Brick Calculator
A 20 by 8 ft wall (160 sq ft) needs about 1,232 standard bricks at 7 per square foot with 10% waste. Enter your wall length and height, choose the bricks per square foot for your brick size, set a waste percentage, and add an optional price per brick to get the brick count and total cost.
Quick answer
Wall area is length times height, and brick count is that area times the bricks per square foot for your brick size.
What this tells you
- •Wall area is length times height, and brick count is that area times the bricks per square foot for your brick size.
- •Modular bricks run about 7 per square foot, standard about 6.5, and queen about 5.8 because larger bricks cover more area.
- •A 10% waste factor covers breakage, cuts at corners and openings, and the odd unusable brick in a pallet.
How to Use
- 1Enter the wall length and height in feet.
- 2Enter the bricks per square foot for your brick size (7 for modular, 6.5 for standard, 5.8 for queen).
- 3Set the waste percentage, usually around 10% for breakage and cuts.
- 4Add an optional price per brick if you want a cost estimate.
- 5Click Calculate to see the wall area and the number of bricks needed.
How It Works
Formula
Wall Area = Length x Height
Bricks = ceil(Wall Area x Bricks per sq ft x (1 + Waste%))Wall area is the face area of the wall in square feet. Multiplying by the bricks per square foot for your brick size gives the bare brick count, and the waste factor adds extra for breakage and cuts. The result rounds up because you cannot order a fraction of a brick.
Calculation note: values are processed in the order shown above, using the current input units.
Worked Examples
Standard garden wall, 20 by 8 ft
Wall area is 20 x 8 = 160 sq ft. At 7 bricks per square foot that is 1,120 bricks, and a 10% waste factor brings it to 1,232 bricks.
Small accent wall with cost, 10 by 10 ft
Wall area is 10 x 10 = 100 sq ft. At 6.5 bricks per square foot that is 650 bricks, and 10% waste rounds up to 715. Multiplying by the price per brick gives the total cost.
Bricks per Square Foot by Type
Approximate face bricks per square foot of wall, including a standard mortar joint. Larger bricks cover more area, so you need fewer of them.
| Brick Type | Bricks per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Modular | 7.0 |
| Standard | 6.5 |
| Queen | 5.8 |
| Jumbo | 4.6 |
These cover a single-wythe (one brick thick) wall. Double the count for a two-wythe wall.
How Many Bricks per Square Foot
Bricks per square foot depends on the brick size and the mortar joint. A standard 3/8 inch joint is assumed in the common figures. Modular bricks are sized so seven of them cover a square foot, which is why 7 is the most-used default.
Larger formats need fewer bricks. Queen and jumbo bricks cover more face area each, so a wall built from them uses fewer units even though the wall area is the same. Always match the bricks per square foot to the brick you actually plan to buy.
These figures count a single-wythe wall, meaning one brick thick. A structural wall that is two bricks thick needs roughly double the count. If you also need to estimate footings or a slab base, the concrete calculator covers that part.
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong bricks per square foot for the brick size, which can be off by 20% or more
- Forgetting the waste factor and running short during the last course
- Estimating a two-wythe wall with single-wythe figures, which halves the real count
- Measuring only one face of a wall that has brick on both sides