How to calculate bricks for a wall
Masons count bricks by area. Work out the square feet of wall you will actually lay, multiply by how many bricks fill one square foot, then add a little for breakage. Here is the math with the values the calculator opens with: a wall 20 ft long and 8 ft high with one window, in standard modular brick, one wythe thick, with 5% extra.
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1
Find the wall area
Length times height: 20 x 8 = 160 sq ft.
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2
Take out the openings
Subtract about 15 sq ft for a 3 x 5 ft window and 21 sq ft for a 3 x 7 ft door. 160 − 15 leaves 145 sq ft of brick.
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3
Bricks per square foot
Add the ⅜ inch joint to the brick's face: a modular brick (7⅝ x 2¼ in) takes up 8 x 2⅝ inches, or 21 sq in. 144 ÷ 21 = 6.86 bricks per sq ft. 145 x 6.86 = 994 bricks.
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4
Add waste
994 x 1.05 = 1,044 bricks. Bricks come in cubes or pallets of about 500, so you will likely buy a little more and keep the rest for repairs.
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5
Mortar and cost
An 80 lb bag of premixed mortar lays about 37 standard bricks. 1,044 ÷ 37 = 28.2, so buy 29 bags. At $0.85 a brick and $10.50 a bag, plus $35 for a trowel, jointer and mason's line, the wall comes to $1,227.
Switch to 8 x 8 x 16 concrete block and the same 145 sq ft takes 1.125 blocks per square foot: 163 blocks, 172 with 5% extra, and 14 bags of mortar at 13 blocks per bag. Tick "Veneer over a framed wall" and the calculator adds corrugated wall ties at one per 2.67 sq ft, the spacing the building code sets for anchored brick veneer: 55 ties for this wall.
Brick and block sizes
Brick names describe a size family. Sizes are actual dimensions (thickness x height x length); with a ⅜ inch joint, the modular sizes line up on a 4 or 8 inch grid, which is why a modular brick wall meets concrete block courses evenly.
| Unit | Actual size, in | Per sq ft | Per bag of mortar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 3⅝ x 2¼ x 7⅝ | 6.86 | 37 |
| Queen | 3 x 2¾ x 7⅝ | 5.76 | 43 |
| King | 3 x 2⅝ x 9⅝ | 4.80 | 36 |
| Utility | 3⅝ x 3⅝ x 11⅝ | 3.00 | 24 |
| Concrete block | 7⅝ x 7⅝ x 15⅝ | 1.125 | 13 |
The bag column for modular brick and block is Quikrete's published figure for its 80 lb mortar mix. For queen, king and utility brick we scaled it by the volume of joint each unit needs, so treat those as estimates. Queen and king sizes vary a little between plants; check the spec sheet of the brick you pick and enter the count from the supplier if it differs.
Mortar: type and how much
Bagged mortar mix is cement, lime and sand blended at the plant: add water and go. It is the simple choice for DIY walls. Masons on big jobs buy masonry cement and sand separately, which is cheaper per brick but takes practice to mix the same way every batch.
- Type N is the general-purpose mortar for above-grade walls, veneer, chimneys and garden walls.
- Type S is stronger and used below grade, in retaining and foundation walls, and where the wall carries more load or wind.
- Geometry vs. the bag. On paper, ⅜ inch joints in modular brick use about 8 cubic feet of mortar per 1,000 bricks. The 37 bricks per bag figure comes out higher because real work drops mortar, butters joints full and throws some away when it stiffens. Buy two or three extra bags; unopened bags keep if they stay dry.
What it costs: DIY vs. hiring a mason
HomeGuide puts bricks at about $350 to $900 per 1,000, a mason-built brick wall at $15 to $40 per square foot and brick veneer at $8 to $24. Inch Calculator puts concrete block walls at $15 to $20 per square foot installed. DIY figures below are this calculator's totals in modular brick and in block, one wythe, 5% waste, at the default prices.
| Wall, no openings | Bricks | DIY brick | DIY block | Mason, brick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 3 ft garden wall | 216 | $282 | $157 | $450–$1,200 |
| 10 x 10 ft | 720 | $857 | $438 | $1,500–$4,000 |
| 20 x 8 ft | 1,152 | $1,350 | $665 | $2,400–$6,400 |
| 40 x 6 ft | 1,728 | $1,997 | $976 | $3,600–$9,600 |
Block is cheaper per square foot and goes up faster, but it is plain gray and usually gets a stucco, paint or veneer finish. Brick costs more and is slow: a careful beginner may lay a few hundred bricks a day, while a mason lays many more with straighter lines. A low garden wall is a good first project. Hire a mason for veneer on a house, chimneys, anything over about 4 ft tall, and any wall that holds back soil or carries a load.
Tips from the trade
- Start on a footing. A brick or block wall needs a concrete footing below the frost line, usually twice as wide as the wall. Our concrete calculator sizes it.
- Build the corners first. Lay up the ends a few courses high with a level and a story pole, then fill between them with a mason's line pulled tight on each course.
- Keep joints at ⅜ inch. The counts here and the modular grid both assume it. Fatter joints mean fewer bricks but more mortar and a wall that will not land on round numbers.
- Mix from several pallets. Pull bricks from three or four cubes as you go so color differences spread across the wall instead of showing as bands.
- Tool joints at thumbprint hardness. Strike the joints with a concave jointer when the mortar takes a thumbprint without sticking. It sheds water better than a flat or raked joint.
- Mind the weather. Do not lay brick in freezing weather without cold-weather measures, and cover fresh work against rain. Wet brick in hot sun can be misted so it does not suck the water out of the mortar.
- Protect your hands. Mortar is caustic. Wear gloves and eye protection, and wash splashes off your skin right away.
Common questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
About 6.86 standard modular bricks per square foot of wall with 3/8 inch mortar joints, or 6.75 by the Brick Industry Association's rounded table. Larger queen and king bricks run about 5.8 and 4.8 per square foot.
How many bricks do I need for a 10 x 10 wall?
A 10 x 10 ft wall is 100 square feet. At 6.86 modular bricks per square foot that is 686 bricks, or 720 with 5% extra for breakage and cuts, laid in one wythe.
How many bags of mortar do I need per 1,000 bricks?
Quikrete says one 80 lb bag of mortar mix lays up to 37 standard bricks, so 1,000 bricks take about 27 bags. For concrete block, one bag lays about 13 blocks of 8 x 8 x 16 inches.
How many concrete blocks are in a square foot?
A standard 8 x 8 x 16 inch block covers 8 x 16 inches with its mortar joint, which is 0.89 square feet. That works out to 1.125 blocks per square foot, or 112.5 blocks per 100 square feet.
How much waste should I add for bricks?
The Brick Industry Association suggests adding at least 5% to the brick count for breakage and waste. Use 10% for walls with many corners, openings or cuts, and keep a few spares from the same batch for future repairs.
How much does a brick wall cost per square foot?
HomeGuide puts a mason-built brick wall at about $15 to $40 per square foot, and brick veneer at about $8 to $24. Concrete block walls run about $15 to $20 per square foot installed. Doing it yourself, materials alone are often $6 to $10 per square foot for a single wythe of brick.
Sources and assumptions
Unit counts are geometry from the actual brick size plus a ⅜ inch joint. Mortar yields are the bag maker's figures. Prices are typical US prices checked in October 2026; unit and mortar prices can be edited.
- Brick sizes, units per square foot, waste and mortar per 1,000 brick: Brick Industry Association, Technical Note 10, Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry (at least 5% added for breakage and waste; about 8 cu ft of mortar per 1,000 modular brick with ⅜ in joints). Modular size and 6.86 per sq ft also match maker catalogs such as Glen-Gery.
- Mortar yield (one 80 lb bag lays up to 37 standard bricks or 13 blocks of 8 x 8 x 16 in): Quikrete Mortar Mix data sheet. Queen, king and utility yields are scaled from it by joint volume.
- Wall ties (one per 2.67 sq ft of anchored veneer): 2021 International Residential Code, section R703.8.4.
- Prices: $0.85 per modular brick, in line with a supplier listing at $0.82 and HomeGuide's $350 to $900 per 1,000; queen $0.85, king $1.00 and utility $1.60 are our estimates. Block $2.50, inside Inch Calculator's $1 to $3. Mortar mix $10.50 per 80 lb bag; online listings in October 2026 ranged from about $10 to $15. Tools $35 and corrugated ties $0.30 each are estimates.
- Installed cost: brick walls $15 to $40 per sq ft from HomeGuide, brick or stone wall cost; veneer $8 to $24 from HomeGuide, brick veneer cost; block walls $15 to $20 from Inch Calculator (revised 2023).
- Assumptions: doors 21 sq ft (3 x 7 ft) and windows 15 sq ft (3 x 5 ft); two wythes double the units and mortar but leave out the collar joint and header ties; bond beams, rebar and grout for block walls are not included.