Brick Calculator
Calculate the number of bricks and mortar needed for your bricklaying project. Get accurate material calculations and cost estimates for different brick types.
Accurate Brick and Mortar Calculation
Our brick calculator helps you determine the exact number of bricks and mortar needed for your project. Simply enter your wall dimensions, brick size, mortar thickness, and brick type. The calculator will provide you with detailed material requirements and cost estimates including brick costs, mortar costs, and labor fees.
Results
WALL
MATERIALS
Cost Breakdown
How to Estimate Brick for a Wall
Brick is counted per square foot of wall, not per brick measured individually. A standard modular brick with a 3/8 inch joint runs about 6.8 bricks per square foot of single-wythe wall. Multiply your wall area by that figure, add 5 to 10% for breakage and cuts, and you have the order.
1. Measure the wall area
Length times height. A 30 foot wall 8 feet high is 240 square feet.
2. Subtract openings
Take out doors and windows in full. Unlike sheet goods, brick cut from an opening genuinely goes back into the wall elsewhere.
3. Multiply by bricks per square foot
About 6.8 for standard modular with a 3/8 inch joint. Larger units mean fewer per square foot — a queen is about 5.8, a king about 4.9, an 8x8x16 CMU block is 1.125.
4. Add for breakage and cuts
5% on a plain wall, 10% where there are lots of corners, returns or openings. Brick arrives broken more often than anything else on the pallet.
5. Work out mortar from the count
Roughly one bag of mortar per 100 to 125 standard bricks, and about a cubic foot of sand per bag.
Worked Example: a 30 x 8 Garden Wall
Single wythe, standard modular brick, 3/8 inch joints, one 3x7 gate opening.
| Item | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gross wall area | 30 x 8 | 240 sq ft |
| Gate opening | 3 x 7 | −21 sq ft |
| Net area | 240 − 21 | 219 sq ft |
| Bricks before waste | 219 x 6.8 | 1,489 |
| With 7% breakage | 1,489 x 1.07 | ~1,594 bricks |
| Mortar | 1,594 ÷ 115 | ~14 bags |
Units per Square Foot
Single wythe, 3/8 inch joints. Nominal sizes.
| Unit | Nominal size | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Modular brick | 3⅝ x 2¼ x 7⅝ in | 6.8 |
| Queen brick | 3⅛ x 2¾ x 7⅝ in | 5.8 |
| King brick | 3 x 2¾ x 9⅝ in | 4.9 |
| Utility brick | 3⅝ x 3⅝ x 11⅝ in | 3.0 |
| CMU block | 8 x 8 x 16 in | 1.125 |
What a Brick Wall Costs to Build
The brick count from the calculator above is one line of the price. What decides the rest is the foundation under the wall, the bond you are laying and how far the bricklayer has to reach. A garden wall and the same area of facing brick at second-floor level are not comparable jobs.
The footing under it
A wall of any height needs a foundation, and on a freestanding wall that means excavation, concrete and often reinforcement before a single brick is laid. It is invisible in the finished job and it is regularly the largest single cost.
The bond
Running bond is the fastest. Flemish, English and stack bond mean more cuts, more setting out and slower laying for the same wall area. Choose the bond before you price the labour.
Mortar, sand and the mixing
Mortar is bags of cement and lime plus sand delivered, and the quantity follows the joint size and the number of bricks, both of which the calculator gives you. Mixing is labour that runs through the whole job rather than a one-off.
What gets built into the wall as it goes up
Wall ties, damp-proof course, weep vents, lintels over openings, movement joints and any reinforcement are all placed as the courses rise. Each is small on its own, and together they are a line worth writing out.
Height and access
Everything above about waist height is slower, and everything above ladder height needs a working platform. Scaffolding is a hire cost, an erection day and a strike day, and it is priced whether the wall is ten feet long or forty.
The finish on the joint
A struck or bucket-handle joint is done as you go. Raking out and repointing later, or matching an existing mortar colour on an extension, is separate work and needs a sample panel before you commit to it.
The Lines Behind a Brickwork Price
| Line item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Bricks | Brick count from the wall area and bond, plus a waste allowance for cuts and breakage |
| Footing | Excavation, concrete, reinforcement and spoil removal |
| Mortar | Cement, lime and sand from the joint size and brick count, plus mixing time |
| Built-in components | Ties, damp-proof course, weeps, lintels, movement joints |
| Access | Scaffolding hire, erection and strike, or a tower on a small job |
| Laying labour | Bricks per day at the chosen bond, adjusted for height and openings |
| Pointing and cleaning down | The joint finish, and washing the face at the end |
| Site and disposal | Delivery, moving materials to the wall, pallet returns, broken brick removal |
Where Estimates Go Wrong
Counting bricks individually instead of per square foot
The joint is part of the module. Measuring the brick alone and dividing the wall by it overstates the count every time.
Skipping the breakage allowance
Brick chips on the pallet, on the forklift and on the saw. Five percent is the floor, not a cushion.
Forgetting that corners consume extra
Every return and every opening produces cuts, and a wall full of them behaves nothing like a straight run.
Brick Calculator — Common Questions
What does a brick wall cost to build?
The bricks and mortar come out of the calculator above. What usually decides the total is the footing under the wall, the bond you are laying, and whether the work needs scaffolding. A freestanding garden wall carries a foundation nobody sees, and a bond with more cuts slows the laying for the same area of wall.
How many bricks per square foot?
About 6.8 standard modular bricks per square foot of single-wythe wall with 3/8 inch joints. Queen size is about 5.8, king about 4.9, and an 8x8x16 CMU block is 1.125.
How many bricks do I need for a 30 foot wall?
At 8 feet high with no openings that is 240 square feet, about 1,632 modular bricks, or roughly 1,750 with a breakage allowance.
How much mortar do I need?
Roughly one bag per 100 to 125 standard bricks, plus about a cubic foot of sand per bag if you are mixing rather than buying pre-blended.
How much waste should I allow for brick?
5% on a plain straight wall, up to 10% where there are corners, returns and openings producing cuts.
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