How the calculator works
A standard modular brick with its ⅜″ mortar joint occupies an 8″ × 2⅔″ rectangle of wall face, almost exactly 7 bricks per square foot. So:
Bricks = wall area × 7 × (1 + waste %)
Mortar consumption for single-wythe modular brick runs about one 80 lb bag per 140 bricks laid. The calculator rounds both figures up, because masons never want to be one brick short on the last course.
Worked example: a 20 ft garden wall 4 ft high is 80 sq ft. At 7 bricks per square foot plus 5% waste, that's 588 bricks and 5 bags of Type N mortar.
Choosing mortar type
- Type N: the default for above-grade walls: brick planters, garden walls, veneer. Flexible enough to move with the wall.
- Type S: stronger; use below grade, in retaining applications, or where the wall takes lateral load.
- Type M: strongest and least flexible; foundations and heavy structural work only.
Buying tips
- Bricks are sold in cubes (typically ~500), so for big jobs, price per cube beats per brick.
- Buy all your brick from one production lot; color varies noticeably between lots. Pull from multiple straps as you lay to blend any variation.
- Waste covers cuts, breakage in transit, and culls. Double it if the design has lots of corners, curves, or half-brick cuts.