How the brick calculator works
Bricks are counted by wall area. The Brick Industry Association (BIA) publishes how many bricks of each size fill a square foot with 3/8 inch mortar joints, and how much mortar those joints hold. The calculator takes off doors and windows, multiplies by those figures, adds extra for cuts and breakage, and turns the mortar into 80 lb bags of mortar mix.
Wall area = length × height − 21 sq ft per door − 15 sq ft per window
Bricks = wall area × bricks per sq ft × (1 + extra %)
Mortar (cu ft) = wall area × bricks per sq ft × mortar per 1,000 bricks ÷ 1,000
Bags of mortar mix = mortar ÷ 0.30 cu ft (37 modular bricks per 80 lb bag)
Wall ties = wall area ÷ 2.67 sq ft, + 7 per door and 6 per window
QUIKRETE rates an 80 lb bag of mortar mix at up to 37 standard bricks. By BIA's figure that bag fills about 0.30 cu ft of joints, so the calculator uses that for every brick size. The bag rating is generous against BIA's net mortar, so it already covers the 15 to 25% extra BIA tells masons to allow.
Worked example
A wall 30 ft long and 8 ft high with one door and two windows has 240 − 21 − 30 = 189 sq ft of brick. In modular brick that is 189 × 6.75 = 1,276 bricks, or 1,340 bricks with 5% extra. The joints hold 1,276 × 8.1 ÷ 1,000 = 10.3 cu ft of mortar: 1,276 ÷ 37 = 34.5, so 35 bags of mortar mix. As veneer over a framed wall it needs 189 ÷ 2.67 = 71 ties plus 19 around the openings, 90 in all.
Bricks per square foot
| Brick | Size (W x H x L) | Per sq ft | Mortar per 1,000 bricks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular | 3 5/8 x 2 1/4 x 7 5/8 in | 6.75 | 8.1 cu ft |
| Queen | 2 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 7 5/8 in | 5.5 | 12.2 cu ft |
| King | 2 3/4 x 2 5/8 x 9 5/8 in | 4.55 | 14.2 cu ft |
| Norman | 3 5/8 x 2 1/4 x 11 5/8 in | 4.5 | 11.2 cu ft |
| Utility | 3 5/8 x 3 5/8 x 11 5/8 in | 3 | 12.3 cu ft |
From BIA Technical Note 10, Table 4, for running bond with 3/8 inch joints and no waste. Patterns with header bricks, such as Flemish or English bond, use more.
Brick veneer ties
Brick veneer over wood studs is held to the wall with corrugated metal ties nailed through the sheathing into the studs. BIA Technical Note 28 calls for at least one tie per 2.67 sq ft of wall, at most 32 inches apart across and 24 inches up under the IRC, plus extra ties within 12 inches of any opening larger than 16 inches, no more than 3 ft apart. In high-wind and seismic areas the limit drops to 2 sq ft per tie. Keep the air space behind corrugated ties to 1 inch or less.
Before you buy
- Order all the brick at once, and blend bricks from several cubes as you lay so the color varies evenly.
- Use Type N mortar for most above-grade veneer and garden walls; Type S is common below grade and for retaining. Follow your brick maker's advice.
- Veneer needs a footing or ledge to sit on, flashing and weep holes at the base and over openings, and a water-resistant barrier on the sheathing.
- Freestanding walls two bricks thick need twice the brick and mortar, and a footing below the frost line.
Sources
Common questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
6.75 modular bricks with 3/8 inch mortar joints, according to the Brick Industry Association. Queen brick is 5.5 per sq ft, king 4.55, Norman 4.5 and utility 3.
How many bricks do I need for a 10 by 8 foot wall?
80 sq ft x 6.75 = 540 modular bricks, or 567 with 5% extra for cuts and breakage.
How many bags of mortar do I need for 1,000 bricks?
About 27 bags of 80 lb mortar mix. QUIKRETE rates a bag at up to 37 standard bricks. By volume, the Brick Industry Association puts the joints at 8.1 cu ft per 1,000 modular bricks.
How many brick ties do I need?
One corrugated tie for every 2.67 sq ft of wall, at most 32 inches apart across and 24 inches up, plus extra ties around openings, according to the Brick Industry Association. That is one tie on every stud, 16 inches apart, every 24 inches up.
How much extra brick should I order?
At least 5%, says the Brick Industry Association. Order more for lots of cuts, corners or a decorative pattern, and buy it all at once so the color matches.