Construction Calculators · Imperial & metric
Brick calculator.
How many bricks do you need for a wall? Enter the wall size, or only its area in sq ft or sq m, and get bricks with waste, pallets, cost and mortar. Standard U.S. sizes use Brick Industry Association (BIA) table values; any other brick size, including Canadian metric, is calculated from its dimensions and your joint.
Short answer: about 6.75 modular bricks per sq ft of wall (727 per 10 sq m) with 3/8-inch joints, before waste. Worked example, 10 ft × 8 ft wall: 10 × 8 = 80 sq ft; 80 × 6.75 = 540 bricks; +10% waste = 594 bricks, or about 5.3 cu ft of mortar with 20% mortar waste. Subtract window and door areas first.
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How many bricks do I need per square foot?
For standard modular brick with 3/8-inch mortar joints, plan on 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall face (675 per 100 sq ft), before waste. The count changes with brick size, so use the row that matches your brick. Multiply the net wall area (length × height, minus windows and doors) by the figure below, then add waste.
| Brick | Specified size (in.) | Bricks per sq ft | Bricks per 100 sq ft | Mortar per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 3⅝ × 2¼ × 7⅝ | 6.75 | 675 | 5.5 cu ft |
| Standard | 3⅝ × 2¼ × 8 | 6.55 | 655 | 9.5 cu ft |
| Queen | 2¾ × 2¾ × 7⅝ | 5.5 | 550 | 6.7 cu ft |
| Norman | 3⅝ × 2¼ × 11⅝ | 4.5 | 450 | 5.1 cu ft |
| Utility | 3⅝ × 3⅝ × 11⅝ | 3.0 | 300 | 3.7 cu ft |
Sizes from Tables 1 and 2 and quantities from Table 4 of BIA Technical Note 10 (February 2009); the BIA notes that specified sizes vary by manufacturer and that quantities exclude waste. Bricks per square foot is the BIA per-100-sq-ft figure divided by 100. Need blocks instead? Try the concrete block and mortar calculator; for footings or slabs under the wall, use the concrete calculator.
Bricks per square metre, area-only and Canadian sizes
Only know the area? Switch “Enter” to “Area only”, type the square footage (or square metres) and subtract openings. Metric: switch Units to metric; BIA publishes the same quantities per 10 m²: 727 modular, 705 standard, 592 queen, 484 norman and 323 utility bricks per 10 m² (about 72.7, 70.5, 59.2, 48.4 and 32.3 per sq m), before waste.
Canadian and other metric bricks. Brick made to a 100 mm metric module is sized differently from U.S. brick (BIA TN 10 notes this and cautions about converting). Choose “Custom size” and enter the brick’s length and height from the manufacturer’s data sheet plus your joint. One published Canadian size is built in: Brampton Brick’s Premier Plus stock size, 90 × 79 × 257 mm (3½ × 3⅛ × 10⅝ in), from its Canada Masonry Product Guide (2026). Brampton Brick lists other sizes as made-to-order. Check the CSA A82 series and your supplier for the size you buy; this page does not state any CSA figure itself.
| Brick (face length × height) | 1/4 in (6.4 mm) joint | 3/8 in (9.5 mm) joint | 1/2 in (12.7 mm) joint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard, 8 × 2¼ in (203 × 57 mm) | 6.98 / sq ft 75.2 / sq m | 6.55 / sq ft 70.5 / sq m | 6.16 / sq ft 66.3 / sq m |
| Premier Plus, 257 × 79 mm | 4.13 / sq ft 44.5 / sq m | 3.94 / sq ft 42.4 / sq m | 3.76 / sq ft 40.4 / sq m |
These rows are this page’s own math: 144 ÷ ((length + joint) × (height + joint)) per sq ft, holding the brick size fixed. The 3/8-inch standard result (6.55) matches the BIA table. BIA’s modular, queen and norman rows are module-based (the brick is sized to suit its joint), so BIA gives one count for both 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch joints; the joint then changes mortar instead. Per 100 sq ft, BIA estimates modular brick mortar at 5.5 cu ft (3/8 in) and 6.9 cu ft (1/2 in), and standard brick at 9.5 and 11.0 cu ft. Wider joints on a fixed-size brick mean fewer bricks and more mortar.
Pallets, cubes and cost
Bricks per pallet or cube depend on the brick and the producer, and BIA does not publish one figure, so the pallet field defaults to a 500-brick planning placeholder that you should replace with your supplier’s number. Enter a price per brick to see a brick-only cost; it excludes mortar, delivery, tax and labour. The result is a planning estimate, not a quote or professional advice.
Pairing with other work? See the paver base and sand calculator for patios, the concrete calculator for footings and the concrete block calculator for block walls.
How the brick wall estimate works
Gross wall area is length multiplied by height. Door and window openings are subtracted, then the net area is multiplied by the number of wythes. A wythe is one brick-thick layer of masonry. Face-joint brick and mortar quantities come from the Brick Industry Association’s Technical Note 10 Table 4 for a 3/8-inch joint. When selected, each 3/8-inch solid collar joint adds 3.13 cubic feet of mortar per 100 square feet from Table 5. The waste allowance is applied last.
Worked modular-brick example
A 20-by-8-foot wall has 160 square feet of gross area. Subtract a 10-square-foot opening to get 150 square feet. BIA’s table uses 675 modular bricks per 100 square feet, so the base estimate is 1,012.5 bricks. Adding 10% waste produces an order estimate of 1,114 bricks.
Why this calculator reports mortar volume, not bags
Bag yield depends on the product, mix, brick absorption, joint profile, bedding, and job conditions. The calculator therefore reports theoretical mortar volume in cubic feet and cubic yards. Compare that volume with the coverage printed for the exact mortar product you will buy.
Source
Brick Industry Association Technical Note 10: Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry (February 2009), especially Tables 4–6. BIA states that its values exclude waste, recommends adding at least 5% for brick and generally 15% to 25% for mortar, and notes that bond patterns and other conditions may require corrections. Source reviewed September 30, 2026.
Brick calculator FAQ
How many bricks do I need for a 10 ft by 8 ft wall?
A 10 ft by 8 ft wall is 80 sq ft. With modular brick (675 per 100 sq ft), that is 540 bricks, or 594 with 10% waste. Subtract any window or door area first.
How many bricks are in a square foot?
Modular brick with 3/8-inch joints needs 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall face; standard brick needs 6.55. Other sizes are in the table above.
How many modular bricks are in 100 square feet?
The BIA table estimates 675 modular bricks per 100 square feet with 3/8-inch joints, before waste.
What waste percentage should I use?
Ten percent is a common planning allowance, but cuts, breakage, bond pattern, matching requirements, and site handling can change it. Confirm with the supplier or mason.
What is a wythe?
A wythe is one continuous brick-thick layer of masonry. A double-wythe wall has two layers, so the brick face area is doubled before waste.
Does the result include mortar between wythes?
Only when you select the 3/8-inch solid collar-joint option. For multiple wythes with an air space or another assembly, leave that option off and verify project-specific mortar requirements.
Why are brick and mortar waste separate?
BIA gives different planning guidance: at least 5% for brick and generally 15% to 25% for mortar. The calculator therefore applies the two allowances separately; the 20% mortar default sits in the middle of BIA’s range.
Can I use this estimate to order structural masonry?
Use it for planning only. Structural design, reinforcement, ties, flashing, openings, bond patterns, and code compliance require project-specific review.
How do I calculate how many bricks I need from square footage only?
Multiply the net area (minus windows and doors) by bricks per square foot, then add waste. For modular brick that is 6.75 per sq ft, so 80 sq ft needs 540 bricks, or 594 with 10% waste. Use the Area only option.
How many bricks do I need per square metre?
BIA lists 727 modular bricks per 10 square metres with 3/8-inch joints, about 72.7 per square metre, before waste. Standard brick is 705 per 10 square metres. Other brick sizes differ; use the Custom size option with the manufacturer's dimensions.
How many bricks are on a pallet?
It varies by brick type and producer, and no single published figure applies. This page uses 500 as an editable planning placeholder; ask your supplier for the real count per pallet or cube.
Does mortar joint thickness change the number of bricks?
For a fixed brick size, yes: thicker joints mean fewer bricks and more mortar. For BIA modular sizes the count is the same for 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch joints because the brick is sized to the joint. See the joint thickness table above.
Planning estimate
Verify actual brick dimensions, pallet quantities, mortar yield, bond pattern, waste, and structural requirements with the manufacturer, supplier, mason, and project documents before ordering.