Brick Calculator (Bricks and Mortar for a Wall)

Enter the wall length and height, subtract the openings, pick the brick and joint size, and this calculator gives the bricks to buy with waste, the mortar in cubic feet from the Brick Industry Association tables, and the bags of mortar mix from the yield printed on the bag. Modular, engineer modular, closure, queen and king brick are built in; a custom size uses the theoretical joint volume.

Bricks and mortar calculator

How it works

Wall area = length × height − openings
Bricks = area ÷ 100 × brick per 100 sq ft (BIA Technical Note 10, Table 4: 675 for modular brick with 3/8 in joints, 563 engineer modular, 450 closure modular, 550 queen, 455 king)
Mortar = bricks ÷ 1,000 × cubic feet per 1,000 (8.1 cu ft for modular brick with 3/8 in joints, 10.3 with 1/2 in)
Waste: BIA suggests at least 5% on brick and 15 to 25% on mortar
Custom brick: bricks per sq ft = 144 ÷ ((length + joint) × (height + joint)); mortar per brick = the joint volume around it × bed depth

Worked example

A 20 × 8 ft veneer wall with 30 sq ft of window, modular brick, 3/8 in joints:

Wall length: 20 ft
Wall height: 8 ft
Openings to subtract (doors, windows): 30 sq ft
Brick size: Modular (7-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 3-5/8 in)
Mortar joint: 3/8 in (standard)
Brick waste and breakage: 5%
Mortar waste: 20%
Bricks laid per 80 lb bag of mortar mix: 37

The calculator gives:

Bricks to buy: 922 (878 in the wall + 5% waste)
Mortar: 8.5 cu ft including 20% waste (7.1 cu ft in the joints)
80 lb bags of mortar mix: 25 at 37 bricks per bag
Wall area: 130 sq ft net of openings
Rate used: 675 bricks per 100 sq ft, 8.1 cu ft mortar per 1,000: Modular (7-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 3-5/8 in) (BIA Table 4)

130 sq ft of wall needs 878 modular bricks, 922 with 5% breakage. The joints hold 7.1 cu ft of mortar, 8.5 cu ft with 20% waste. At QUIKRETE’s 37 bricks per 80 lb bag that is 25 bags of mortar mix, which is generous compared with the table volume: the bag figure includes the usual waste.

Material and waste notes

Rates are for single-wythe running bond with full bed and head joints. Stack bond, soldier courses, corners and arches add cutting waste.
BIA Table 4 counts mortar in the wall, not on the ground; that is why the waste allowance is large.
Wall ties, weep vents, flashing and lintels are separate. A veneer wall also needs a 1 in air space and a foundation ledge.
Modular brick nominal size includes the joint: 8 × 2-2/3 × 4 in, so three courses rise 8 in.
Queen and king brick vary by maker; check the actual size and use the custom option if it differs.

Frequently asked questions

How many bricks per square foot?

About 6.75 modular bricks per square foot of wall with 3/8 in joints (675 per 100 sq ft, BIA Table 4). Queen brick is 5.5 per sq ft, king brick 4.55.

How much mortar per 1000 bricks?

BIA gives 8.1 cu ft of mortar in the joints per 1,000 modular bricks with 3/8 in joints, and recommends adding 15 to 25% for waste. QUIKRETE rates an 80 lb bag of mortar mix at 37 bricks, about 27 bags per 1,000.

How many bricks do I need for a 10×10 wall?

675 modular bricks for 100 sq ft, about 710 with 5% waste, plus 8 to 10 cu ft of mortar.

What size is a modular brick?

7-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 3-5/8 in, which with 3/8 in joints fits an 8 × 2-2/3 × 4 in nominal module.

How many bags of mortar per 100 bricks?

About 3 bags of 80 lb mortar mix at the manufacturer’s 37 bricks per bag; the theoretical volume is 0.8 cu ft, so the bag rate is conservative.

Sources

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known answers taken from the sources above. Found an error? Please let us know.