Brick Calculator
Bricks Needed551
Mortar Bags4
Wall Area80 sq ft
This brick calculator estimates how many bricks and bags of mortar a wall or patio needs. It works from the wall area and the size of a single brick plus the mortar joint width, so the spacing between bricks is properly accounted for. A 5% waste allowance is added for cuts and breakage, and the mortar estimate scales with the brick count.
Formula
bricks = ceil( area × 144 / ((L+J)(H+J)) × 1.05 ); mortarBags = ceil(bricks/1000 × 7)
- area
- Wall face area in square feet (wall length × wall height)
- L, H
- Brick length and height in inches
- J
- Mortar joint thickness in inches
- 1.05
- 5% waste allowance for cuts and breakage
How it works
- Enter the wall length and height in feet to get the total face area, and enter the brick length, brick height, and mortar joint thickness in inches.
- Each brick plus its joint occupies (length + joint) × (height + joint) square inches; dividing 144 by that gives the bricks per square foot, which is multiplied by the wall area.
- The raw count is multiplied by 1.05 for 5% waste and rounded up, and mortar is estimated at about 7 bags per 1,000 bricks (rounded up).
Worked example
A 20 ft × 8 ft wall built with standard 8 in × 2.25 in bricks and a 0.375 in mortar joint.
- Wall area: 20 × 8 = 160 sq ft.
- Bricks per sq ft: 144 / ((8 + 0.375) × (2.25 + 0.375)) = 144 / (8.375 × 2.625) ≈ 6.55.
- Raw bricks: 160 × 6.55 ≈ 1,048; add 5% and round up → 1,101 bricks.
About 1,101 bricks and 8 bags of mortar for the 160 sq ft wall.
Frequently asked questions
- Why include the mortar joint in the brick size?
- Each brick is laid with a mortar gap around it, so the space it actually occupies is the brick dimension plus the joint width. Ignoring the joint would overcount the bricks needed.
- How much waste does it allow for?
- The calculator adds 5% to the raw brick count to cover cuts at corners and openings plus breakage. For complex layouts with many cuts you may want to order a little extra on top.
- How is the mortar estimate calculated?
- It assumes roughly 7 bags of mortar per 1,000 bricks and rounds up to whole bags. Actual usage depends on joint thickness, brick absorption, and your mix, so treat it as a guide.
- Does it work for patios and pavers?
- Yes. Enter the paved area as the wall length and height and use your paver dimensions. For dry-laid patios with no mortar you can ignore the mortar bag figure.