A brick calculator tells you how many bricks a wall needs. Enter the wall length and height, subtract windows and doors, pick the brick size and add a margin for cuts and breakage, and it returns the number to order with the bricks per square foot it used.
Quick answer: Bricks = net wall area in square feet × bricks per square foot × (1 + waste). Standard modular brick takes about 6.86 bricks per square foot with 3/8 inch joints, so a 160 sq ft wall with 21 sq ft of door is 139 × 6.86 = 954 bricks, or 1,049 with 10% extra.
How to use the brick calculator
- Enter the wall length and height, or choose Known area and type the square feet.
- Subtract windows and doors by typing their combined area.
- Pick the brick size. Modular is the most common in the United States, and Custom lets you type any size.
- Keep the 3/8 inch mortar joint unless your plans say otherwise, and add extra for cuts and breakage.
- Optionally type a price per brick to see a material cost, and read the bricks needed with the comparison by brick size.
The brick calculator runs in your browser and keeps your numbers on your device. It counts face bricks in a single layer of wall, which suits veneers, garden walls and single-wythe walls.
How many bricks do I need? The formula
Each brick covers its own face plus half a joint on each side, so the area it occupies in the wall is (length + joint) × (height + joint). Dividing 144 square inches by that area gives the bricks per square foot, and multiplying by the wall area gives the count.
- Bricks per square foot = 144 ÷ ((brick length + joint) × (brick height + joint)).
- Net area = wall area − windows and doors.
- Bricks to order = net area × bricks per square foot × (1 + extra for waste).
For modular brick that is 144 ÷ ((7.625 + 0.375) × (2.25 + 0.375)) = 144 ÷ 21 = 6.86. The same formula reproduces the figures published by manufacturers for the other common sizes.
Brick size chart and bricks per square foot
Glen-Gery, a US brick manufacturer, explains that modular brick is 3-5/8 inches thick, 2-1/4 inches high and 7-5/8 inches long, and that adding a 3/8 inch joint gives a nominal 4 by 2-2/3 by 8 inch unit, which is why about 6.86 bricks cover a square foot. Its table lists the other common sizes, and the calculator uses the same method.
| Brick size | Actual size, T x H x L (in) | Per sq ft | Per 100 sq ft | Per 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 7-5/8 | 6.86 | 686 | 6,857 |
| Standard | 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 8 | 6.55 | 655 | 6,550 |
| Queen | 3 x 2-3/4 x 7-5/8 | 5.76 | 576 | 5,760 |
| Norman | 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 11-5/8 | 4.57 | 457 | 4,571 |
| Roman | 3-5/8 x 1-5/8 x 11-5/8 | 6.00 | 600 | 6,000 |
| Utility | 3-5/8 x 3-5/8 x 11-5/8 | 3.00 | 300 | 3,000 |
Brick wall calculator: example walls
The table uses modular brick with 10% extra. Replace the numbers with your own wall in the brick wall calculator above.
| Wall | Net area | Bricks (exact) | With 10% extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden wall 20 ft x 3 ft | 60 sq ft | 411 | 453 |
| Garden wall 40 ft x 4 ft | 160 sq ft | 1,097 | 1,207 |
| House side wall 30 ft x 9 ft, two windows (30 sq ft) | 240 sq ft | 1,646 | 1,811 |
| Garage front 18 ft x 8 ft, door 16 ft x 7 ft | 32 sq ft | 219 | 242 |
| Full house veneer 1,800 sq ft, openings 280 sq ft | 1520 sq ft | 10,423 | 11,466 |
How to measure a wall for the brick calculator
- Measure the length of each wall at the height where bricks will be laid, and the height from the foundation to the top of the brick.
- Multiply length by height for each wall and add them, or use the known area mode for a single total.
- Measure every window and door, and add up their areas. Subtract them from the total.
- Remember gable ends: a triangular gable is half of its base times its height.
- Decide whether the brick wraps corners or butts against trim, and add extra for waste.
The known area mode is the quickest when you already have a plan or a takeoff. For a 500 sq ft wall with 40 sq ft of openings, the 460 sq ft net area takes about 3,470 modular bricks with 10 percent extra.
Bond patterns and brick counts
The brick calculator assumes a running bond or stack bond, where every brick shows its long face. Patterns that put some bricks end-on, such as header or Flemish bonds, change the number of units per square foot, and decorative patterns need more cuts. Ask the mason which pattern the plan specifies, and increase the waste percentage for patterns with many cuts.
Brick cost calculator: price per brick
Type a price per brick in the calculator to see the material cost. Suppliers often quote brick per thousand, so divide the price per 1,000 by 1,000 to get the price per brick. The table shows the cost of the 1,049 bricks from the example wall at a range of prices.
| Price per brick | Price per 1,000 | Cost of 1,049 bricks |
|---|---|---|
| $0.60 | $600 | $629 |
| $0.90 | $900 | $944 |
| $1.20 | $1,200 | $1,259 |
| $2.00 | $2,000 | $2,098 |
Brick calculator per square foot: bricks for any area
| Wall area | Modular | Queen | Norman | Roman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 sq ft | 69 | 58 | 46 | 60 |
| 25 sq ft | 171 | 144 | 114 | 150 |
| 50 sq ft | 343 | 288 | 229 | 300 |
| 100 sq ft | 686 | 576 | 457 | 600 |
| 250 sq ft | 1,714 | 1,440 | 1,143 | 1,500 |
| 500 sq ft | 3,429 | 2,880 | 2,286 | 3,000 |
| 1000 sq ft | 6,857 | 5,760 | 4,571 | 6,000 |
How much extra for waste?
Glen-Gery notes that its quantities are calculated minimums assuming 3/8 inch mortar joints and must be increased for waste and any construction requirements. The extra covers cuts at corners and openings, breakage and a few spares to match the color later. Ten percent is a common planning number, and complex walls, many corners or patterns such as herringbone need more. The calculator lets you set the percent.
| Extra | Bricks for the 139 sq ft example wall |
|---|---|
| 0% | 954 |
| 5% | 1,001 |
| 10% | 1,049 |
| 15% | 1,097 |
Brick quantity calculator: what is not included
- Mortar, sand and cement: ask your supplier for the quantity for your brick and joint.
- Wall ties, flashing, weep holes and lintels over openings.
- Foundations or footings.
- Double-thick walls: a two-wythe wall needs twice the bricks of one layer.
- Special shapes for corners, caps and arches.
Frequently asked questions
10 quick answers
How many bricks do I need per square foot?
About 6.86 for standard modular brick with 3/8 inch joints. Other sizes range from 3.0 for utility brick to 6.55 for standard brick, according to a manufacturer's size chart.
How many bricks are in 100 square feet of wall?
About 686 modular bricks in a single layer, before extra for waste.
How do I calculate bricks for a wall?
Multiply the wall area, minus openings, by the number of bricks per square foot, then add 5 to 10 percent for waste.
What size is a standard brick?
A modular brick is 3-5/8 by 2-1/4 by 7-5/8 inches. A standard brick is slightly longer at 8 inches.
What is the difference between actual and nominal brick size?
Actual is the physical size of the brick. Nominal adds one mortar joint, so a modular brick is nominally 4 by 2-2/3 by 8 inches.
Does the calculator include mortar?
No. Ask your supplier or mason for the mortar quantity, because it depends on the brick, the joint and the bond.
Do I subtract windows and doors?
Yes. Subtract the combined area of openings from the wall area before multiplying.
How many bricks for a double-thick wall?
Double the single-layer number, since a wall two bricks thick has two wythes.
Can I use metric?
Enter the wall in feet. To convert, multiply meters by 3.28 for feet or square meters by 10.76 for square feet.
Why does the supplier quote a different number?
Suppliers may use a different brick size, joint or waste figure. Compare the bricks per square foot first.
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Sources and further reading
- Glen-Gery: Brick sizes and dimensions: actual and nominal sizes, bricks per square foot and the 3/8 inch joint assumption
Last reviewed: October 2026. Confirm quantities with your brick supplier or mason.