Quick answer
To find how many bricks you need, work out the wall area, then multiply by the bricks per unit area for your brick size, which is about 6.86 per square foot for a standard modular brick, or 60 per square metre for a UK brick. Add 10% for cuts and breakages. A 10 ft by 10 ft single-leaf wall of 100 square feet needs 100 x 6.86 = 686 bricks, or about 755 with 10% waste.
How to use the brick calculator
- Enter the wall length and height.
- Subtract any large openings, such as a door or a window.
- Pick your brick size, or enter a custom one with the mortar joint.
- Choose a single or double leaf, set the waste allowance, and turn on mortar and a price if you want them.
- Read the number of bricks, the estimated mortar and the cost.
- Enter the wall and brick sizes in imperial or metric.
Worked example
A single-leaf wall is 10 ft long and 10 ft high, with no openings, in standard modular brick.
- 1.Wall area: 10 x 10 = 100 square feet
- 2.Bricks before waste: 100 x 6.86 = 686
- 3.With 10% waste: 686 x 1.10 = about 755 bricks
- 4.Mortar, rough guide: about 6 cubic feet (170 litres) for the 755 bricks
When to use this
The formula
The brick count comes from:
bricks = wall area / brick face area, where the brick face includes the mortar joint, then x leaves, plus waste.
A standard modular brick with a 3/8 in joint covers about 0.146 square feet, so a square foot of wall takes about 6.86 bricks. A UK brick with a 10 mm joint covers about 0.0169 square metres, so a square metre takes about 60. A double wall uses twice the bricks.
Bricks per area by brick size
Single leaf, including the mortar joint. Multiply by your wall area.
| Brick | Per square foot | Per square metre |
|---|---|---|
| US modular (7 5/8 x 2 1/4 in) | 6.86 | 74 |
| UK standard (215 x 65 mm) | 5.6 | 60 |
| Australia (230 x 76 mm) | 4.5 | 48 |
Swipe sideways to see all columns
Bonds and cavity walls
How the bricks are laid changes the count a little. A running or stretcher bond, the most common, shows only the long face, which is what the per-area figures above assume. A header or Flemish bond turns some bricks to show the short end, which uses more bricks for the same wall, so add a little extra. A cavity wall is two separate leaves with a gap between them, usually an outer brick leaf and an inner leaf of brick or block. For a brick-and-brick cavity wall, set the leaves to two. If the inner leaf is block, count only the brick outer leaf here. Corners and piers also add a few bricks, so the waste allowance helps cover them.
Common mistakes
Frequently asked questions
Work out the wall area and multiply by the bricks per unit area for your brick. A 100 square foot single-leaf wall in modular brick needs about 686 bricks, or 755 with 10% waste.
Measure the wall length and height, multiply them for the area, subtract any openings, then multiply by the bricks per square foot or square metre for your brick size and add waste.
Yes. A US modular brick, a UK brick at 215 by 65 mm and an Australian brick at 230 by 76 mm all give a different number per square metre, so choose the right size or enter a custom one.
Mortar quantity varies with the joint width and the product. As a rough guide, about 8 cubic feet (0.23 cubic metres) of mortar per 1,000 modular bricks with a 3/8 in joint. How that becomes bags depends on what you buy: pre-mixed mortar bags cover far fewer bricks than masonry cement mixed with sand, so check the coverage on the bag. Treat this as an estimate.
A single leaf is one brick thick, common for garden walls and facing. A double or cavity wall is two leaves and needs twice the bricks. Set the leaves in the calculator to match your wall.
References. The formulas and figures here follow standard construction references. See our Methodology for how we check them. Brick dimensions are the standard US, UK and Australian sizes; mortar is a rough estimate.
Related calculators
Estimates only. Check supplier specs and local codes before you order or build.