Brick & Block Calculator

Calculate bricks, blocks, mortar, and sand for your wall project.

This tool is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional financial, medical, legal, or engineering advice. See Terms of Service.

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How to Use the Brick & Block Calculator

This calculator estimates how many standard bricks or CMU blocks you need to build a wall, then adds mortar bag and sand quantities so you can place one complete material order. Here is how to get an accurate estimate:

  1. Enter your wall dimensions. Input the total wall length and height in feet. For a wall with multiple sections, add the lengths together and use one height, or run the calculator separately for each section.
  2. Subtract your openings. Enter the number of standard doors (each assumed at 21 sq ft, roughly 3 ft wide by 7 ft tall) and standard windows (each assumed at 15 sq ft, roughly 3 ft wide by 5 ft tall). The calculator removes these from the gross wall area before counting units. If your openings differ significantly in size, adjust the door or window count proportionally.
  3. Choose your unit type. Standard brick is the classic fired clay unit at 8" x 2.25" x 3.75", which lays at approximately 7 bricks per square foot with standard 3/8" mortar joints. CMU block (concrete masonry unit) is the larger gray block at 16" x 8" x 8", which lays at approximately 1.125 blocks per square foot.
  4. Set your waste factor. The default 5% accounts for breakage during cutting and handling. For complex walls with many cuts around openings or curved sections, increase this to 8-10%. New masons often benefit from a higher waste factor.
  5. Read your results. The primary result shows total units with waste factored in. The breakdown shows gross wall area, net area after openings, 80 lb mortar bags, and sand tonnage for brick work.

Results update instantly as you type. Use the Share button to send your inputs to a mason or supplier, or Copy to paste the count into a quote or materials list.

About the Brick & Block Calculator

Standard brick coverage is based on the most common American brick size (also called modular brick) laid in a running bond pattern with 3/8" mortar joints on all sides. At this spacing, approximately 7 bricks cover one square foot of face area. CMU blocks in the standard 8" x 8" x 16" nominal size (actual 7.625" x 7.625" x 15.625") cover approximately 1.125 blocks per square foot in a standard stacked or running bond pattern.

Mortar estimates follow typical field ratios: roughly 7 bags of pre-mixed 80 lb mortar per 1,000 bricks, and 3 bags per 100 CMU blocks. Sand estimates for brick work run approximately 1 ton per 1,000 bricks when mixing from scratch with Portland cement. These are average figures. Actual mortar consumption varies with joint thickness, mason technique, and the texture of the masonry units. For large projects, consult your material supplier for project-specific ratios.

All calculations run entirely in your browser. No data is stored or transmitted.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bricks do I need for a 20x8 foot wall?

A 20 foot by 8 foot wall has 160 square feet of gross area. Subtract one door (21 sq ft) and two windows (30 sq ft) for a net area of 109 sq ft. At 7 bricks per square foot, that is 763 bricks before waste. With a 5% waste factor, order approximately 801 bricks. You will also need about 6 bags of 80 lb mortar and 0.8 tons of sand.

What is the difference between standard brick and CMU block?

Standard brick is a fired clay unit measuring 8" x 2.25" x 3.75" (nominal). It is used for exterior veneers, decorative walls, and structural applications in residential construction. CMU (concrete masonry unit) block is a larger hollow or solid concrete unit at 16" x 8" x 8" (nominal). CMU is faster to lay per square foot because of its size, and is commonly used for foundations, retaining walls, utility buildings, and load-bearing walls in commercial construction. CMU is generally cheaper per square foot of coverage but has a different aesthetic than brick.

Why should I add a waste factor for brick?

Bricks break during transport and handling, and cutting bricks to fit around openings, corners, and wall ends always generates unusable pieces. A 5% waste factor is a reasonable minimum for a straightforward wall with few cuts. Increase to 8-10% for walls with many openings, decorative patterns like herringbone or diagonal bond, or when working with reclaimed brick that may have higher breakage rates. Running out of brick mid-project can be a problem if the batch color varies between orders.

How much mortar do I need per 1,000 bricks?

A general rule of thumb is approximately 7 bags of pre-mixed 80 lb mortar per 1,000 standard bricks laid with 3/8" joints. If you are mixing from bulk materials, you need roughly 1 ton of sand and 6-7 bags of Portland cement per 1,000 bricks. For CMU block, plan on about 3 bags of 80 lb mortar per 100 blocks. These estimates assume full bed and head joints. Actual consumption varies with mason technique, joint tooling depth, and how much mortar falls off during work.