Home & Yard Calcs

Garden Walls

Brick Calculator

Enter a wall's length and height to get modular bricks and mortar to buy, using the Brick Industry Association's estimating figures and waste allowances.

Wall

1 to 500 ft.

Height of brick, 0.5 to 40 ft.

Windows, doors, or gaps the brick skips.

A wythe is one brick-thick layer.

Brick

Modular brick is 7 5/8 × 2 1/4 × 3 5/8 in, laid with 3/8 in joints.

From your brick maker or BIA Technical Note 10, 1 to 20.

From BIA Technical Note 10 for your brick and joint size, 1 to 40.

Advanced settings (optional)

waste

0 to 25%. BIA says to add at least 5% for breakage and waste.

0 to 50%. BIA says to add 15 to 25% to net mortar; 20% is the middle of that range.

Your results

Bricks to buy

– bricks

Check the highlighted fields to see your results.

Mortar

Mortar with waste
– cu ft– cu yd
Mortar before waste
– cu ft

Wall

Wall face to brick
– sq ft
Bricks before waste
– bricks
Bricks per sq ft used
– per sq ft

Estimates only. Check quantities with your supplier and local codes before you buy or build. See our Disclaimer.

Brick Calculator. Brick wall elevation: 20 ft long by 4 ft high. Modular brick, 3/8 in joints: 6.75 per sq ft 20 ft4 ftModular brick, 3/8 in joints: 6.75 per sq ft
Wall elevation in running bond with the brick module. It redraws as you type.
Bricks in the wall vs waste allowance

Last updated: · By Drew Kessler

How it works, sources, and FAQ

What it calculates and who it’s for

What it estimates and who it is for

This calculator estimates bricks and mortar for a brick wall or brick veneer from the wall’s face area. It’s for homeowners planning a garden wall, planter, or veneer who want the brick count and the mortar volume before they order. It covers clay or concrete brick laid in mortar. For stacked segmental retaining wall block, use the Retaining Wall Block Calculator.

How to use

Step by step
  1. Enter the wall length and height in feet, and any openings the brick skips.
  2. Choose one or two wythes (brick-thick layers).
  3. Keep modular brick or enter your own bricks per square foot and mortar per 1,000 bricks.
  4. Read the bricks to buy and the mortar. Waste allowances are under Advanced.

The formula

Every variable and unit
  • Wall face (sq ft) = Length × Height − Openings
  • Bricks before waste = Wall face × Bricks per sq ft × Wythes
  • Bricks to buy = Bricks before waste × (1 + Brick waste % ÷ 100), rounded up
  • Mortar before waste (cu ft) = Bricks before waste ÷ 1,000 × Mortar per 1,000 bricks
  • Mortar with waste (cu ft) = Mortar before waste × (1 + Mortar waste % ÷ 100)
  • Cubic yards = Cubic feet ÷ 27

For modular brick (7 5/8 × 2 1/4 × 3 5/8 in) with 3/8 in mortar joints, the Brick Industry Association’s Technical Note 10 lists 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall and 8.1 cu ft of mortar per 1,000 bricks. The same note says to add at least 5% to brick and 15 to 25% to mortar for waste; the calculator uses 5% and 20%.

Worked example

Real numbers, worked by hand

A garden wall 20 ft long and 4 ft high, one wythe, modular brick, 5% brick waste, 20% mortar waste:

  1. Wall face: 20 × 4 = 80 sq ft
  2. Bricks before waste: 80 × 6.75 = 540
  3. Bricks to buy: 540 × 1.05 = 567 → 567 bricks
  4. Mortar before waste: 540 ÷ 1,000 × 8.1 = 4.37 cu ft
  5. Mortar with waste: 4.374 × 1.20 = 5.25 cu ft (0.194 cu yd)

How to read your results

Rounding and buying tips
  • Bricks to buy includes the brick waste allowance and is rounded up to a whole brick. Bricks are often sold by the pallet or cube; ask your supplier how many are in one.
  • Mortar with waste is the volume of mixed mortar. Check the yield printed on the mortar bag you buy to turn it into bags.
  • Toggle the mortar between cubic feet and cubic yards at the top of the results.

Assumptions and limits

What this estimate does not cover
  • The wall face is a flat rectangle, laid in running bond. Patterns with headers, soldier courses, or decorative bonds use more brick.
  • Mortar covers the bed and head joints only. The collar joint between two wythes, grout, and any mortar for a footing are not included.
  • The modular figures are for 3/8 in joints. Other brick sizes or joint widths need their own figures from BIA Technical Note 10 or your brick maker.
  • It doesn’t design the wall. Footings, reinforcement, wall ties, flashing, weep holes, and height limits are set by your local code and, for veneer, the brick maker’s instructions.
  • Confirm quantities with your supplier before you order.

FAQ

4 questions

How many bricks are in a square foot?

For modular brick with 3/8 in joints, the Brick Industry Association lists 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall face. Other sizes differ; queen and king sizes need fewer bricks per square foot.

How many bricks do I need for a wall?

Multiply the wall face area by 6.75 for modular brick, then add 5% for waste. A 20 × 4 ft wall is 80 sq ft, so 540 bricks plus 5%, or 567.

How much mortar do I need per 1,000 bricks?

For modular brick with 3/8 in joints, BIA Technical Note 10 lists 8.1 cu ft per 1,000 bricks before waste. Add 15 to 25% for waste.

Is this the same as the retaining wall block calculator?

No. Segmental retaining wall block is stacked dry with no mortar and has its own sizes and height limits. This calculator is for brick laid in mortar.

Bricks and mortar for common wall sizes

Reference

All rows use one wythe of modular brick with 3/8 in joints, 5% brick waste, and 20% mortar waste.

Wall (ft) Wall face (sq ft) Bricks before waste Bricks to buy Mortar (cu ft)
10 × 3 30 202.5 213 1.97
20 × 4 80 540 567 5.25
30 × 6 180 1215 1276 11.81
40 × 8 320 2160 2268 21

Sources

1 dated source
  1. Technical Notes on Brick Construction 10, Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry (Brick Industry Association, February 2009): Table 4, modular brick with 3/8 in joints, 6.75 per sq ft and 8.1 cu ft mortar per 1,000 brick; waste allowances (accessed Nov 11, 2026)