Brick Calculator

Calculate how many bricks, mortar bags, and tons of sand you need for any wall — plus material cost.

Wall Length (ft)

Wall Height (ft)

Brick Size

Mortar Joint Thickness

Waste Factor (%)

Openings (sqft)

Cost per 1,000 Bricks ($)

Bricks Needed (10% waste included)

1,207

160 sqft of wall area

Wall area (net)	160 sqft
Bricks per sqft	6.9
Bricks (net, no waste)	1,098
Bricks (with 10% waste)	1,207
Mortar bags (Type S)	41
Sand	1.03 tons

Brick cost	$748.34
Mortar cost (@ $14/bag)	$574.00
Sand cost (@ $30/ton)	$30.75
Total materials	$1,353.09

info

Danny Reeves:Brick prices quoted per thousand (“per M”) at the yard. If you’re buying less than a full pallet, expect 15–20% markup from the distributor. For jobs under 2,000 brick, check if split-pallet pricing makes sense or bump up to save on unit cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bricks per square foot?

For modular brick (3.625 x 2.25 x 7.625 inches) with a standard 3/8-inch mortar joint, you need approximately 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall. Standard brick (3.5 x 2.25 x 8 inches) works out to about 6.55 per sqft. These numbers assume a single wythe (one brick thick) running bond pattern. Add 5–10% for waste and breakage on most jobs.

What mortar type should I use for exterior walls?

Type S mortar is the standard choice for exterior walls, load-bearing walls, and any below-grade application. It has a minimum compressive strength of 1,800 PSI and good flexural bond strength. Type N mortar (750 PSI) is acceptable for above-grade exterior veneer where wind loads are moderate. Never use Type N below grade or on retaining walls. Type M (2,500 PSI) is overkill for most above-grade work but required for some engineered masonry.

How do I account for window and door openings?

Measure the rough opening width and height for each window and door, then multiply to get the square footage. A standard 3-foot by 5-foot window is 15 sqft. A 3-foot by 7-foot door is 21 sqft. Sum all openings and enter that total in the “Openings” field. The calculator subtracts this from total wall area before computing brick count. Keep your waste factor at 10% even after deducting openings, because cuts around openings generate more waste than straight runs.

How much waste should I order?

A 10% waste factor covers most residential and small commercial jobs with standard running bond. Increase to 12–15% for complex patterns (herringbone, basket weave), walls with many openings, or if the brick supplier’s quality control is inconsistent (higher chip rate). For salvage or reclaimed brick, go 15–20% because rejection rates are higher. Always order all brick from the same lot to avoid color variation.

Methodology: Bricks per sqft = 1 / ((brickLength + jointThickness) / 12 x (brickHeight + jointThickness) / 12). Total bricks = wall area (sqft) / brick area (sqft per brick) x (1 + waste%). Mortar coverage assumes 1 bag Type S per 30 modular bricks. Sand at 50 lbs per bag (0.025 tons). Costs are material only and do not include labor, scaffolding, or delivery. Prices reflect 2026 national averages.

How the Brick Calculator works

The calculator starts from the face area a single brick occupies once its mortar joint is included, then divides the net wall area by that figure. A brick’s footprint on the wall is (length + joint) ÷ 12 multiplied by (height + joint) ÷ 12, which converts inches to feet. Modular brick at 7.625 by 2.25 inches with a 3/8 inch joint occupies 0.1458 square feet, or 6.86 bricks per square foot.

Net wall area is length × height minus the square footage you enter for doors, windows, and other openings. That net area divided by the brick face area gives the raw count, which is then multiplied by the waste factor (10% by default) and rounded up to a whole brick.

Mortar is estimated at one 80 lb bag per 30 bricks, sand at 0.025 tons per bag of mortar. Costs use your brick price per thousand, $14 per bag of mortar, and $30 per ton of sand. Switching brick size changes both the face area and the default price per thousand, because standard and jumbo brick run higher than modular.

Worked example: a 20 ft by 8 ft wall is 160 square feet. At 0.1458 square feet per modular brick that is 1,097 bricks net, and adding 10% waste brings it to 1,207 bricks. Those bricks take 41 bags of mortar (1,207 ÷ 30, rounded up) and about 1.03 tons of sand. At $620 per thousand the brick runs $748, mortar $574, and sand $31, for roughly $1,353 in materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bricks are in a square foot of wall?

With modular brick (7.625 inches long by 2.25 inches high) and a 3/8 inch mortar joint, each brick occupies 8 by 2.625 inches of wall face, which is 0.1458 square feet. That works out to 6.86 bricks per square foot, which is where the common rule of thumb of about 7 bricks per square foot comes from. Standard and jumbo brick sizes give different counts, so the calculator recalculates the face area rather than using a fixed number.

How many bags of mortar do I need per 1,000 bricks?

The calculator assumes one 80 lb bag of mortar lays about 30 bricks, so 1,000 bricks takes roughly 34 bags. That figure already reflects normal joint waste. If you are laying to a 1/2 inch joint instead of 3/8 inch, expect to use more mortar per brick than this estimate suggests.

Why does the calculator add sand on top of the mortar bags?

Pre-blended mortar mix still gets sanded on site in most masonry work. The tool estimates 0.025 tons of sand per bag of mortar, so a 41 bag job carries about 1.0 ton of sand. If you are buying pre-mixed bags that need water only, you can ignore the sand line.

How much waste should I add to a brick order?

The default is 10%, which covers breakage in transit, cuts at openings and corners, and culls for color. Ten percent is standard for a straightforward running-bond wall. Raise it toward 15% for heavy cutting, patterned bond, or reclaimed brick, where breakage rates are higher.