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How many bricks do I need?

Wall area, brick size and joint thickness in — brick count with waste out, plus the per-square-foot rate to sanity-check it.

sq ft

Face area of the wall, less openings.

in

Actual brick, not nominal. US modular is 7⅝ in; a UK/EU brick is 215 mm.

in

US modular is 2¼ in; a UK/EU brick is 65 mm.

in

⅜ in is standard in the US, 10 mm in metric markets.

$

Optional — enter what you pay and the material cost appears below.

You'll need about

1,509

bricks (with 10% waste)

6.9

per sq ft

200

sq ft

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How this is calculated

Each brick occupies its own face plus one mortar joint on each axis: (length + joint) × (height + joint). Wall area ÷ that × 1.10 = bricks to order. A US modular brick at 7⅝ × 2¼ in with a ⅜ in joint works out at the familiar ~6.9 bricks per square foot; a 215 × 65 mm brick with a 10 mm joint gives about 59 per square metre.

This is a planning estimate — always confirm against your supplier and the specifics of the job before ordering.

Brick calculator: FAQ

How many bricks per square foot?

About 6.9 for standard US modular brick laid in a running bond with a ⅜ inch joint. The figure changes with brick size and joint thickness, which is why both are inputs here rather than assumptions — a queen or utility brick covers more wall per unit and the count drops accordingly.

How much waste should I allow?

Ten percent is the usual allowance for cuts, breakage and the odd rejected brick. Add more for a wall with many openings, corners or a pattern bond, since each one generates cuts. Order it all at once: brick colour varies between firings, and a later top-up can be visibly different.

Does this include mortar?

No — this counts bricks. As a rough guide a standard bag of mortar lays somewhere around 100–125 modular bricks depending on joint size and the mix, but take the coverage from the product you are actually using and add sand separately if you are mixing on site.

Do I deduct windows and doors?

Yes. Enter the net wall area with openings already taken out. For a wall with a lot of openings it is worth adding a little back, because the cuts around each one produce offcuts you cannot use elsewhere.

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