order about 743. A double-wythe wall uses twice the installed face-brick quantity, or 1,350 before waste and about 1,485 with 10% waste.
How many square feet will 1,000 bricks cover?
At the BIA modular rate of 6.75 bricks per ft², 1,000 bricks cover about 148.1 ft² of single-wythe wall before waste. Standard brick at 6.55 per ft² covers about 152.7 ft². The calculator shows this coverage automatically for the selected brick rate and wythe count.
Should I deduct windows and doors?
Yes. The quick controls deduct 21 ft² for each standard 3 × 7 ft door and 15 ft² for each standard 3 × 5 ft window. For different sizes, enter the additional measured opening area under Advanced options. If you enter Known net wall area, openings should already be deducted and the opening controls are ignored.
How many bricks are on a pallet?
There is no universal brick-pallet quantity. Pack counts vary by brick dimensions, product, plant, and supplier. Use the calculator for the brick quantity, then confirm the exact strap or pallet pack for the specific brick you will order.