Enter your wall dimensions to instantly calculate brick count, mortar volume, and total material cost — with support for standard, modular, and queen brick sizes.
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Industry-standard brick sizes & mortar ratios
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Imperial & metric supported
✓ Mortar volume included✓ Multiple brick size options✓ Works on any device✓ Last verified May 2026
Reviewed by the AllConcreteCalculator.com editorial team — brick sizes and mortar ratios verified against BIA (Brick Industry Association) Technical Notes, May 2026.
Enter Your Wall Dimensions
Measure the full length of the wall face to be bricked.Please enter a valid length greater than 0.
Full height from base to top of wall.Please enter a valid height greater than 0.
Standard and Modular are the most common in US residential construction.
⅜ inch (10 mm) is the standard joint for most brickwork. Smaller joints are used for thin-set or specialty work.
Width of the visible brick face, not including mortar.
Height of the visible brick face, not including mortar.
10% is standard. Use 15% for complex angles, arches, or first-time installers. Never go below 5%.
$
US average: $0.50–$1.50 per standard brick. Specialty or face brick: $1.50–$5.00.
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Type S mortar (standard exterior) runs $10–$18 per 60 lb bag at hardware stores.
Results appear instantly. No sign-up required.
Your Brick Estimate
Bricks Required (with waste)
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Total Bricks
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Net (no waste)
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Bricks / sq ft
Mortar Required
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Mortar (ft³)
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60 lb Bags
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80 lb Bags
—Wall Area (ft²)
—Brick Type
—Joint Size
—Waste Factor
Estimated Material Cost
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Brick and mortar material cost only. Add labor ($10–$20/ft² installed), scaffolding, ties, and lintels for a full project budget. Use our Full Project Estimator for a complete breakdown.
Step 1: Wall area (ft²) = Length (ft) × Height (ft)
Step 2: Course height (in) = Brick face height + Mortar joint
Step 3: Brick unit width (in) = Brick face width + Mortar joint
Step 4: Bricks per ft² = (12 ÷ course height) × (12 ÷ unit width)
Step 5: Net bricks = Wall area (ft²) × Bricks per ft²
Step 6: Total bricks = CEIL(Net bricks × (1 + waste% ÷ 100))
Step 7: Mortar vol (ft³) ≈ Wall area × joint thickness × 1.5 (joint factor)
Step 8: Mortar bags = CEIL(Mortar ft³ ÷ bag yield)
Measure your wall length and height.
Use a tape measure to get the full length and height of the area to be bricked. For walls with openings (windows, doors), subtract those areas after calculating — enter the full wall dimensions first, then deduct the opening areas by running a second calculation and subtracting. Measure to the nearest inch; small errors compound into significant brick count differences on long walls.
Select your brick size and mortar joint.
Pick the brick type your supplier stocks — Standard and Modular are the most common in US residential work. Confirm the mortar joint with your mason: ⅜ inch is the industry default for most applications. Specialty work (thin brick veneer, restoration) may use ¼ inch or even ⅛ inch joints, which significantly increases brick count per square foot.
Set a realistic waste factor.
10% covers most straight-run walls with minimal cuts. Bump to 15% for walls with corners, curves, or arches, where a large number of bricks will be cut to fit. Never order exactly the net count — bricks can arrive chipped from delivery, and reordering a small quantity mid-job typically costs a delivery premium and causes delays.
Use the results to order materials.
Give the brick count directly to your supplier. Order mortar bags based on the bag count shown — Type S mortar is standard for exterior and structural work; Type N for interior non-load-bearing veneers. If you entered pricing, the cost estimate shows your material-only budget. Always confirm with your supplier, as brick prices vary significantly by region and brick type.
⚠ Pro Tip: Always buy all your bricks from a single production run. Brick color and texture vary between kiln firings — even from the same manufacturer. If you run short and order a second batch, the new bricks will likely be visibly different from the first, which is obvious on any wall face. Order 10–15% extra upfront and return the sealed pallets; most suppliers will accept returns on unopened stock.
Brick Calculation Formula Explained
The calculation works from the face dimensions of the brick plus the mortar joint to determine how many bricks fill one square foot, then scales to the full wall area.
Step
Formula
Example (Standard brick, ⅜ in joint)
1. Course height (in)
Brick height + Joint
2.25 + 0.375 = 2.625 in
2. Unit width (in)
Brick width + Joint
8 + 0.375 = 8.375 in
3. Bricks per ft²
(12 ÷ course height) × (12 ÷ unit width)
(12 ÷ 2.625) × (12 ÷ 8.375) = 6.56 bricks/ft²
4. Net bricks
Wall area (ft²) × Bricks per ft²
160 ft² × 6.56 = 1,050 bricks
5. With 10% waste
Net × 1.10
1,050 × 1.10 = 1,155 bricks
Common Wall Size Reference Table
Standard US brick (3⅝ × 2¼ × 8 in face), ⅜ in mortar joint, no waste factor applied. Add 10% for real-world ordering.
Wall Size
Area (ft²)
Net Bricks
Bricks +10% waste
Mortar (60 lb bags)
10 × 8 ft
80
525
578
13
20 × 8 ft
160
1,050
1,155
25
30 × 8 ft
240
1,574
1,731
38
40 × 8 ft
320
2,099
2,309
50
20 × 10 ft
200
1,312
1,443
31
50 × 10 ft
500
3,280
3,608
78
100 × 10 ft
1,000
6,560
7,216
157
Bricks per ft² = 6.56 for standard US brick with ⅜ in joint. Mortar bags calculated at 0.45 ft³ per 60 lb bag, with 15% joint-fill factor.
Which Brick Size Should You Use?
Brick size is one of the first decisions you make on a masonry job, and getting it wrong wastes money and creates visual problems you can't fix without tearing down the wall. The table below shows the most common US brick types, their actual face dimensions, and the applications each is best suited for.
Common US brick sizes, face dimensions, and application guidance. All nominal dimensions include a standard ⅜ in mortar joint.
Brick Type
Face Dimensions (W × H)
Bricks / ft²
Best For
Standard
8 × 2¼ in
6.56
General residential; most common material everywhere
Modular
7⅝ × 2¼ in
6.86
Where coursing must align with 8-inch CMU block
Engineer Modular
7⅝ × 2¾ in
5.76
Faster lay rate, fewer mortar joints, good for tall walls
Norman
11⅝ × 2¼ in
4.57
Long horizontal lines, contemporary exteriors, accent bands
Queen
9⅝ × 2¾ in
4.78
Popular in Southeast US; slightly larger scale than standard
Jumbo Standard
8 × 2¾ in
5.37
Faster installation; same length as standard but taller course
If you are tying a new brick wall to an existing CMU (concrete block) structure, use Modular brick — its nominal dimensions are designed to course evenly with 8-inch CMU every 3 courses. Standard brick does not course evenly with CMU, which forces awkward joint size adjustments or a soldier course to compensate.
Common Mistakes When Estimating Bricks
⚠️
Forgetting to deduct openings — or not deducting them correctly.
A common error is calculating the full wall area including windows and doors, then being surprised you have 200 extra bricks. Subtract each opening's area (width × height) before applying the bricks-per-square-foot rate. If openings have arched tops, use the approximate rectangle and add 10% to that opening's cut waste.
🎨
Ordering bricks from multiple production runs.
Bricks are fired in batches, and color varies between runs — sometimes dramatically, sometimes subtly but visibly. The only safe approach is ordering everything from one pallet lot with matching kiln run codes. Order your 10% waste upfront; most suppliers will credit you for returned sealed pallets within 30–60 days.
📐
Using nominal dimensions instead of actual brick face dimensions.
"Nominal" dimensions include the mortar joint. Actual face dimensions do not. If you plug nominal dimensions into the formula without accounting for the joint separately, your bricks-per-square-foot figure will be wrong — often by 10–15%. This calculator uses actual face dimensions and adds the joint separately, which is the correct approach.
🔧
Selecting the wrong mortar type for the application.
Type N mortar (lower strength) is fine for interior veneers. Type S (medium-high strength) is required for exterior walls, below-grade applications, and anywhere the masonry carries load. Using Type N outdoors in a freeze-thaw climate causes rapid joint deterioration — repointing every 5 years is expensive and avoidable.
📅
Not accounting for corner and end cuts.
Every outside corner requires cutting bricks to maintain the running bond pattern. A wall with four corners will have significantly more cut bricks than a straight run. The 10% waste factor handles typical corners; if your project has many returns, reveals, or curved sections, use 15–20%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Calculate your wall area (length × height in feet), then multiply by the number of bricks per square foot for your chosen brick size. For a standard US brick (8 × 2¼ in face) with a ⅜ inch mortar joint, that's approximately 6.56 bricks per square foot. Multiply that by your wall area and add 10% for waste. This calculator does all the math automatically once you enter your dimensions and brick type.
A standard US brick (8 × 2¼ in face) laid with a ⅜ inch mortar joint requires approximately 6.56 bricks per square foot of wall face. Add 10% for waste to get 7.2 bricks per square foot as your ordering number. For modular brick (7⅝ × 2¼ in), the count is slightly higher at about 6.86 per square foot. The joint size matters: a ½ inch joint reduces brick count slightly compared to a ⅜ inch joint because the larger joint takes up more space.
Standard US bricks have an actual face dimension of 8 inches long × 2¼ inches tall. Modular bricks are 7⅝ inches long × 2¼ inches tall — slightly shorter, which means their nominal length (including mortar joint) equals exactly 8 inches. Modular bricks are designed to course evenly with standard 8-inch concrete masonry units (CMU block), making them essential when your brick wall ties into CMU construction. For standalone brick walls with no CMU tie-in, either works fine and the choice often comes down to supplier availability and local preference.
For exterior and structural brick walls, use Type S mortar — it has a compressive strength of at least 1,800 PSI and good bond strength and durability. Type N mortar (750 PSI minimum) is adequate for interior non-load-bearing veneers and above-grade partitions. Never use Type M for brick; its very high strength actually makes it too rigid and can cause the softer brick faces to spall when thermal movement occurs. Type S is the safe, correct choice for nearly every exterior brick job in the US.
A common industry rule of thumb is approximately 7 cubic feet of mortar per 1,000 standard bricks laid with a ⅜ inch joint. That works out to roughly 15–16 bags of 60 lb pre-mixed Type S mortar per 1,000 bricks. This accounts for bed joints and head joints in a standard running bond pattern. Richer bond patterns (Flemish, English, stack bond) alter this ratio slightly. Always factor in 10–15% mixing waste — not all mortar ends up in the wall.
Calculate the full wall area first (total length × total height). Then calculate the area of each opening (window or door width × height) and subtract from the total wall area. Apply your bricks-per-square-foot rate to the net area and add your waste factor. Note that openings still create cutting waste around the edges and jambs — keep your waste factor at 10–15% even though you are subtracting the opening area from the count.
A running bond (also called stretcher bond) is the most common pattern — each course is offset by half a brick from the course below. It is structurally sound, fast to lay, and the standard for most residential and commercial walls. The brick count calculation is the same for running bond regardless of offset amount. Patterns like Flemish bond (alternating headers and stretchers) or English bond (alternating full header courses) require more bricks per square foot and more mortar per brick, so increase your waste factor to 15–20% for decorative patterns.
An experienced mason can typically lay 500–700 standard bricks per 8-hour day on a straightforward wall — so 1,000 bricks represents roughly 1.5–2 days of work for a professional. DIYers working carefully typically manage 150–300 bricks per day. Factors that slow production include corners, cuts, mortar mixing, scaffold moves, and intricate bond patterns. For project planning, budget about 1.5 mason-days per 1,000 bricks for professional work, and factor in a helper for mortar mixing and material staging to keep the mason productive.
Yes — every opening in a structural brick wall requires a lintel (or arch) to carry the load of the masonry above the gap. Without a lintel, the courses above the opening will crack and settle. Steel angle lintels are the standard for most residential openings up to 6 feet wide; wider spans require engineered steel or precast concrete lintels. Even for non-structural brick veneer, a steel angle lintel is required to support the weight of the veneer bricks above the opening. This calculator does not include lintel costs; add these separately when budgeting.
Yes — enter the patio length as wall length and patio width as wall height. The brick count calculation works identically for flat surface applications. However, bricks laid flat (in a patio) are typically laid on a sand bed without mortar joints, or with a very narrow joint filled with polymeric sand. If you are using polymeric sand rather than mortar, the mortar estimate does not apply. For mortared patio brickwork, the mortar estimate is still valid. Consider using our Paver Calculator for dry-laid brick paver applications — it accounts for the different laying patterns used in flatwork.
