Brick Calculator
Enter a wall's or patio's size, pick the brick type and joint, and get bricks and mortar bags, rounded up once, with the working shown for an example wall. The brick counts are the Brick Industry Association's per hundred square feet.
Estimates for planning, not professional advice. Read the full notice.
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Patio: shape and size
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Keys
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- Area
- 80 ft²
- Perimeter
- 36 ft
- Cut-out edges
No area until the shape is fixed.
Estimate for planning, from what you entered and the product data shown. Check product labels and your supplier before you buy.
Shape: Rectangle Change
Sides
Corners
Cut-outs
Feet and inches, like 12' 6"
Example: a brick wall
567 bricks
- Bricks in the wall, exact 540 bricks
- Mortar bags at the maker's figure 15 × 80 lb bags
- Mortar volume for the net bricks 4.37 ft³
- Mortar volume with the waste allowance 5.03 ft³
Your project
Enter a size to see your total.
Each product is rounded up once for the whole project, so the total can be less than the items bought alone added together. A line counted from a cut layout (sheets, boards or tiles laid out piece by piece) is counted for each item and added.
Shopping list
| Item | Size | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Bricks | bricks | 567 |
| Mortar mix | 80 lb bag | 15 |
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Worked example: a brick wall
Show the working
- Wall area: length times height 10 ft × 8 ft = 80 ft²
- Bricks: area times the BIA count per hundred square feet 80 ft² ÷ 100 ft² × 675 bricks[1] = 540 bricks
- Add the waste allowance and round up once 540 bricks × 1.05 = 567 bricks
- Mortar bags: net bricks divided by bricks per bag, rounded up once 540 bricks ÷ 37 bricks per bag = 15 × 80 lb bags
Assumptions
The figures behind the example. Sourced figures link to their source below; a default is a starting value to check against your label or supplier.
| Assumption | Value | Details and changes |
|---|---|---|
| Brick waste allowance | 5%[1] | |
| Default BIA says at least this much is added to the net brick quantity. | ||
| Mortar waste allowance | 15%[1] | |
| Default BIA gives a range of 15 to 25 percent for net mortar. | ||
| Bricks one bag lays, QUIKRETE (up to) | 37 bricks[2] | |
| QUIKRETE says an 80 lb bag lays up to this many standard bricks or 8 in by 8 in by 16 in blocks. | ||
| Bricks one bag lays, SAKRETE (no waste allowance) | 35 bricks[3] | |
| SAKRETE says an 80 lb bag of Type S mortar lays this many 8 in blocks or standard bricks, with no allowance for waste or spillage. | ||
| Bricks one bag lays, CMHA preblended (waste included) | 50 bricks[4] | |
| CMHA: one 80 lb bag of preblended mortar lays about this many conventional blocks or brick-sized units; the values include nominal waste and assume face shell bedding for blocks. | ||
Feet and inches, like 12' 6"
Bricks per hundred square feet and mortar per thousand, by brick type
BIA figures for nine brick types: bricks per hundred square feet of wall and cubic feet of mortar per thousand bricks, for two joint widths; waste not included
| Brick type | Bricks per 100 ft2 | Mortar per 1000, 3/8 in joint | Mortar per 1000, 1/2 in joint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 675 bricks | 8.1 ft³ | 10.3 ft³ |
| Engineer modular | 563 bricks | 8.5 ft³ | 10.8 ft³ |
| Closure modular | 450 bricks | 9.1 ft³ | 11.6 ft³ |
| Roman | 600 bricks | 10.7 ft³ | 13.7 ft³ |
| Norman | 450 bricks | 11.2 ft³ | 14.3 ft³ |
| Utility | 300 bricks | 12.3 ft³ | 15.7 ft³ |
| Queen | 550 bricks | 12.2 ft³ | 13.5 ft³ |
| King | 455 bricks | 14.2 ft³ | 16 ft³ |
| Standard | 655 bricks | 14.5 ft³ | 17.8 ft³ |
Source: [1]
These are the Brick Industry Association's Technical Note 10 figures without waste. The calculator adds your waste allowance to the bricks once, and counts mortar bags from the bricks one bag lays.
The example wall in each brick type
Bricks to buy, mortar bags and mortar volume for the example wall of eighty square feet, by brick type, with a three-eighths inch joint
| Brick type | Bricks to buy | Mortar bags | Mortar volume with waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 567 bricks | 15 × 80 lb bags | 5.03 ft³ |
| Engineer modular | 473 bricks | 13 × 80 lb bags | 4.4 ft³ |
| Closure modular | 378 bricks | 10 × 80 lb bags | 3.77 ft³ |
| Roman | 504 bricks | 13 × 80 lb bags | 5.91 ft³ |
| Norman | 378 bricks | 10 × 80 lb bags | 4.64 ft³ |
| Utility | 252 bricks | 7 × 80 lb bags | 3.39 ft³ |
| Queen | 462 bricks | 12 × 80 lb bags | 6.17 ft³ |
| King | 383 bricks | 10 × 80 lb bags | 5.94 ft³ |
| Standard | 551 bricks | 15 × 80 lb bags | 8.74 ft³ |
Each row is worked out on its own with the waste allowances in the assumptions and the QUIKRETE bricks-per-bag figure. Product names are trademarks of their owners. HoneyDoMath is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by these makers.
Questions
How many bricks per square foot?
It depends on the brick type. The table lists the Brick Industry Association's count per hundred square feet for nine types; the calculator uses the type you pick and your waste allowance.
How much mortar do I need for bricks?
The calculator counts bags from the net bricks and the bricks one bag lays, by the maker's figure you choose. The table gives BIA's mortar volume per thousand bricks for two joint widths.
Does waste apply to bricks and mortar?
BIA says at least five percent is usually added to the net brick count, and that a range is added to mortar volume. The waste allowance in the assumptions is yours to change.
Can I use it for a brick patio?
Yes. Use Draw a shape or type the patio's length and width; the count is by area, so cuts at the edges are covered by the waste allowance.
Sources (4)
-
Technical Note 10, Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry (opens in new tab), Brick Industry Association, February 2009; table rows transcribed from Table 4 on pp. 9-10 of the PDF (its text layer is scrambled).
Standards or industry body.
“... (not including waste) ... Table 4, Number of Brick per 100 sq ft (per 10 m2): Modular 675 (727); Engineer Modular 563 (605); Closure Modular 450 (484); Roman 600 (646); Norman 450 (484); Utility 300 (323); Queen 550 (592); King 455 (490); Standard 655 (705).”
“Allowances for waste and breakage vary, but as a general rule, at least 5 percent is added to the net brick quantities delivered to the jobsite.”
“Allowances for waste vary, but as a general rule, add 15 to 25 percent to the net mortar quantities.”
“... (not including waste) ... Table 4, Cubic Feet (Cubic Meters) of Mortar Per 1000 Brick, 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) joint then 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) joint: Modular 8.1 (0.23) 10.3 (0.29); Engineer Modular 8.5 (0.24) 10.8 (0.31); Closure Modular 9.1 (0.26) 11.6 (0.33); Roman 10.7 (0.30) 13.7 (0.39);”
“... (not including waste) ... Table 4, Cubic Feet (Cubic Meters) of Mortar Per 1000 Brick, 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) joint then 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) joint: ... Norman 11.2 (0.32) 14.3 (0.41); Utility 12.3 (0.35) 15.7 (0.44); Queen 12.2 (0.35) 13.5 (0.38); King 14.2 (0.40) 16.0 (0.45);”
“... (not including waste) ... Table 4, Cubic Feet (Cubic Meters) of Mortar Per 1000 Brick, 3/8 in. (9.5 mm) joint then 1/2 in. (12.7 mm) joint: ... Standard 14.5 (0.41) 17.8 (0.50).”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 1) -
QUIKRETE Mortar Mix No. 1102 data sheet (opens in new tab), The Quikrete Companies, Revised November 2020.
Manufacturer data.
“Each 80 lb (36.2 kg) bag of QUIKRETE Mortar Mix will lay up to 37 standard bricks or 13 standard (8 in by 8 in by 16 in [200 mm by 200 mm by 405 mm]) blocks.”
Per QUIKRETE's data sheet, checked Nov 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 2) -
SAKRETE Mortar Mix Type S technical data sheet (opens in new tab), SAKRETE of North America, 2018 (sakrete.com copy).
Manufacturer data.
“80 lb (36.3 kg) Will lay 12 = 8" (200 mm) concrete block, 35 standard bricks or 10 ft2 (1.0 m2) of cultured stone ... Note: Yield and water are approximate. The yield above does not allow for waste and spillage.”
Per SAKRETE's data sheet, checked Nov 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 3) -
TEK 04-02A, Estimating Concrete Masonry Materials (opens in new tab), Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (formerly NCMA), TEK 04-02A (web edition).
Standards or industry body.
“Preblended mortar: 1-80 lb (36.3 kg) bag 16 50 ... Values include nominal amounts for waste. Assumes face shell mortar bedding for conventional concrete masonry units and full bedding for brick-sized concrete masonry units.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 4)
These are summaries of what the sources say, not professional advice. Codes and product data change. Check with your building department and the product label about your own project.
Sources
- [1] Brick Industry Association, Technical Note 10, Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry. Checked November 12, 2026. https://gobrick.com/media/file/10-dimensioning-and-estimating-brick-masonry.pdf
- [2] QUIKRETE, QUIKRETE Mortar Mix No. 1102 data sheet. Checked November 12, 2026. https://www.quikrete.com/PDFs/DATA_SHEET-Mortar%20Mix%201102.pdf
- [3] SAKRETE, SAKRETE Mortar Mix Type S technical data sheet. Checked November 12, 2026. https://www.sakrete.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Mortar-Mix-Type-S.pdf
- [4] Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (formerly NCMA), TEK 04-02A, Estimating Concrete Masonry Materials. Checked November 12, 2026. https://www.cmha.org/resource/tek-04-02a/