Sawhorse Calc

Brick calculator

Add each wall as its length and height and enter your brick size. You get the bricks to buy, the bags of mortar and the cost. It starts with US modular brick.

Areas to add up

Lengths in feet. 12.5 means 12 ft 6 in. You can also type 12' 6" or 6 in.Lengths in metres.

Brick size, mortar and openings

Starting figures are typical. Type the ones on your product or quote if you have them.

Cost (optional)

567 bricks

Wall area, sq ft
80.0
Bricks per sq ft
6.75
Bags of mortar
16

How to work it out

  1. Measure each wall's length and height, and enter them as length and width. Add each wall as its own area.
  2. Add up doors, windows and other openings and enter the total to subtract.
  3. Enter the brick size with its mortar joint. Modular brick is 8 in long with the joint, and three courses rise 8 in, so 2.667 in per course.
  4. Keep about 5% extra for cuts and breakage, and check your mortar bag for how many bricks it lays.

Bricks per square foot

BrickPer sq ft
Modular, 8 × 2 2/3 in with joints6.75
Norman, 12 × 2 2/3 in4.5
Utility, 12 × 4 in3
UK standard, 225 × 75 mm with jointsAbout 60 per m²

These are common starting points. Your site, climate and supplier may call for something different.

A worked example

A garden wall 10 ft long and 8 ft high is 80 sq ft, one brick thick. At 6.75 modular bricks per square foot that is 540 bricks, or 567 with 5% extra. A double-thickness wall needs twice as many.

What this leaves out

The figures are for one layer of brick. Footings, wall ties, flashing, weep holes and lintels over openings are worked out separately, and brick on a house, or any wall that holds back soil or carries a load, should follow local code or a builder's design.

Common questions

How many bricks are in a square foot?

About 6.75 standard modular bricks, counting 3/8 in mortar joints. Norman bricks are 4.5 per square foot and utility bricks 3.

How many bricks do I need for a wall?

Multiply length by height to get the area, take off openings, multiply by the bricks per square foot, then add about 5%. A 10 by 8 ft wall in modular brick needs about 567.

How many bricks does a bag of mortar lay?

Roughly 35 to 40 modular bricks per 80 lb bag of mortar mix with normal joints. The calculator starts at 36; the bag gives the maker's figure.

How many bricks are in a square metre?

About 60 UK standard bricks, 215 by 65 mm, with 10 mm joints, for a wall one brick thick. Enter 22.5 by 7.5 cm in metres mode.

What size is a standard brick?

In the US, a modular brick is 7 5/8 by 2 1/4 by 3 5/8 in, which takes up 8 by 2 2/3 in of wall with its mortar joint. In the UK, a standard brick is 215 by 102.5 by 65 mm.

Doing this job for a customer? Turn your numbers into a free written estimate on QuoteToPaid.

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