Brick Calculator
Brick, mortar and sand from the on-center module — geometry and the trade’s 7-per-foot rule, ordered as the larger.
Brick Calculator
Results recalculate instantly on every keystroke. Nothing you type is transmitted.
What this result does not account for
- Single-module walls; flemish and mixed bonds by hand.
- No lintels, sills or ties — openings enter as net area.
- No price band asserted; quantities only.
In short: A 20 × 10 ft wall in modular brick with ⅜-in joints: 144 ÷ 21 = 6.857143 per ft² → 1,371.43 geometry → 1,440 ordered at 5%. Mortar: 11 bags; mason sand: 1.571429 yd³. The courses check: 46 × 30 = 1,380.
Formula
bricks/ft² = 144 ÷ ((len + joint) × (ht + joint))
order = max(geometry × (1 + waste), 7 × ft²)
mortar bags = ⌈order × 7 ÷ 1,000⌉
sand yd³ = mortar bags ÷ 7
[('on-center', 'brick plus its ⅜-in joint — the unit that tiles a wall'), ('7/ft²', 'the trade rule for modular, waste included'), ('7 per 1,000', 'mortar bags; one sack lays ~143 brick'), ('1 yd per 7', 'mason sand per mortar bags')]
Worked Example
- Build the on-center module from brick plus joint.
- Count geometry per square foot by the 144 law.
- Order the larger of geometry-with-waste and the rule.
- Add mortar at 7 bags per thousand and sand at a yard per 7.
- Check the module against courses × per-course.
The 20 × 10 wall: 6.857143/ft² → 1,371.43 geometry, 1,440 ordered at 5% — $1,008.00 at $0.70. Mortar 11 bags ($176.00), sand 1.571429 yd³ (≈ 2.12 t). The module checks: 46 courses × 30 = 1,380, within 4% of the order.
Strengths & Limits Of This Model
Where this engine is strong
- Module law exact — 144/21 lands to 6 decimals
- Rule and geometry both run, order = the larger
- Mortar and sand chained off the brick count
Where it stops
- One brick class per run
- Openings enter as net area, not itemized
Practical Use Cases
Walls and facades
Counts from the true on-center module.
Paver courses
Brick laid flat runs ~5 per square foot.
Mortar orders
Bags and sand tied to the brick count.
Module checks
Course math against the ordered pile.
Quotes
Brick priced apart from mortar and sand.
Methodology & Editorial Standards
The on-center module (brick + joint) tiles the wall by the exact 144 law. The order takes the LARGER of geometry-with-waste and the trade’s 7/ft² rule — shortage stops walls. Mortar rides the sourced 7-bags-per-1,000 ratio and sand the 1-yard-per-7-bags ratio. Unit prices are free-entry with no asserted band (source gap): quantities only are claimed. Joints over an inch are refused.
Computation runs in IEEE-754 double precision at full internal precision; rounding to two decimal places occurs strictly at the display layer, so no cumulative drift enters the result. All monetary outputs use accounting presentation — grouped thousands, two decimals, negatives in parentheses — so figures can be transcribed directly into a model or working paper. Division-by-zero and out-of-domain inputs return an em-dash rather than a misleading number.
This engine was reconciled against an independent reference implementation and hand-verified for the worked example above before release. Our full five-stage review process is published on the About Us page.
Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for informational and modelling purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Verify all figures with a qualified professional before acting on them.
Brick Calculator — 10 Expert FAQs
10 analyst-written answers to the questions practitioners actually ask — optimised for voice and answer-engine retrieval.
How many bricks are in a square foot?
About 7 for modular brick with the standard ⅜-in joint — the exact figure is 144 ÷ ((7.625 + 0.375) × (2.25 + 0.375)) = 144 ÷ 21 = 6.857143. The trade’s 7 includes cut waste. Laid flat as paving: about 5.
Why does the mortar joint change the count?
Because walls are built of brick PLUS joint. Each modular unit occupies 8 × 2.625 inches on-center, so the module tiles the wall. Change the joint and the count moves — enter your real joint; the module law holds.
How many bricks does a bag of mortar lay?
About 143 — the sourced rule is 7 bags per 1,000 modular brick. Oversize units run 8 bags per 1,000, utility 10. Site-mixed mortar with mason sand, one yard of sand per 7 bags.
How much sand do I need for 1,000 bricks?
About one cubic yard of mason sand — matched to the 7 bags of mortar that 1,000 brick consume. Damp sand runs about 1.35 tons to the yard, so call it 1.35 tons per thousand.
How many courses of brick per foot of wall?
About 4.6 at the modular module (2.625 in on-center → 12 ÷ 2.625). It is the fastest field check of a take-off: courses × bricks-per-course should land within 3-5% of the ordered count.
How much waste should I add for brick?
Five percent covers bonds and breakage on straight walls; ten for heavy cutting, soffits and soldier courses. This page orders the LARGER of geometry-with-waste and the 7/ft² rule — a short wall stops the job, spares stack.
What is modular brick, exactly?
The 7.625 × 2.25 × 3.625-in unit sized so that three courses plus three joints and one length plus one joint land on whole inches — walls, openings and sills all coordinate. Queen and oversize units change the module; enter their face and the law follows.
How much does brick cost per thousand?
It varies widely by region, class and color — this page deliberately carries NO price band and prices your entered per-brick quote. Quantities here are the sourced part; the sticker is yours.
Can brick be laid in freezing weather?
Mortar needs protection below about 40°F — generally heated water or sand, and covered work. The counts on this page do not change; the schedule does.
How do openings change the order?
Subtract openings from the wall area first — enter net dimensions — then keep the waste chip honest: lintels and sills are separate trades, but the cut brick around every opening is why the floor on waste is 5%.