How this instrument works
Estimating brick quantity starts with the wall's face area — length times height — then multiplies by how many bricks it takes to cover one square foot of that face, a figure that depends entirely on the brick size and mortar joint thickness you're using. Standard modular brick (3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 7-5/8 in) laid with a typical 3/8 in mortar joint covers about 0.143 sq ft per brick, which works out to the widely used industry rounded figure of 7 bricks per square foot.
That 7-bricks-per-sqft figure is specific to modular brick size — larger formats like King or Queen size brick cover more area per unit and need noticeably fewer bricks per square foot, which is why this calculator leaves the coverage rate as an editable field rather than locking it to one number. Check your specific brick's dimensions against the manufacturer's coverage chart before ordering if you're not using standard modular brick.
A waste allowance on top of the base count is standard practice, since real installations always lose some bricks to cuts at corners and openings, breakage during handling, and pattern-matching — 10% is a common default, though a project with many corners, arches, or cuts may warrant more.
- Enter the wall's length and height in feet.
- Leave the bricks-per-sq-ft rate at the standard modular default, or replace it with your specific brick's published coverage rate.
- Enter a waste/breakage allowance percentage — 10% is a common starting point.
- Read the wall area and the total bricks needed, rounded up to a whole brick.
A 20 x 8 ft single-wythe brick wall
A mason is pricing out a 20 ft long, 8 ft tall single-wythe brick veneer wall using standard modular brick. Wall area = 20 x 8 = 160 sq ft. At the standard 7 bricks per sq ft: 160 x 7 = 1,120 base bricks. Adding a 10% waste allowance for cuts and breakage: 1,120 x 1.10 = 1,232 bricks — the number to actually order.
The same wall built with a larger brick format like King size needs far fewer units for the same coverage — using an illustrative 4.75 bricks per sq ft (always confirm your specific product's published rate; Inch Calculator's own size chart lists King brick closer to 4.5 per sq ft) on a smaller 12 x 8 ft wall (96 sq ft): 96 x 4.75 = 456 base bricks, plus 10% waste = 501.6, rounding up to 502 bricks — illustrating how much brick size alone changes the order quantity for a similar-sized wall.
Questions
Why is 7 bricks per square foot just a default and not a fixed number?
That figure applies specifically to standard modular brick (3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 7-5/8 in) with a typical 3/8 in mortar joint. Other common sizes — Queen, King, Norman, and others — have different face dimensions and cover more or less area per brick, so always check your specific product's coverage rate and enter it here for an accurate count.
How much waste allowance should I actually use?
10% is a common default for a straightforward rectangular wall. Projects with more corners, arches, curves, or window/door cutouts generate more cut pieces and breakage, so consider bumping the allowance up to 15% or more for complex layouts — your mason or supplier can advise based on the specific design.
Does this account for door and window openings?
No — this calculator uses the full wall length times height. Subtract the area of any door or window openings from your wall dimensions before entering them, or enter a net length/height that already excludes those openings, to avoid over-ordering.
Does this include the mortar needed for the joints?
No, this counts bricks only. Mortar quantity depends on joint width, brick size, and wall thickness, and is typically estimated separately using a mortar calculator or your supplier's coverage chart.