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Brick Calculator: How Many Bricks Per Square Foot?
The Quick Answer
Standard modular bricks with 3/8” mortar joints: 6.75 bricks per square foot of wall. Round to 7 for estimating.
How the Number Breaks Down
A standard modular brick measures 3-5/8” x 2-1/4” x 7-5/8” (width x height x length). With a 3/8” mortar joint, the nominal size is 4” x 2-2/3” x 8”.
Per square foot: 12” / 8” = 1.5 bricks per course. 12” / 2.667” = 4.5 courses per foot of height. 1.5 x 4.5 = 6.75 bricks.
Add 5-10% for waste and breakage, and the working number is about 7.4 bricks per square foot.
Other Brick Sizes
Not every brick is modular. Common sizes and their count per square foot (with 3/8” joints):
| Brick Type | Size (W x H x L) | Per Sq Ft |
|---|---|---|
| Standard modular | 3-5/8” x 2-1/4” x 7-5/8” | 6.75 |
| Queen | 3-1/8” x 2-3/4” x 9-5/8” | 4.61 |
| King | 2-3/4” x 2-5/8” x 9-5/8” | 4.80 |
| Roman | 3-5/8” x 1-5/8” x 11-5/8” | 6.00 |
| Utility | 3-5/8” x 3-5/8” x 11-5/8” | 3.00 |
| Norman | 3-5/8” x 2-1/4” x 11-5/8” | 4.50 |
Each number is 144 divided by the brick’s face size plus one 3/8” joint in each direction. Manufacturers’ sizes vary a little; use the one on your spec sheet.
The difference matters. A 500 sq ft wall takes 3,375 standard modular bricks or 2,305 queen bricks, about a thousand fewer to buy and lay.
A Real Wall Example
Brick veneer on the front of a house: 30 feet wide, 9 feet tall, with a 6 x 4 ft window and a 3 x 7 ft door.
Gross wall area: 30 x 9 = 270 sq ft Subtract openings: (6 x 4) + (3 x 7) = 24 + 21 = 45 sq ft Net wall area: 225 sq ft
Bricks: 225 x 6.75 = 1,519 bricks With 10% waste: 1,671 bricks
Bricks are sold by the piece or by the cube/pallet, and the count per pallet varies by plant. Ask your supplier.
Mortar
Bags of Mortar
It depends on what you buy. Pre-blended mortar mix already has the sand in it: Quikrete’s data sheet says an 80 lb bag of Mortar Mix lays up to 37 standard bricks. Masonry cement is sold without sand and goes much further per bag, because you add the sand; follow the bag’s mix ratio and yield.
With pre-blended mix, our 1,671-brick wall needs 1,671 / 37 = 45.2 bags. Buy 47 or 48 for waste.
Mortar Type
Type N is the common choice for above-grade veneer and general exterior walls. Type S is stronger and is used below grade, in foundations, and in high-wind or seismic areas. Type M is the strongest and is used where loads are high. The IRC (R606.2.8) and TMS 402 set which types are allowed where; your plans may name one.
Brick Pavers
Pavers laid flat (on a sand bed, no mortar) have a different count.
A 4” x 8” brick paver laid flat: 4.5 per square foot. (Paving bricks are often sized at a true 4” x 8” so they work without mortar joints.)
A 12 x 15 foot patio: 180 sq ft x 4.5 = 810 pavers.
Herringbone pattern: 15% waste. 810 x 1.15 = 932 pavers. Running bond: 10% waste. 810 x 1.10 = 891 pavers. Basketweave: 5% waste. 810 x 1.05 = 851 pavers.
Herringbone wastes the most because every border cut is angled and the offcuts are triangles. Running bond is the most efficient.
Brick pavers on a sand bed still need a compacted base underneath. The gravel calculator covers the base volume. Use pavers rated for paving (ASTM C902 or C1272), not wall brick; they’re made for traffic and freeze-thaw.
Veneer vs Structural
Modern residential brick is almost always veneer: a single wythe (4” thick) tied to a wood-framed wall with metal brick ties. The wood frame carries the structural load. The brick is cosmetic and weather protection.
Structural brick (two wythes thick, 8” total, with a collar joint between) is rare in new residential construction. You’ll see it in commercial, institutional, and historic restoration. Structural brick uses twice the material of veneer for the same wall area. Both veneer and structural brick walls sit on a concrete footing sized to carry the weight — masonry is heavy, and the footing width matters.
A double-wythe wall: 13.5 bricks per square foot. Our 225 sq ft wall would need 3,038 bricks instead of 1,519. You’ll probably never estimate a double-wythe residential wall, but if someone asks about an old building, that’s why.
Soldier Courses and Rowlock
A soldier course (bricks standing on end, long face out) over a window or door header changes the count for that section.
Soldier bricks per linear foot: 12” / 2.667” = 4.5 bricks per foot.
A 6-foot window header: 27 soldier bricks.
Rowlock (bricks on edge, short face out): 12” / 3.625” = 3.3 per foot. Common for window sills and wall caps.
These specialty courses don’t add many bricks to the total estimate, but they’re the kind of detail that separates a complete estimate from one that comes up short at the end of the job.
Running the Numbers
Trussly doesn’t have a dedicated brick wall calculator yet. Its Paver calculator handles brick pavers (4.5 per square foot, with base, sand, and waste by pattern), and the Block Count calculator handles concrete block walls with mortar. For brick walls, use the numbers above.