Figure My Build

Brick Calculator

Give us the wall size and pick your brick. You get the brick count and the mortar bags to go with it, the two things a masonry shopping list actually needs.

Diagram of a wall showing its length and height, with a door and a window
One wall at a time: length × height is the area every wall material covers.

Your buy-list

Enter your measurements

How bricks and mortar are calculated

Brick counts come from the manufacturer's standard table of units per square foot with a 3/8 in mortar joint (Belden Brick dimensions guide): modular brick needs 6.86 bricks per sq ft, standard 6.55, queen 4.61, and so on. Wall area × units per sq ft gives the exact count; your waste allowance covers cuts and breakage; the result rounds up to whole bricks.

Mortar is estimated from manufacturer yields. The makers rate an 80 lb bag of mortar mix at 35–40 standard bricks. Quikrete says up to 37, Sakrete's data sheet up to 40 and its yield tables 35. This calculator plans on 35 bricks per bag, the conservative end, so you don't run short mid-wall. Bags = bricks ÷ 35, rounded up.

These counts are for a single-wythe wall (one brick thick), the standard veneer and garden-wall construction. Double the brick count for a two-wythe structural wall, and always confirm structural work against local code. Building with block instead? The Concrete Block Calculator counts blocks and mortar the same way.

Sources

The figures behind this calculator come from published manufacturer data and industry standards:

Worked examples

10 × 8 ft wall, modular brick

80 sq ft at 6.86 bricks per sq ft, 10% waste.

Buy 604 bricks + 18 mortar bags

20 × 3 ft garden wall, standard brick

60 sq ft at 6.55 per sq ft, 10% waste.

Buy 433 bricks + 13 mortar bags

12 × 10 ft wall, queen brick

120 sq ft at 4.61 per sq ft, 10% waste.

Buy 609 bricks + 18 mortar bags

Frequently asked questions

How many bricks do I need for a 10×8 wall?
With modular brick (the most common US size), 549 bricks exactly, 604 with a 10% allowance for cuts and breakage, plus about 18 bags of 80 lb mortar mix.
How many bricks are in a cube or pallet?
A cube is typically 500 bricks for modular size (fewer for larger units). Our 10×8 example at 604 bricks is a cube plus a small top-up order.
How much mortar do I need per 100 bricks?
Roughly 3 bags of 80 lb mortar mix per 100 bricks. We plan on 35 bricks per bag, the conservative end of the manufacturers' published 35–40 range, because thicker joints and waste eat into the rated yield.
Which brick size should I choose?
Modular is the default for most US residential work and coordinates with 8-inch block modules. The larger sizes in the list above (queen, jumbo modular and utility) put fewer units in each square foot, so walls go up faster, though each unit weighs more.

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Estimate disclaimer: results are planning estimates based on standard manufacturer yields and coverage figures. Site conditions, product choice and installation method change actual quantities. Verify before you buy, and follow local building code for structural work. This tool does not replace professional engineering advice.

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