Concrete & Masonry
Brick Calculator
Find out how many bricks you need for a brick wall, veneer or garden wall. This brick calculator works from the wall size, openings, brick size and mortar joint to give bricks per square foot, the total to order with an allowance, pallets, mortar bags and an optional cost.
Result
Enter your measurements and press Calculate. What to buy, the working and the cost will appear here.
How to use the brick calculator
- Enter each wall’s length and height. Add rows for more walls, or use How many for identical ones.
- Subtract doors and windows as one total area.
- Pick the brick size (modular is the most common US size) or enter a custom size, and check the mortar joint.
- Add bricks per pallet and prices if you have them, then press Calculate.
How many bricks do I need?
bricks per ft² = 144 ÷ ((brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint))
bricks = net wall area × bricks per ft² × (1 + allowance)
A modular brick (7 5/8 × 2 1/4 in) with 3/8 in joints fills 8 × 2 5/8 in, so 144 ÷ 21 = 6.86 bricks per ft². Brick tables often quote 6.75 per ft², which assumes three courses to exactly 8 in; the difference is well inside a normal allowance.
Worked example: a brick veneer wall
A 24 ft long, 8 ft high wall has a door and window totaling 35 ft². It is faced with modular brick at $0.75 each, bricks come 500 to a pallet, and we allow 5% extra:
- Wall 1: 24 ft × 8 ft = 192 ft²
- Net wall area: 192 ft² − 35 ft² = 157 ft²
- Bricks per ft²: 1 ft² ÷ (8 in × 2.625 in) = 6.857
- Bricks: 157 ft² × 6.857 = 1,076.6 × 1.05 = 1,130.4 → 1,131
- Mortar: 1,076.6 × 13.9 in³ × 1.25 = 10.85 ft³ ÷ 0.67 ft³ per bag → 17 bags
Bricks to buy: 1,131; Mortar: 17 bags of 80 lb mortar mix; Pallets: 3 pallets; Estimated cost: $848.25. Open this example in the calculator.
Bricks per square foot by size
| Brick | Bricks per ft² (3/8 in joint) | Per 100 ft² |
|---|---|---|
| Modular brick (7 5/8 × 2 1/4 in) | 6.86 | 686 |
| Engineer modular (7 5/8 × 2 3/4 in) | 5.76 | 576 |
| King size (9 5/8 × 2 5/8 in) | 4.8 | 480 |
| Utility (11 5/8 × 3 5/8 in) | 3 | 300 |
In metric, UK standard bricks (215 × 65 mm) with 10 mm joints come to about 59 per m², often rounded to 60; switch the calculator to metric to use them.
How many extra bricks should I order?
- 5% for plain walls with few cuts.
- 10% for walls with many openings, corners, piers or decorative patterns.
- Keep a few spares from the same batch for future repairs; matching a brick color years later is hard.
Mortar for brickwork
Fully bedded modular brick takes about 8 ft³ of mortar per 1,000 bricks before waste, which is about 16 bags of 80 lb mortar mix once a normal 25% waste is added. The mortar calculator works it out for other brick sizes and bags.
Assumptions and limitations
- The count is for a single wythe (one brick thick). Double the walls for a two-wythe wall.
- Openings are subtracted as a total area; soldier courses, sills and headers are covered by the allowance.
- Ties, flashing, lintels and weep vents for veneer walls are not included.
Brick questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
About 6.75–6.9 standard modular bricks per ft² with 3/8 in joints. Larger bricks such as king size (about 4.8) and utility (about 3) need fewer.
How many bricks do I need for a 10 × 10 wall?
100 ft² of single-wythe wall takes about 686 modular bricks, or 720 with 5% extra.
How many bricks are on a pallet?
It varies by size and manufacturer, commonly around 500 modular bricks. Ask your supplier and enter the figure to get pallet counts.
How many bricks are in a square meter?
About 60 UK standard bricks (215 × 65 mm) with 10 mm joints, or about 48 Australian standard bricks (230 × 76 mm).
Formulas, unit conversions and default values are explained on our methodology page. Results are estimates; check manufacturer data and local codes before you buy or build.