How to use the brick calculator calculator
- 1
Measure the wall face
Measure the length and height of each wall and add a section for each one. Measure the area the brick actually covers, not the whole elevation, if part of it is another material.
- 2
Subtract openings
Doors and windows are not bricked. Measure each opening and enter it as a separate step, or reduce the wall dimensions so the area you enter is the area being faced.
- 3
Enter the brick size
Use the face dimensions of the brick you are buying, measured or taken from the product documentation. Brick sizes vary by manufacturer and region, so YardCalc does not fill one in.
- 4
Enter the mortar joint
Enter the joint thickness your mason is working to. This is added to both the length and the height, because a brick occupies its face plus one joint in each direction.
- 5
Add an allowance and price it
Add a percentage for cuts at openings and corners and for breakage in handling, then enter your price per brick if you want an estimated total.
Formula
Bricks = wall area(sq ft) / (((brick length + joint) / 12) x ((brick height + joint) / 12))
The denominator is the module area: the space one brick actually occupies once the mortar around it is counted.
Worked example
A wall 30 feet long and 8 feet high, using bricks measuring 7.625 by 2.25 inches with a 0.375 inch joint
- 1Wall area: 30 x 8 = 240 square feet.
- 2Module size: 7.625 + 0.375 = 8 in, and 2.25 + 0.375 = 2.625 in.
- 3Module area: (8 / 12) x (2.625 / 12) = 0.1458 square feet.
- 4Bricks per square foot: 1 / 0.1458 = 6.86.
- 5Bricks for the wall: 240 / 0.1458 = 1,646.
The wall takes about 1,646 bricks before any allowance. Those dimensions are the ones entered for this example, not a standard brick size.
Worked examples
What forgetting the joint costs you
The same wall, dividing by the bare brick face instead of the module
- 1Bare brick face: (7.625 / 12) x (2.25 / 12) = 0.1191 square feet.
- 2Bricks per square foot without the joint: 1 / 0.1191 = 8.4.
- 3Bricks for the wall: 240 / 0.1191 = 2,015.
- 4Difference: 2,015 - 1,646 = 369 bricks.
Ignoring the joint overstates this wall by 369 bricks, about 22 percent. It is the single most common error in brick estimating.
A wall with openings
The same 240 square foot wall with a 3 by 7 foot door and two 4 by 4 foot windows
- 1Door area: 3 x 7 = 21 square feet.
- 2Window area: 2 x (4 x 4) = 32 square feet.
- 3Net wall area: 240 - 21 - 32 = 187 square feet.
- 4Bricks: 187 / 0.1458 = 1,283.
The openings remove 363 bricks from the estimate. Some masons still order close to the gross figure because cutting around openings creates waste, which is what the allowance is for.
How to measure a brick wall
Measure the face of the wall, length by height, in the plane the brick sits in. For a gable end, split the wall into the rectangle below and the triangle above, and use half the base times the height for the triangle.
Take the height from the top of the foundation or slab to the underside of whatever finishes the top, not from the ground. On sloping ground the exposed height changes along the wall, so measure at both ends and treat it as two sections or use the average.
If the brick is a veneer over part of an elevation rather than the whole thing, measure only the part being bricked. The calculator adds sections, so a house with brick to sill height on three sides is three sections rather than one averaged guess.
Why the mortar joint changes everything
A brick does not occupy only its own face. It sits in a bed of mortar, and the module it repeats at is the brick plus one joint along its length and one along its height. That module is what the wall area divides by.
The effect is larger than most people expect, because the joint is a big fraction of the brick height. A brick 2.25 inches high with a 0.375 inch joint repeats every 2.625 inches, which is 17 percent taller than the brick itself. Across a wall that compounds with the same effect along the length.
In the worked example above, ignoring the joint added 369 bricks to a 1,646 brick wall. On a whole house it is thousands. The calculator asks for the joint as a separate field precisely so it does not get folded into the brick size and forgotten.
Openings, corners, and cuts
Doors and windows are usually subtracted, and for large openings that is clearly right. For small openings some masons deliberately do not subtract, on the grounds that cutting bricks to fit around the opening produces enough waste to absorb the saving. Both approaches are defensible; what matters is knowing which one your figure reflects.
Corners need whole or specially cut bricks depending on the bond, and returns at openings often need cut pieces that leave an unusable remainder. None of that shows up in an area calculation, and all of it consumes brick.
This is why brick estimates almost always carry an allowance. The right percentage depends on how many openings and corners the wall has and on the bond pattern, so choose it by looking at the elevation rather than applying a habit.
Common mistakes
Where brick counts go wrong:
- Dividing by the bare brick face and ignoring the mortar joint.
- Using a brick size from memory rather than the product being bought.
- Measuring the whole elevation when only part of it is brick.
- Forgetting that a gable is a rectangle plus a triangle.
- Subtracting every small opening while ignoring the cutting waste those openings create.
- Ordering the exact calculated count with no allowance for breakage.
- Applying a running-bond rate to a wall with soldier or header courses.
Sources and methodology
Every figure on this page comes from geometry rather than from a product database. Areas use the standard area formulas, counts divide an area by the size of one unit, and unit conversions use exact factors: 12 inches to a foot, 9 square feet to a square yard, and 100 square feet to a roofing square.
YardCalc publishes no product dimensions, coverage rates, or prices. Unit sizes differ between manufacturers and regions, and a figure that is right for one product is wrong for another, so the calculator asks you for the size of the product you are actually buying. Prices are yours alone.
Results are planning estimates, not order quantities. Read how every value on the site is derived and checked in the YardCalc calculation methodology.
Bricks per square foot by brick size
Worked arithmetic at a 0.375 inch joint, showing how the count changes with brick size. These are calculation examples, not standard sizes. Measure the brick you are buying.
| Unit face size | Module with joint | Units per sq ft | Units for 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.625 x 2.25 in | 8 x 2.63 in | 6.86 | 686 |
| 7.625 x 2.75 in | 8 x 3.13 in | 5.76 | 576 |
| 7.625 x 3.625 in | 8 x 4 in | 4.5 | 450 |
| 11.625 x 2.25 in | 12 x 2.63 in | 4.57 | 458 |
| 11.625 x 3.625 in | 12 x 4 in | 3 | 300 |
Frequently asked questions
- How many bricks do I need per square foot?
- It depends on the brick size and the joint. A brick measuring 7.625 by 2.25 inches with a 0.375 inch joint works out to 6.86 per square foot. A larger brick needs fewer. Enter your own dimensions above rather than using a remembered figure.
- How many bricks for a 10 x 10 wall?
- A 10 by 10 foot wall is 100 square feet. At 6.86 bricks per square foot that is 686 bricks before any allowance for cuts and breakage. The count changes with your brick size and joint.
- Do I include the mortar joint in the calculation?
- Yes. A brick occupies its face plus one joint along the length and one along the height. Leaving the joint out can overstate the count by more than 20 percent, which is the most common brick estimating error.
- Should I subtract doors and windows?
- Large openings, yes. Small ones are sometimes left in deliberately, because cutting brick around an opening creates waste that roughly offsets the saving. Either approach works as long as you know which one your number reflects.
- How many extra bricks should I order?
- There is no fixed figure. A plain wall with few openings needs little; an elevation with many openings, corners, and cut returns needs considerably more. Judge it from the drawings and enter your own allowance.
- Does this include mortar?
- No. This counts bricks only. Mortar quantity depends on the joint size, the brick, and the bond, and is a separate estimate.
Brick counts divide your measured wall area by the module area, which is the brick face you enter plus the joint you enter. No brick size, joint width, bond pattern, or price is assumed. Counts come from exact geometry using the product dimensions you enter. Confirm the product size, the layout, cutting and breakage, and the final order quantity with your supplier before purchasing.
Results are planning estimates. Last reviewed 2026-08-30.