How it works
Enter the wall size, subtract any openings and pick the unit. The calculator divides the wall area by the face area of one unit plus one mortar joint, adds waste and estimates premixed mortar.
With standard 3/8 inch joints, modular brick works out to about 6.86 per square foot and 8 × 8 × 16 concrete blocks to 1.125 per square foot. This is a single wythe (one brick thick); double it for a double-wythe wall.
Mortar is estimated at roughly 35 modular bricks or 13 blocks per 80 lb bag of premixed mortar mix, in line with typical bag labels. Actual yield depends on joint width and how much mortar is dropped.
Formula
Units per sq ft = 144 ÷ [(unit length + joint) × (unit height + joint)]. Units = net wall area × units per sq ft × (1 + waste).
Questions people ask
How many bricks per square foot?
About 6.86 modular bricks per square foot with 3/8 in joints. Queen bricks are about 5.8 and utility bricks about 3.
How many concrete blocks per square foot?
An 8 × 16 in block face including its 3/8 in joint covers 128 sq in, so 1.125 blocks per square foot, or 112.5 per 100 sq ft.
How much mortar do I need for 1,000 bricks?
Roughly 25 to 30 bags of 80 lb premixed mortar, or about 7 bags of masonry cement plus 1/2 cubic yard of sand if you mix your own.