🧱 Brick Wall Calculator

Calculate bricks, mortar, and sand needed for your masonry project.

Wall Length (ft)

Wall Height (ft)

Brick Size

Waste %

Doors (each ~20 sq ft)

Windows (each ~12 sq ft)

—bricks

Bricks Needed (incl. waste)

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the wall length and height, choose your brick size, set the waste percentage, and optionally add the number of door and window openings to deduct their area. The calculator gives you total brick count, mortar bags, and sand estimate for your project.

Measure wall length and height in feet. For a wall with multiple sections, calculate each section separately and add the brick counts together.

Choose your brick type. Standard brick (3.75 x 2.25 x 8 inches) requires about 6.75 bricks per square foot. Modular brick at 7.5 per square foot is slightly smaller.

Count doors and windows to deduct their area from the total. The calculator uses 20 sq ft per door and 12 sq ft per window as defaults.

Set waste to at least 10%. Brick cuts at corners, openings, and the ends of courses generate scrap. Breakage during handling and laying adds another 3 to 5%.

Brick Count Formula

Net area = (Wall length × Wall height) − (doors × 20) − (windows × 12) Bricks = Net area × bricks per sq ft With waste = Bricks × (1 + waste% ÷ 100) Mortar bags (80 lb) = ⌈Bricks ÷ 27⌉

Standard brick with 3/8-inch mortar joints runs about 6.75 bricks per square foot. A 20x6 ft garden wall has 120 square feet of face area and needs about 864 standard bricks before waste. At 10% waste, order 951 bricks and about 35 bags of mortar mix.

Example Projects

20x4 ft garden wall, standard brick, 10% waste594 bricks / 22 mortar bags

30x6 ft privacy wall, standard brick, 10% waste1,336 bricks / 50 mortar bags

12x8 ft retaining wall, modular brick, 10% waste792 bricks / 30 mortar bags

40x8 ft wall with 2 windows, standard brick1,881 bricks / 70 mortar bags

Tips for Your Project

Order all your bricks from the same pallet run. Brick color varies between kiln batches, and mismatched bricks are immediately noticeable on a finished wall. If you cannot get everything from one batch number, plan any lot change at an inside corner where it will be far less visible. Most brick suppliers will hold extra brick from your order for pickup if you need more later.

Mortar mix ratio matters for longevity. For exterior garden walls, use a Type S mortar mix (1 part portland cement, 0.5 part lime, 4.5 parts masonry sand). This is stronger and more water-resistant than Type N, which is fine for interior applications. Pre-mixed bag mortars labeled for masonry work are convenient and take the guesswork out of proportions on small projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bricks per square foot?

Standard brick (3.75×2.25×8"): ~6.75 bricks/sq ft. Modular brick (3.625×2.25×7.625"): ~7.5/sq ft. These vary by mortar joint thickness.

How much mortar do I need?

Approximately 0.5 cubic feet of mortar per 100 bricks for standard applications. One 80-lb bag of mortar mix covers about 25–30 bricks.

What is a course of bricks?

A course is one horizontal layer of bricks. Standard brick height + 3/8" mortar joint = 2.625" per course. About 4.5 courses per foot of wall height.

How do I calculate bricks for a wall?

Bricks per sq ft × Wall area. Subtract area of doors and windows. Add 5–10% waste for cuts and breakage.

What is the difference between stretcher and header bond?

Stretcher (running) bond: bricks laid lengthwise. Header bond: bricks laid width-wise for thickness. English bond alternates both for strong double-brick walls.