Ordering bricks for a wall, patio pillar, or garden planter always comes down to one question: how many do I actually need? Buy too few and the job stops mid-lay while you wait for a second delivery; buy too many and you are left with pallets of leftover masonry you will never use. This brick calculator takes the size of your wall, the type of brick you are laying, and your local price, then gives you a rounded-up order quantity that already includes a waste allowance.
The math is deliberately simple: wall area times bricks per square foot, plus a buffer for cuts and breakage. Enter your numbers and the result updates instantly.
How to Use
- Measure the Wall Length along the base of the face you are building, in feet.
- Measure the Wall Height from the foundation or ledger up to the top of the wall, in feet.
- Pick your Brick Type from the dropdown. A standard US modular brick with a 3/8 inch mortar joint covers about 7 bricks per square foot; larger king and queen bricks cover less.
- Set Waste / Breakage. For straight walls with few openings, 5%–10% is normal; walls with lots of corners, piers, or arched openings burn through more cuts, so push this to 10%–15%.
- Enter the Price Per Brick your supplier quoted. If you are comparing quotes, type in the per-unit price, not the pallet total.
The result card shows your wall area, the raw brick count before waste, the rounded-up order quantity (with waste already baked in), and the estimated material cost. Remember to subtract the area of doors and large windows from your wall length × height before you start — those openings save bricks you would otherwise pay for.
How Bricks Per Square Foot Is Calculated
A modular US brick measures about 7-5/8 in long by 2-1/4 in high. With a 3/8 inch mortar joint on each side, the laid footprint becomes roughly 8 in by 2-5/8 in, or about 21 square inches per brick. Since a square foot is 144 square inches, 144 ÷ 21 ≈ 6.9 — which is why contractors plan on about 7 modular bricks per square foot of single-wall face.
Larger bricks cover fewer square feet each: queen bricks run around 5.4 per square foot and king bricks around 4.5. The dropdown on this page bakes those face-area ratios in for you, so you do not have to do the division by hand. If you are using a non-standard hand-made or reclaimed brick, ask your supplier for its bricks-per-square-foot figure and enter it directly.
Examples
Example 1 — A single garden wall. You are building a 10 ft long, 4 ft tall boundary wall with standard modular bricks (7 per sq ft), adding a 10% waste allowance, and paying $0.50 per brick. The wall area is 10 × 4 = 40 sq ft. Raw bricks are 40 × 7 = 280. With 10% waste that becomes 308, and 308 × $0.50 = $154 for the bricks themselves.
Example 2 — A two-car garage facade. A garage wall runs 24 ft wide and 9 ft tall, but the 9 ft × 7 ft overhead door removes 63 sq ft of brick. Net area is (24 × 9) − 63 = 153 sq ft. At 7 bricks per sq ft with 10% waste you need about 1,175 bricks. At $0.60 each, expect to pay roughly $705 for material — before mortar and labor.
Example 3 — A high-price reclaimed project. A feature wall uses reclaimed king bricks at 4.5 per sq ft and $1.20 each. On a 16 ft × 8 ft accent wall (128 sq ft), raw bricks are 576; with 15% waste for broken reclaimed stock you order 663 bricks. At $1.20 each that is about $796 — which is why most builders reserve premium bricks for small feature walls rather than the whole facade.
Mortar and Labor: What This Calculator Does Not Count
This tool estimates bricks and their material cost only. You still need mortar (about 1/2 to 1 bag of masonry cement per 100 bricks, plus sand), and labor typically runs $30–$60 per hour per mason, laying roughly 300–500 bricks per day. A 500-brick wall might take one mason a full day. Use the brick count above as the starting point, then add mortar and labor as separate line items when you build your full budget.
FAQ
How many bricks do I need per square foot?
For a standard US modular brick with a 3/8 inch mortar joint, plan on about 7 bricks per square foot of wall face. Queen bricks run about 5.4 per sq ft and king bricks about 4.5. The exact number depends on brick size and joint thickness, so check your supplier's data sheet if you are using a non-standard product.
How do I calculate how many bricks I need for a wall?
Multiply the wall length by the wall height to get the wall area in square feet. Multiply that area by your bricks-per-square-foot figure (7 for modular brick). Then multiply by 1.10 to add a 10% waste allowance and round up to the next whole brick. This calculator does all of those steps for you.
Should I include waste, and how much?
Yes — always order extra. A straight wall with few openings needs about 5%–10% extra for cuts and breakage. Walls with many corners, piers, window openings, or arches produce more off-cuts, so budget 10%–15%. It is far cheaper to have 20 spare bricks than to run out and face a mismatched second batch.
How much does it cost to brick a wall?
Material cost alone is usually $2–$6 per square foot for ordinary facing bricks at $0.30–$1.00 each, plus mortar. Add labor and a masonry subcontractor often lands at $10–$20 per square foot installed. A 40 sq ft accent wall might cost $150 in bricks, while a full house facade can run several thousand dollars once labor is included.
How many bricks are in a pallet?
Standard brick pallets in the US typically hold around 500 bricks for modular size, though this varies by manufacturer and brick weight. A pallet of king bricks may contain only 300–350. Ask your supplier for the exact count so you can convert your order quantity into whole pallets, which usually carries a small discount.
Do I subtract windows and doors from the brick count?
Yes. Every door or large window removes that area of wall and the bricks that would have covered it. Subtract the opening's square footage from your total wall area before multiplying by bricks per square foot. Leave small openings under about 2 sq ft in the estimate, since the cuts around them use up most of the savings.
Disclaimer
This brick calculator is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute engineering, construction, or cost advice. Estimates are based on the inputs you enter and standard bricks-per-square-foot ratios; actual brick counts vary by brick size, mortar joint thickness, wall bond pattern, openings, and site conditions. Always confirm quantities and pricing directly with your mason or supplier before ordering material for a structural project.