Brick Calculator — number of bricks for a wall

How it works

To find how many bricks a wall needs, multiply the wall area by the number of bricks that cover one square foot, and add a waste allowance:

bricks = ⌈area × (1 + waste) × bricks-per-sq-ft⌉

A standard modular brick (about 8 inches long, laid with a 3/8-inch mortar joint) works out to roughly 7 bricks per square foot of wall face. Different brick sizes change this — larger bricks need fewer, so the bricks-per-square-foot is an input. A 10% waste allowance covers breakage, cuts at openings and corners, and the result rounds up to whole bricks.

Measure the wall face area (length × height). You can subtract large openings like doors and windows, or leave them in for a small safety margin. Ordering a few spares is wise for repairs and color matching later.

Worked example

A 100 sq ft wall at 7 bricks per sq ft with 10% waste needs 100 × 1.1 × 7 = 770 bricks. A small 40 sq ft chimney takes 308 bricks, and a 300 sq ft brick veneer needs 2310 bricks.

Frequently asked questions

How many bricks do I need?

Multiply the wall area by the bricks per square foot, add a waste allowance, and round up: bricks = ⌈area × (1 + waste) × bricks-per-sq-ft⌉. A 100 sq ft wall at 7 bricks/ft² with 10% waste needs 770 bricks.

How many bricks are in a square foot?

About 7 for a standard modular brick laid with a 3/8-inch mortar joint. Larger bricks (like queen or utility sizes) need fewer per square foot, and thin brick veneers vary. Use your brick's coverage figure — it is an input here.

Do I subtract doors and windows?

You can, for a tighter estimate — calculate each opening's area and take it off the wall area. Many bricklayers leave small openings in as a buffer, since cuts around them waste brick. For a large opening like a garage door, subtracting it is reasonable.

How much waste should I allow for brick?

About 10% covers breakage in transit and on site, cuts at corners and openings, and color blending. Intricate patterns, many openings, or reclaimed brick may need 15%. Round up and keep a few spares for future repairs.

Does this include mortar?

No — it counts the bricks only. Mortar is estimated separately from the number of bricks and the joint size (roughly one 80-pound bag of mortar mix per 100–125 bricks). The bricks-per-square-foot figure already assumes a normal mortar joint.

What is the difference between brick and block calculators?

The method is identical — area times units per square foot. Bricks are small (about 7 per sq ft), while concrete blocks are large (about 1.125 per sq ft), so the same wall needs far fewer blocks than bricks. Each calculator defaults to its material's typical rate.