Brick Calculator
Find out how many bricks you need for a wall, including mortar joints and wastage.
Brick Calculator
Enter your wall dimensions to estimate bricks required.
Bricks Required
What This Brick Calculator Does
This tool divides your total wall area by the area of a single brick, but critically also accounts for the mortar joint that surrounds every brick in a real installation, since ignoring mortar joint width would meaningfully overstate how many bricks actually fit into a given wall area. It then adds a standard waste allowance on top of that adjusted figure to cover cutting and breakage during installation.
How to Use the Brick Calculator
Enter your wall length and height to establish total wall area. Enter your specific brick size, since standard brick dimensions vary by region and manufacturer. Select a mortar joint width, with 3/8 inch being the most common standard in residential construction. The total bricks needed appear instantly once calculated, including your chosen waste allowance.
Standard Brick Sizes Used in Construction
A standard US brick measures approximately 8 by 2.25 by 3.75 inches, a common size used broadly across residential construction. A modular brick measures slightly smaller, at approximately 7.625 by 2.25 by 3.625 inches, designed specifically so that combined with a standard mortar joint, it produces convenient, easy-to-plan wall dimensions in 4 inch increments.
Pro Tip: A standard wall using typical brick and mortar joint dimensions needs approximately 7 bricks per square foot, though this figure shifts if a wider or narrower mortar joint is used.
Wall Area = Length × Height
Brick Area = (Brick Length + Joint) × (Brick Height + Joint)
Bricks = Wall Area ÷ Brick Area
Standard mortar joint is typically 10mm (0.01m). Adding 5% wastage is recommended.
Why Mortar Joint Width Changes Your Total Brick Count
A standard wall using typical brick and mortar joint dimensions needs approximately 7 bricks per square foot, though this figure shifts meaningfully if a wider or narrower mortar joint is used than the calculator's default assumption. Wider mortar joints mean slightly fewer bricks fit into the same wall area, since more of that area is taken up by mortar rather than brick material itself.
How Much Extra Material to Order for Cuts and Breakage
Adding 5 to 10 percent extra bricks beyond the raw calculated total is standard practice among masons, covering the inevitable cuts needed around corners, openings, and wall ends, along with a reasonable allowance for breakage during handling and installation. This buffer also provides a small reserve of matching brick for any future repair work, which can be difficult to source later if a specific brick style is discontinued.
Frequently Asked Questions
A standard wall typically needs about 7 bricks per square foot, including a standard mortar joint width, though this figure shifts somewhat with different brick sizes or joint widths.
Yes, wider mortar joints slightly reduce the number of bricks that fit into a given wall area, since more of that area is occupied by mortar rather than brick material.
Yes, adding 5 to 10 percent extra bricks covers cuts around corners and openings, breakage during installation, and provides a small reserve for future repair work.
A modular brick is slightly smaller than a standard brick, specifically sized so that combined with a standard mortar joint, it produces convenient wall dimensions in clean 4 inch increments.
Yes. The joint thickness you enter is added to the brick dimensions, so the result reflects how bricks actually sit in a wall. 10mm is the standard joint.