Brick Calculator
Enter wall dimensions and brick size. We'll tell you how many bricks plus the bags of mortar mix.
Advanced options
- Wall area
- 0 sq ft
- Bricks per area
- 0 per sq ft
- Mortar bags (60 lb / 27 kg)
- 0
- Estimated cost
- —
How the brick calculator works
A 20 × 6-ft single-wythe wall — 120 sq ft — takes 906 modular bricks and 8 bags of mortar mix. With a ⅜-inch joint, each modular brick plus its mortar covers 0.146 sq ft, which is 6.9 bricks per square foot, or 823 bricks before waste; a 10% waste factor brings that to 906. Build the same wall double-wythe and the brick count doubles to 1,811.
The formula: for each brick + its mortar joint, the area covered = (brick_length + joint) × (brick_height + joint). Wall area = length × height, divided by area-per-brick gives raw count. Multiply by 2 for double-wythe walls, then add a 10% waste factor for cuts, breakage, and pattern misalignments.
Standard brick sizes
- Modular — 7⅝" × 2¼" × 3⅝" (19.4 × 5.7 × 9.2 cm). The most common residential face brick. ~7 bricks per sq ft single-wythe with ⅜" mortar joints.
- Queen — 8" × 2¾" × 3" (20.3 × 7 × 7.6 cm). Slightly larger; ~6 bricks per sq ft.
- King — 9⅝" × 2⅝" × 3" (24.4 × 6.7 × 7.6 cm). Larger still; ~5 bricks per sq ft.
- Engineer / Norman / Roman — specialty sizes. Use the custom option.
Mortar planning
Rule of thumb: 2 bags of pre-mixed mortar per 100 modular bricks with ⅜" joints — about 58 bricks per 60-lb bag. Wider joints, more bags. Be careful with the widely repeated "125 bricks per bag" figure: that describes a bag of masonry cement, which yields roughly a cubic foot of mortar once you add sand, not a 60-lb bag of pre-mixed mortar (0.45 cu ft). Applying it to premix underbuys by about 2.5×. We use 60-lb (27 kg) bags as the unit; 80-lb (36 kg) bags exist but smaller is easier to manage on site. Type N is fine for residential veneer; Type S for load-bearing. The mortar calculator shows the full breakdown.
Common questions
Single vs double-wythe — what's the difference?
A single-wythe wall is one brick thick and used as a veneer over a structural wall (most modern brick houses). A double-wythe wall is two bricks thick and is structural — common in older homes and some commercial work. Double-wythe doubles your brick count.
What about brick ties, flashing, weep holes?
This calc sizes the bricks and mortar only. For veneer walls also budget: corrugated brick ties at 16" OC vertically × 24" OC horizontally, weep holes every 32" along the bottom course, and a flashing membrane behind the wall. These aren't expensive but they're easy to forget.
Can I cut waste below 10%?
Only if it's a simple rectangle with no openings. Doors, windows, corners, and chimneys all force cut bricks that often can't be reused. 10% is the floor; complex layouts demand 15%.
Pair with the mortar calculator for a more detailed mortar breakdown.
Planning the full project?
These calculators usually get run in the same afternoon.