Mortar Calculator
Mortar bags and sand for block or brick work.
Concrete, Masonry & Stone
Brick Calculator
Enter your wall’s length, height and openings, then choose a brick size, bond pattern and mortar joint to estimate how many bricks to order, with a waste allowance included.
Your result
Sample values1,072
Bricks
139
Net wall area, ft²
13
Bags of mortar
0.65
Tons of sand
Includes a 5% waste allowance.
What to order
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Modular brick | 1,072 |
| Brick, by the cube (500) | 3 cubes |
| Mortar, 80 lb bags | 13 bags |
| Masonry sand | 0.65 tons |
Brick Calculator: Estimate Bricks Needed for a Wall
Planning brickwork starts with one practical question: how many bricks should you order? The deep4sol brick calculator estimates brick quantities from wall dimensions, openings, brick size, bond pattern, mortar joint thickness, and a waste allowance. It shows the total wall area, the net area to be built, and the estimated number of bricks required, including waste.
A reliable estimate helps organize materials for garden walls, boundaries, extensions, and brick facings. Check the result against your drawings and supplied materials.
What Is a Brick Calculator?
A brick calculator is an online quantity-estimating tool for brick masonry. It begins with the wall’s exposed area, removes door and window openings, and uses brick dimensions and mortar joints to estimate unit coverage. The selected bond arrangement and waste percentage also matter.
It supports a material takeoff: measuring construction work to determine purchasing quantities. It does not establish structural adequacy or building-code compliance; those require appropriate design checks.
Brick Calculator Features, Inputs, and Outputs
The calculator supports different brick sizes, bond patterns, mortar joints, and waste allowances.
| Input | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Wall Length | Horizontal measurement of the masonry wall |
| Wall Height | Vertical measurement of the wall |
| Opening Area | Combined area of doors, windows, or other openings |
| Brick Size | Dimensions of the selected masonry unit |
| Bond Pattern | Arrangement of stretchers and headers in the brickwork |
| Mortar Joint Thickness | Intended size of joints between bricks |
| Waste Percentage | Extra bricks allowed for cuts, breakage, and losses |
Outputs include:
- Total wall area
- Net brickwork area
- Estimated bricks required, including waste
How to Use the Brick Calculator
- Measure wall length and height. Work from the construction drawing or site measurements and use consistent units.
- Calculate the opening area. Multiply each door or window’s width by height, then add the openings together.
- Choose the brick size. Use actual manufactured dimensions, not an assumed size from the product name.
- Select the bond pattern. Match the proposed brick arrangement to the intended wall construction.
- Enter mortar joint thickness. Use the dimension specified for the project because joints affect brick spacing and coverage.
- Set a waste allowance. Allow for cutting, handling damage, and other foreseeable losses.
- Review the results. Check the gross area, net brickwork area, and estimated purchase quantity.
Calculate walls separately when their size, brick type, or bond differs. Combine quantities only for matching brick specifications.
How to Calculate the Number of Bricks
Step 1: Find the Total Wall Area
For a rectangular wall:
Total Wall Area = Wall Length × Wall Height
For example, an 8 m wall that is 2.7 m high has an area of 21.6 m². This is the gross face area before subtracting openings.
Step 2: Subtract Doors and Windows
Net Brickwork Area = Total Wall Area − Total Opening Area
Arches and unusual shapes may need separate measurements.
Step 3: Estimate Bricks per Unit Area
For a simple single-wythe wall with bricks showing their long faces in regular courses:
Area Covered per Brick = (Brick Length + Joint) × (Brick Height + Joint)
Bricks Before Waste ≈ Net Brickwork Area ÷ Area Covered per Brick
Use meters for every dimension when the wall area is in square meters.
This face-area formula is an approximation for a straightforward stretcher layout. Header courses, multiple wythes, special bonds, and nonstandard cuts require adjustments based on the actual design.
Step 4: Add Waste
Estimated Order Quantity = Round Up [Bricks Before Waste × (1 + Waste % ÷ 100)]
Always round the final number upward to a whole brick. For purchasing, the supplier may sell bricks by packs or pallets, requiring a further pack-size adjustment.
How Brick Size and Mortar Joints Affect Quantity
Brick dimensions differ by region and manufacturer. The standard UK brick, for example, is 215 mm long, 102.5 mm wide, and 65 mm high, commonly used with a nominal 10 mm mortar joint, according to the Brick Development Association.
The nominal face module includes the visible brick length and height plus the corresponding mortar joints. Larger modules mean fewer bricks across the same wall area. Smaller bricks, or thinner joints around the same brick size, generally increase the count.
| Example Brick Face | Joint Thickness | Approximate Bricks per m² |
|---|---|---|
| 190 × 90 mm | 10 mm | 50.0 |
| 215 × 65 mm | 10 mm | 59.3 |
These are theoretical single-wythe face-coverage figures for regular stretcher courses; they exclude waste and do not describe every bond or wall thickness. Verify dimensions against the selected product.
Why the Brick Bond Pattern Matters
A brick bond is the arrangement of units in masonry. It affects appearance, alignment, joints, and how bricks connect within a wall.
Stretcher or Running Bond
The long faces are visible, with vertical joints staggered between courses. It is common in brick veneers and single-wythe work.
Stack Bond
Bricks align directly above one another, producing continuous vertical joints. Structural detailing may differ from a running bond.
English Bond
Alternating courses of stretchers and headers are traditionally used in bonded solid brickwork.
Flemish Bond
Stretchers and headers alternate within each course, affecting the visible pattern and placement of units.
Bond changes quantities of full and cut units. Multi-wythe walls also need more bricks than one layer. Match the selected bond to your wall assembly.
Worked Example: Bricks Required for a Wall
Consider a straight, single-wythe wall with the following measurements:
- Wall length: 8 m
- Wall height: 2.7 m
- Window opening: 1.2 m × 1.5 m
- Brick face: 190 mm × 90 mm
- Mortar joints: 10 mm
- Layout: Regular stretcher bond
- Waste allowance: 5%
1. Total Wall Area
8 × 2.7 = 21.6 m²
2. Window Opening Area
1.2 × 1.5 = 1.8 m²
3. Net Brickwork Area
21.6 − 1.8 = 19.8 m²
4. Bricks per Square Meter
With joints, the face module becomes 200 mm × 100 mm, or 0.20 m × 0.10 m.
1 ÷ (0.20 × 0.10) = 50 bricks/m²
5. Bricks Before Waste
19.8 × 50 = 990 bricks
6. Bricks Including 5% Waste
990 × 1.05 = 1,039.5
Rounded upward, the estimated requirement is 1,040 bricks.
The example uses a consistent face-area method. Actual orders may differ because of bond details, corners, returns, or supplier pack sizes.
Choosing a Brick Waste Percentage
Waste accounts for damaged units, offcuts, breakage during transport, and cuts around openings. A simple uninterrupted wall may require less extra material than a wall with numerous corners, reveals, and decorative features.
For the example’s base quantity of 990 bricks:
| Waste Allowance | Estimated Bricks to Order |
|---|---|
| 5% | 1,040 |
| 10% | 1,089 |
| 15% | 1,139 |
These are planning scenarios, not universal requirements. Choose allowances for the brick, pattern, handling, and site.
What Affects the Accuracy of a Brick Estimate?
Actual Brick Size
Bricks sold under similar names can have different dimensions. Confirm the manufactured size and permitted tolerances.
Mortar Consistency
Joint thickness may vary with workmanship and brick irregularity. Significant deviations change course heights and unit coverage.
Openings and Details
Window reveals, piers, returns, arches, soldier courses, and coping arrangements can change the count beyond a flat-wall estimate.
Wall Build-Up
The same facade area could represent one wythe, two wythes, or a more complex assembly. Area alone cannot establish total thickness.
Waste and Deliveries
Extra units may be required for matching batches and replacing damaged bricks. Order planning should also consider availability and supplier packaging.
Common Brick Calculation Mistakes
- Forgetting to subtract window and door openings.
- Mixing feet, inches, meters, and millimeters in one formula.
- Treating brick dimensions as if they already include mortar joints.
- Assuming all bonds use the same face-area quantity.
- Counting only the visible layer of a multi-wythe wall.
- Applying waste twice when the result already includes it.
- Rounding down fractional bricks before the final calculation.
The deep4sol brick calculator supports material planning. Confirm construction details and brick specifications before ordering.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
For standard 215 × 65 mm brick faces with 10 mm mortar joints, a single-wythe wall needs approximately 593 bricks before waste. With a 5% waste allowance, the estimated order quantity is 623 bricks.
Yes. Enter the combined area of doors, windows, and other openings. The calculator deducts these from the total wall area to determine the net area requiring brickwork.
Yes. Thicker mortar joints increase the spacing between bricks and generally reduce the number needed per square meter. Thinner joints produce closer spacing and can increase brick quantities.
Not necessarily. Different bond patterns use different arrangements of stretchers, headers, and cut bricks. Wall thickness and construction details also influence the overall quantity.
The appropriate allowance depends on the project. A simple straight wall may need less extra material, while complex patterns and frequent cuts can increase waste. Confirm the allowance with your contractor or supplier.
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Estimates, not specifications.
Results are based on the values you enter and on typical material
properties. Densities, coverage rates and product sizes vary between
suppliers, so confirm quantities against your supplier's data before
ordering. Structural work must be signed off by a qualified
professional and meet your local building code.