Construction

Brick Calculator

Wall length × height gives you area. Brick size gives you bricks per square foot. Multiply, add waste, and you have an order. This calculator handles all three of those steps for modular, standard, or queen-size brick — plus mortar bags and sand for the bed and joint mix.

Bricks needed

—

Sq ft of wall: —
Mortar bags (70 lb): —
Sand (cu ft): —

Brick sizes and yields

Brick math is straightforward once you know the per-square-foot yield. Three common sizes dominate residential and commercial work in North America:

Brick	Actual size	Bricks per sq ft
Modular	3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 7-5/8"	7.0
Standard	3-5/8 × 2-1/4 × 8"	6.5
Queen	3-1/8 × 2-3/4 × 9-5/8"	5.8
King	3-5/8 × 2-5/8 × 9-5/8"	4.8

Modular is the residential default in most US markets — it's the spec architects pull when they say "brick veneer" without specifying further. Queen and king sizes lay faster (fewer pieces per square foot) and have become popular for big commercial walls because the labor savings offset the slightly higher cost per brick.

How the math works

Wall area = length × height (subtract window and door openings over ~6 sq ft)
Bricks = area × bricks per sq ft × 1.05 (5% waste factor)
Mortar bags = total bricks ÷ 30 (one 70 lb bag of Type N or Type S mortar covers ~30 modular bricks at 3/8" joints)
Sand = roughly 1 cu ft per mortar bag (for jobsite-mixed mortar; skip if you're using pre-bagged Type N)

A 20-ft long × 8-ft tall modular brick wall = 160 sq ft = 1,120 bricks × 1.05 waste = 1,176 bricks, requiring about 40 bags of mortar and 40 cu ft of sand. At typical 2025 prices ($0.50-$1.25 per modular brick + $12-$18 per mortar bag) the material lands $1,200-$2,200 — labor on top of that for finished masonry runs 2-3x material cost.

How to use this calculator

Measure each wall separately. For a building with multiple brick faces, run the math for each side and add up the totals. Don't try to compute "total perimeter × height" — you'll lose track of openings.
Subtract window and door openings. Anything larger than ~6 sq ft (a typical residential window) should be deducted. Smaller openings get absorbed in the 5% waste factor.
Add 10% for complex jobs. The default 5% waste covers simple straight walls. For corners, soldier courses, decorative patterns, or curved walls, bump to 10-15% extra.
Order pallets, not loose count. Bricks come on pallets of ~500 modular bricks. Round up to the next full pallet — partial pallets are usually priced at 1.5-2x per-brick rates.
Pre-bagged mortar vs site-mixed. For small jobs, buy pre-bagged Type N or Type S mortar (just add water). For walls over ~500 bricks, site-mixing portland + lime + sand is cheaper per cubic foot.

Common scenarios

Residential brick veneer addition, 20 ft × 9 ft wall with a 3×4 window. Area = 180 - 12 = 168 sq ft. Modular brick: 1,235 bricks (with waste), 41 bags mortar. Pallet count: 3 pallets (1,500 bricks) ordered.

Garden retaining wall, 30 ft long × 3 ft tall. 90 sq ft. Queen brick (faster lay, classic look): 547 bricks, 18 bags mortar. Single pallet of queen brick covers it with leftovers.

House front facade, 40 ft × 22 ft with three 3×5 windows + one 3×7 door. 880 - 45 - 21 = 814 sq ft. Modular: ~5,985 bricks, 200 bags mortar. About 12 pallets of brick and a pallet of mortar bags. Material cost lands $9,000-$15,000 depending on brick grade and region.

FAQ

How many bricks per square foot? +

Depends on brick size. Modular brick (most common US residential): 7 per sq ft. Standard brick: 6.5. Queen brick: 5.8. King brick: 4.8. These yields assume 3/8" mortar joints, which is the standard. Tighter 1/4" joints push counts up slightly; wider 1/2" joints reduce them slightly.

How much mortar do I need? +

Roughly 1 cubic foot of mortar per 30 modular bricks at standard 3/8" joints. A standard 70 lb bag of Type N or Type S mortar yields about 1 cubic foot. So bricks ÷ 30 = mortar bags. Mortar Type N is for general above-grade walls; Type S for below-grade or load-bearing applications.

What's the difference between brick and brick veneer? +

Structural brick (also called double-wythe or solid brick) is two or more wythes of brick that actually carry building load. Brick veneer is a single wythe of brick anchored to a framed wall behind it — the brick is purely decorative and weather-protective; the studs carry the load. Modern residential construction is almost entirely brick veneer.

How much waste should I plan for? +

5% for straight walls with simple corners. 10-15% for walls with arches, soldier courses, decorative bands, or curved sections. Always add extra for cuts at openings — you'll lose half-bricks and corner cuts that can't go back in the wall.

Can I lay brick myself? +

Yes, with practice. A first-time mason can produce a passable garden wall after a weekend of YouTube and a few hundred bricks of practice. For finished house walls, hire a mason — the difference between "amateur brick" and "professional brick" is visible from 50 feet, and the wall is going to last 100 years.

What does brick cost per square foot installed? +

2025 US national averages: $9-$18 per sq ft for brick veneer installed, including brick, mortar, ties, and labor. Higher-end clay brick or imported brick can push $25+ per sq ft. The brick itself is usually 25-35% of the total installed cost — labor and overhead dominate.

How long does brick last? +

Properly installed brick veneer lasts 75-150 years. Failure modes are usually at mortar joints (which need repointing every 25-50 years), at flashing details (water intrusion), and at foundation-to-brick transitions. The brick itself essentially doesn't degrade — most "old brick" walls being torn down are from buildings, not from brick failure.

What's the standard mortar joint width? +

3/8 inch is the universal residential standard. 1/4 inch joints look more refined but require very consistent brick (almost no production brick is consistent enough for tight joints). 1/2 inch joints were common in older buildings but look chunky on modern brick sizes. Stick with 3/8" unless your brick supplier specifies otherwise.