ConstructionCalc

Brick Calculator: Bricks, Mortar & Cost

Enter a wall and brick size to get the bricks from the makers' own coursing formula, plus waste and the mortar bags from the published yields.

By Marko VisicBSc Physics, University of Ljubljana

576bricks

Modular brick, 5% extra included

6.86 per sq ft of wall

10 ft8 ft
Drawn to scale: modular brick in running bond with ⅜ in joints.

Mortar and coverage

Mortar bags (80 lb premixed, QUIKRETE 37 to Sakrete 35 brick a bag)
16–17
Wall area, openings taken off
80 sq ft
Modular brick (3⅝ × 2¼ × 7⅝ in, Glen-Gery)
6.86 per sq ft
General Shale rule of thumb, masonry-cement bags
5

Count = 144 ÷ ((height + joint) × (length + joint)), in inches.

Next: a sand-set brick patio, or a block backup wall.

Wall input
Units
General Shale's rule of thumb for waste.

576 bricks for 80 sq ft of wall

7⅝″2¼″MORTAR, ⅜″ JOINT
7⅝″2¼″⅜″ JOINT
Modular brick face, 7⅝ × 2¼ in, laid in running bond

A 10 by 8 ft wall is 80 square feet. In modular brick at 6.86 per square foot that is 576 bricks with the 5% waste General Shale allows. An 80-lb bag of premixed mortar lays 35 to 37 standard bricks, so plan on 16 to 17 bags.

For a block backup wall behind the brick, use the concrete block calculator; for a sand-set brick patio, the paver calculator handles the base and bedding sand.

Estimate only: counts use the makers' coursing formula and vary with the brick, the joint and waste. Confirm with your supplier before ordering.

Bricks per square foot

One square foot in modular brick

Brick makers count with one coursing formula, and it reproduces every count in their tables. The per-square-foot figure is 144 divided by the coursing area, where the coursing area is the face height plus the joint, times the length plus the joint.

per sq ft = 144 ÷ ((height + joint) × (length + joint))
Counts assume a 3/8-in. joint and match each maker's printed table. Queen and king sizes vary by maker.
BrickSpecified sizeMakerPer sq ft
Modular3⅝ × 2¼ × 7⅝ inGlen-Gery6.86
Standard3⅝ × 2¼ × 8 inGlen-Gery6.55
Queen3 × 2¾ × 7⅝ inGlen-Gery5.76
King2⅝ × 2¾ × 9⅝ inGeneral Shale4.61
Engineer modular3½ × 2¾ × 7⅝ inGeneral Shale5.76
Norman3⅝ × 2¼ × 11⅝ inGlen-Gery4.6
Utility3⅝ × 3⅝ × 11⅝ inGlen-Gery3.0
Closure3⅝ × 3⅝ × 7⅝ inGeneral Shale4.5
Roman3⅝ × 1⅝ × 11⅝ inGlen-Gery6.0

Modular brick calculator

A modular brick is sized to a 4-inch module. Nominal it is 4 by 2⅔ by 8; specified, the brick you actually lay, 3⅝ by 2¼ by 7⅝, the difference being the mortar joint.

Three 2⅔-inch courses make 8 inches, which is why modular brick lines up with 8-inch block and standard openings. At a 3/8-inch joint it is 6.86 per square foot, the figure Glen-Gery and General Shale both print.

Mortar for a brick wall

The calculator counts mortar in bags, from each maker's published yield. An 80-lb bag of premixed mortar lays 35 standard bricks (Sakrete) to 37 (QUIKRETE); the yields exclude waste, as Sakrete notes.

Mixed from scratch, a 70-lb bag of masonry cement with 240 lb of sand lays about 144 standard bricks (QUIKRETE). General Shale's rule of thumb is 7 bags of masonry cement per 1,000 modular brick.

Brick wall cost calculator

For a brick wall cost, enter your price per brick and per mortar bag and the calculator multiplies them by the counts. No public source publishes a national installed brick price, so cost lines appear only once you enter your own prices.

Brick patio calculator

Laid flat in mortar, a modular brick shows its wide face, so a brick patio takes about 4.50 per square foot instead of the 6.86 of a wall. A sand-set brick patio follows the paver method, with a compacted base and bedding sand, so use the paver calculator for that build.

Brick sizes and their count per sq ft

Worked example: a 10 by 8 foot wall

A 10 by 8 ft wall is 80 square feet of modular brick: 576 bricks with 5% waste. Premixed mortar runs 16 to 17 bags; mixed from masonry cement it is about 4 bags plus 960 lb of sand.

Brick calculator FAQ

How many bricks are there per square foot?

For modular brick with a 3/8-inch joint, about 6.86 per square foot, the figure the makers print. It comes straight from the coursing formula and changes with the brick size and the joint width.

How many bricks are in a 100-square-foot wall?

About 686 modular bricks, or about 720 bricks with the 5% waste General Shale suggests.

How many bags of mortar do I need per 1,000 bricks?

An 80-lb bag of premixed mortar lays 35 to 37 standard bricks, so 1,000 bricks take about 28 to 29 bags. General Shale's rule of thumb for modular is 7 masonry-cement bags per 1,000.

What is the difference between modular and standard brick?

A modular brick is sized to a 4-inch module so three courses make 8 inches; a standard brick is a little longer and non-modular. Modular runs 6.86 per square foot, standard 6.55.

Does the mortar joint change the brick count?

Yes. A wider joint means fewer bricks. Modular brick at a 3/8-inch joint is 6.86 per square foot; at a 1/2-inch joint it drops to 6.44 per square foot.

Sources

  1. Glen-Gery Corporation. Brick Sizes & Dimensions (Common US Brick Sizes table). page as retrieved Nov 2026
  2. General Shale Brick, Inc.. Tech Bulletin: Rule of Thumb Figures (7.12.24). Jul 12, 2024
  3. Sakrete of North America. Technical Data Sheet: Mortar Mix Type S (Rev. 05/18). Rev. May 2018
  4. The QUIKRETE Companies. QUIKRETE Mortar Mix No. 1102 Data Sheet (Revised November 2020). Revised Nov 2020
  5. The QUIKRETE Companies. QUIKRETE Masonry Cement (Type N) No. 1125-70 Data Sheet. undated sheet, retrieved Nov 2026