Brick Calculator
Instantly estimate exactly how many bricks and bags of mortar you need for your wall. Customize your calculation by wall thickness, specific brick size, and mortar joints.
Whether you are building a small garden retaining wall, a brick veneer on your home, or a structural double-skin boundary wall, calculating the exact amount of bricks and mortar you need is an essential first step. Ordering too few bricks halts construction, while ordering too many wastes money.
Our brick calculator takes the manual math out of masonry. By calculating the effective surface area of a single brick (including the mortar joint), we can accurately determine your required brick count, output the exact number of mortar bags required, and estimate your project costs.
How to Calculate Bricks in a Wall
To calculate the number of bricks required, you must find the total area of your wall and divide it by the “effective area” of a single brick. The effective area includes the physical face of the brick plus the thickness of the mortar joint surrounding it.
- Find the Wall Area: Multiply the length of your wall by its height.
- Find the Effective Brick Area: Add the mortar joint thickness (usually 3/8″ or 10mm) to the length of a single brick, and add it to the height of the brick. Multiply these new dimensions together.
- Divide for the Base Count: Divide the total wall area by the effective brick area. This gives you the mathematical number of bricks required for a single layer (single skin).
- Multiply by Wall Thickness: If you are building a double-skin structural wall (9-inch wall), multiply your base count by 2.
- Add Waste Factor: Always multiply your final number by 1.10 to add a 10% waste factor for cuts and breakages.
The Brick Calculation Formula in Feet
If you are working in Imperial units, it is crucial to convert your brick dimensions (which are in inches) into square feet so they match your wall measurements.
Brick Area = ((Length + Mortar) ÷ 12) × ((Height + Mortar) ÷ 12)
Bricks = (Wall Area ÷ Brick Area) × Skins × Waste Factor
Single Skin vs. Double Skin (4.5″ vs 9″ Walls)
The total number of bricks heavily depends on your wall structure.
- Single Skin (Half-Brick Wall): This wall is only one brick deep (typically 4.5 inches wide in the US). This is commonly used for brick veneer siding on homes, decorative garden borders, and small non-load-bearing partitions.
- Double Skin (One-Brick Wall): This wall is two bricks deep, laid side-by-side (typically 9 inches wide). These are interlocking structural walls designed to bear heavy loads and form the foundation of buildings. You will need exactly twice as many bricks for a double-skin wall.
Standard Brick Sizes
Because there are dozens of brick sizes manufactured globally, using an accurate dimension is vital to the calculation. Our brick calculator includes the most common presets:
| Region / Name | Standard Dimensions (L × H × D) |
|---|---|
| US Standard Modular | 7 ⅝” × 2 ¼” × 3 ⅝” |
| US Queen | 7 ⅝” × 2 ¾” × 3 ⅛” |
| US King | 9 ⅝” × 2 ⅝” × 3″ |
| UK Standard | 215mm × 65mm × 102.5mm |
| Australian Standard | 230mm × 76mm × 110mm |
How Many Bricks per Square Foot?
A frequently asked question by contractors is: “How many bricks are in 1 sq ft?” Using a standard US modular brick (7.625″ x 2.25″) and a standard 3/8-inch (0.375″) mortar joint, you need 6.86 bricks per square foot for a single-skin wall.
| Wall Area | Single Skin (4.5″ Wall) | Double Skin (9″ Wall) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 sq ft | ~ 7 bricks | ~ 14 bricks |
| 10 sq ft | ~ 69 bricks | ~ 138 bricks |
| 100 sq ft | ~ 686 bricks | ~ 1,372 bricks |
| 500 sq ft | ~ 3,430 bricks | ~ 6,860 bricks |
*Note: Calculations above represent raw math. Always add a 10% waste factor when actually ordering materials.
Worked Calculation Examples
How many bricks for a 10×10 wall?
Assume you are building a 10 ft by 10 ft brick veneer wall (single skin) using standard modular bricks.
- Wall Area: 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft.
- Base Brick Count: At 6.86 bricks per sq ft, you need 686 bricks.
- Add 10% Waste: 686 × 1.10 = 754.6.
- Total Needed: You should order 755 bricks.
How many bricks are required for a 12×12 feet wall?
Assume you are building a 12 ft by 12 ft load-bearing shed wall (double skin, 9-inch wall).
- Wall Area: 12 × 12 = 144 sq ft.
- Base Brick Count (Single): 144 × 6.86 = 988 bricks.
- Double Skin: 988 × 2 = 1,976 bricks.
- Add 10% Waste: 1,976 × 1.10 = 2,173.6.
- Total Needed: You should order 2,174 bricks.
How to Calculate Mortar for Bricks
The Mortar Ratio Rule of Thumb
While precise volumetric math can be done, mason contractors generally rely on a proven industry standard: 1 standard 80 lb bag of Type S or Type N mortar will lay approximately 40 standard modular bricks.
If you have calculated that you need 1,000 bricks for your project, simply divide by 40. You will need roughly 25 bags (80 lbs each) of mortar mix. Our calculator handles this mortar volume conversion automatically based on your specific inputs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
For a standard single-skin (4.5-inch) wall using standard modular bricks (7 5/8″ x 2 1/4″) with a 3/8-inch mortar joint, you need approximately 686 bricks per 100 square feet. For a double-skin (9-inch) wall, you will need roughly 1,372 bricks.
Using standard modular bricks in a single-skin wall configuration, 1,000 bricks will cover approximately 145 square feet of wall area. In a double-skin 9-inch structural wall, 1,000 bricks will cover about 72.5 square feet.
Calculate the effective face area of one brick by adding the mortar joint thickness to the brick’s length and height, then multiplying them together. Divide your total wall area by this effective brick area to find the total number of bricks needed.
A standard US modular brick is nominally 8 inches long (including the mortar joint). Therefore, there are 1.5 bricks per linear foot of wall. Vertically, three standard brick courses (height) equal exactly 8 inches, meaning there are 4.5 bricks per vertical foot.
In a single-skin wall, 500 standard modular bricks will cover approximately 72 to 73 square feet. If building a thicker 9-inch double-skin wall, 500 bricks will only cover roughly 36 square feet.
A 10×10 wall is 100 square feet. To build a standard single-wythe wall (4.5 inches thick) with modular bricks, you will mathematically need 686 bricks. Including a standard 10% waste factor, you should order 755 bricks.
A 12×12 wall is 144 square feet. For a single-skin wall using standard modular bricks, you mathematically need 988 bricks. With a standard 10% waste factor added, you should purchase 1,087 bricks.
Brick veneer or decorative walls are typically single-skin (half-brick) which are 4.5 inches thick. Structural or load-bearing brick walls must be at least double-skin (one-brick), making them a minimum of 9 inches thick to provide structural integrity.
Including a standard 3/8-inch mortar joint, the face of one standard modular brick covers approximately 0.1458 square feet (21 square inches).
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick