Updated July 18, 2026
How it works
Multiply wall length by wall height to get total wall area in square feet. Multiply by bricks per square foot (7 is standard for a single-wythe brick wall with mortar joints) and then by (1 + waste percentage / 100) to account for cuts and breakage.
The brick counts above come from Brick Industry Association estimating tables and Glen-Gery's published sizes, both cited below.
The math you actually need
A standard modular brick laid with a 3/8 inch mortar joint runs about 6.75 to 7 bricks per square foot of wall face. Most estimators round to 7 and add waste from there. That figure assumes a single wythe, the common veneer wall you see on houses. A double-wythe structural wall doubles the count.
Measure the wall, then subtract the holes
Start with the gross wall area: length times height for each wall, added together. Then subtract every opening. A standard door is roughly 21 square feet and a typical window around 15, though you should measure your own. Skipping this step on a house with several windows can have you buying hundreds of bricks you will never lay. On a full house, take the perimeter, multiply by wall height, subtract the openings, and you have your net face area.
Worked example
Take a 20 foot long, 8 foot high garden wall. That is 160 square feet of face. At 7 bricks per square foot you need 1,120 bricks for the field. Add 10 percent for cuts and breakage and you are at 1,232. If the wall has no openings and clean ends, 10 percent is plenty. A wall with returns, corners, and trimmed courses earns 12 to 15 percent.
Brick sizes and yields
| Brick type | Nominal size | Bricks per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Modular | 8 x 4 x 2-2/3 in | about 7 |
| Modular actual | 7-5/8 x 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 in | about 6.75 |
| Queen | 8 x 3 x 2-3/4 in | about 5.7 |
| Engineer modular | 8 x 4 x 3-1/5 in | about 5.6 |
The mortar joint is part of the math. A 3/8 inch joint is standard, which is why the nominal size (8 x 4) is larger than the actual brick (7-5/8 x 3-5/8). Change the joint thickness and the per-square-foot count moves with it.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that bricks per square foot is a face-area figure. It does not account for wall thickness or a second wythe.
- Ordering by the brick when the yard sells by the pallet or the cube. Pallet counts vary, often in the 450 to 525 range, so confirm with your supplier and order whole pallets.
- Buying across two production lots. Color and texture drift between batches, so order all your brick at once and keep a few spares from the same lot for repairs.
- Skipping the waste factor on a wall full of openings, then running short on the last course.
What it costs to think about
Brick itself is rarely the biggest line on a masonry bill. Mortar, ties, flashing, and skilled labor add up fast, and labor usually dwarfs material. Order the brick early, since some textures and colors carry long lead times, and confirm the pallet count and lot number on the delivery ticket.
Sources: Glen-Gery brick sizes, Brick Industry Association estimating guide.