Brick Calculator
Calculate how many bricks you need for a wall from its length, height and openings, for modular, queen, king and utility sizes, plus bags of mortar mix.
By CalcBuilt Editorial TeamUpdated September 9, 2026Formulas checked against manufacturer specs, see how we calculate.
Results
- Bricks to buy
- 1,152 bricks
- 1,098 modular bricks in the wall plus 5% waste
- Mortar mix (80 lb bags)
- 32 bags
- About 37 modular bricks per bag with 0.375 in joints
- Bricks per square foot
- 6.86 per sq ft
- Each brick covers 8 in x 2.625 in with its joint
- Wall area
- 160 sq ft
- Single wythe, no openings
Brick formula
Wall area (sq ft) = Length x Height - openings
Brick face with joint (sq in) = (Brick length + joint) x (Brick height + joint)
Bricks = Wall area x 144 / Brick face with joint x (1 + waste %)
Mortar bags (80 lb) = Bricks / 37 for modular brick with 3/8 in jointsWorked example
A 30 x 6 ft garden wall with a 3 x 4 ft opening, in queen brick with 3/8 in joints: wall area is 180 - 12 = 168 sq ft. A queen brick with its joint covers (7.625 + 0.375) x (2.75 + 0.375) = 8 x 3.125 = 25 sq in, so 144 / 25 = 5.76 bricks per square foot. 168 x 5.76 = 968 bricks, or 1,017 with 5% waste.
Mortar: a bag lays 37 modular bricks covering 21 sq in each, so it lays about 37 x 21 / 25 = 31 queen bricks. 1,017 / 31 = 33 bags of 80 lb mortar mix.
Quick reference
| Brick size | Face (in) | Per sq ft | Per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 7-5/8 x 2-1/4 | 6.86 | 686 |
| Engineer modular | 7-5/8 x 2-13/16 | 5.65 | 565 |
| Queen | 7-5/8 x 2-3/4 | 5.76 | 576 |
| King | 9-5/8 x 2-5/8 | 4.80 | 480 |
| Closure | 7-5/8 x 3-5/8 | 4.50 | 450 |
| Utility | 11-5/8 x 3-5/8 | 3.00 | 300 |
How to calculate bricks for a wall
Measure the wall length and height and multiply for the face area, then subtract doors and windows. Divide that area, in square inches, by the face of one brick including its mortar joint. A modular brick with a 3/8 inch joint occupies 8 by 2-5/8 inches, or 21 square inches, so one square foot of wall holds 144 / 21 = 6.86 bricks. A 160 square foot wall needs about 1,100 bricks.
This is for a single wythe, which is how brick veneer on a wood-frame house is built. A solid double-wythe wall needs twice as many bricks plus header courses or ties. Waste is culls (every cube has a few chipped or cracked units), the half brick that starts alternate courses at each corner and jamb, and cuts at openings. 5 percent covers a plain wall; soldier courses, rowlock sills, arches and a lot of openings push it to 10.
Mortar, ties and weight
Premixed mortar in 80 lb bags is the easy option for small jobs: a bag lays about 37 modular bricks. For anything over a few hundred bricks, site-mixed Type N mortar (1 part masonry cement to 2-1/4 to 3 parts sand) is cheaper. Roughly 10 bags of masonry cement and three quarters of a cubic yard of sand lay 1,000 bricks with 3/8 inch joints. Above grade the mortar is Type N (ASTM C270, 750 psi). It is softer than the brick, so movement cracks the joint and not the face. Type S goes below grade and in retaining walls. Mortar is good for about 2-1/2 hours and can be retempered with water once; after that it goes in the wheelbarrow, not the wall.
Veneer bears on a brick ledge on the foundation at least 4-5/8 inches wide: the 3-5/8 inch brick plus the 1 inch air space (IRC R703.8.2 and R703.8.4.2). It ties to the framing with 22 gauge corrugated ties, one per 2.67 square feet and never more than 24 inches apart (R703.8.4.1). That works out to one tie on every stud at every ninth course of modular brick. Flashing goes at the base and over every lintel and sill (R703.8.5), with weep holes in the head joints directly above it, 33 inches apart maximum (R703.8.6). Steel angle lintels over openings are sized from Table R703.8.3.1. Brick arrives on cubes of about 500 weighing about 2,300 lb; the boom truck sets them where it can reach, so clear a spot near the wall. Lay from three cubes at once, taking a brick from each in turn, so the shade differences between cubes blend instead of banding.
What this calculator leaves out
Wall ties, flashing, weep vents, steel lintels, sills and the brick ledge or angle that carries the veneer. Sand and masonry cement if you site-mix, a mixer, scaffold above about 5 feet, and delivery. Cleaning after 7 days of cure with a proprietary brick cleaner or muriatic acid at 1 part to 10. Check the brick maker's sheet first, since acid burns some light and sand-faced brick. The count is one wythe; a double-wythe or cavity wall doubles it.
Mistakes that cost money
- Laying from one cube at a time bands the wall by color; pull from three cubes at once and blend as you go.
- Weep holes skipped or clogged with mortar trap water in the cavity; open head joints at 33 in maximum over the flashing (IRC R703.8.6).
- Type S mortar on above-grade veneer is harder than the brick and cracks the faces; use Type N there, Type S below grade.
- Going back for 50 more brick gets a different run that does not match; order full cubes from one lot and keep the extras.
- A cube of 500 brick weighs about 2,300 lb; without a boom truck or forklift it lands at the curb and you carry it.
- Mortar retempered more than once or used past 2-1/2 hours has lost its bond; dump the batch instead of reworking it.
Key facts
- A modular brick is 7-5/8 x 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 in; with a 3/8 in joint it lays up to 8 x 4 x 2-2/3 in, so three courses rise exactly 8 in.
- A single-wythe wall takes about 6.9 modular bricks per square foot, usually rounded to 7.
- An 80 lb bag of mortar mix lays about 37 modular bricks; 1,000 bricks need roughly 27 bags.
- Queen and king bricks are larger, so a wall needs about 5.8 or 4.8 bricks per square foot instead of 7.
- A modular brick weighs about 4.5 lb, so 1,000 bricks weigh about 2.25 tons.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
About 7 modular bricks per square foot with 3/8 in mortar joints (6.86 exactly). Queen bricks run about 5.8 per square foot and king bricks about 4.8.
Why does my new brick wall look striped?
The mason worked one cube at a time. Each cube comes from a different part of the kiln run, so the shade shifts cube to cube and shows as bands. Lay from three cubes at once, pulling a brick from each in turn, and the differences disappear into the wall. Once it is laid there is no fix short of staining.
How many bricks are in a cube or pallet?
Usually about 500 modular bricks per cube, though some plants pack 400 to 530. Queen and king brick cubes hold fewer.
How much mortar do I need per 100 bricks?
About 3 bags of 80 lb premixed mortar per 100 modular bricks with 3/8 in joints.
Sources and references
- Technical Note 10, Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry (Brick Industry Association)
- QUIKRETE Mortar Mix No. 1102 product data sheet (Quikrete)
- Sakrete Mortar Mix Type N product page (Sakrete)
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Results are estimates based on standard formulas and typical product specifications. Confirm quantities with your supplier and local code before ordering.