Boneyard Tools

Brick Calculator: How Many Bricks Do I Need

Estimate the bricks for a wall in seconds. Enter the wall length and height, keep the modular brick defaults or set your own, and add a waste allowance.

How to calculate bricks for a wall

  1. Enter the wall length and height in feet.
  2. Keep the modular brick size and mortar joint, or enter your own.
  3. Set a waste percent for breakage, then read the bricks to buy.

Examples

10 by 10 ft wall, modular brick, 10% waste

Length 10 ft, height 10 ft, brick 7.625 x 2.25 in, 0.375 in joint
100 sq ft, 686 before waste, 755 bricks

Frequently asked questions

How many bricks are in a square foot?

About 6.86 modular bricks per square foot of wall with a 3/8 inch mortar joint, since each brick plus its joint covers roughly 21 square inches, or 0.1458 square feet.

Why add the mortar joint to the brick size?

Mortar joints take up wall space, so each brick effectively covers its own face plus one joint. Adding the joint to the length and height gives a realistic brick count.

What is a modular brick size?

A modular brick has a face of about 7.625 by 2.25 inches. With a 3/8 inch joint it lays out on a clean 8 by 2.625 inch module, which is the default used here.

How much waste should I allow?

Around 10 percent covers breakage, cuts and culls for a plain wall. Add more, 15 to 20 percent, for patterns, lots of corners or openings that need many cut bricks.

Does this count a single or double brick wythe?

It counts a single wythe, one brick thick. For a double-wythe wall, run the numbers and multiply the brick count by two, plus any extra for headers and ties.

Related tools