Masonry Estimator: Brick, Block & Mortar Calculator

How many bricks or blocks, and how many bags of mortar, for your wall.

Project Details
Enter your measurements and requirements
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Results
Calculated estimates for your project
Wall area (net)160 sq ft
Bricks per sq ft6.86
Modular bricks1,208 (1,098 + 10% waste)
Courses37 courses, about 30 per course
Mortar, Type N37 bags of 80 lb premix
Mortar volume22.2 cu ft
Ladder wire12 pieces, 10 ft
Estimated cost$1,166

Turn these numbers into a build plan.

  • 20 x 8 ft wall
  • 1,208 bricks
  • 37 bags mortar
Materials List
Recommended materials and quantities
Modular brick1208
Type N mortar, 80 lb37 bags
Ladder wire, 10 ft12

How we got this: 144 / ((L 7.625 + 0.375) x (H 2.25 + 0.375)) = 6.86 units per sq ft, x 160 sq ft = 1098; mortar at 33 units per 80 lb bag at a 3/8 in joint. Joint styles are in the masonry joint guide; to count bricks only, use the brick calculator. The footing is in the concrete mix calculator.

Next you will need

Brick CalculatorConcrete Footing Calculator

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Project plan · built from your numbers

20 ft brick wall, 8 ft tall

1,208 modular bricks in 37 courses of 30, laid with 0.375" mortar joints and 37 bags of mortar over a poured concrete footing. Covers 160 sq ft of wall face.

Materials
$1,376
Time
3 weekends
Level
Advanced
7 steps 9 tools 7 materials
  1. 1

    Check rules and lay out

    Call 811 before digging. A 8 ft wall usually needs a permit and engineered reinforcement, so check with your building department first. Stake out the 20 ft run with string.

    • Call 811 for utility marks
    • Confirm permit and setback rules
    • Stake and string the wall line
  2. 2

    Pour the footing

    Dig a trench 12" wide and at least 8" deep (deeper where frost depth requires). Set 5 sticks of rebar on chairs, then pour 23 bags of concrete and screed it level. Let it cure 48 hours.

    • Trench to depth on firm soil
    • Rebar on chairs, 3" from the bottom
    • Footing screeded level, cured 2 days
  3. 3

    Dry-lay the first course

    Lay out 30 bricks without mortar with 0.375" spacers to check the bond and see where cuts land. Mark the joint locations on the footing.

    • Dry-fit the full course
    • Plan cuts at ends, not mid-wall
    • Mark joints on the footing
01 · Your numbers
Wall
20 x 8 ft
Bricks
1,208
Mortar
37 bags
Est. cost
$1,376
02 · The plan

7 steps · 9 tools · 7 materials

4 more steps, the full tool list and a shopping list you can check off as you go.

03 · Finished

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20 ft brick wall, 8 ft tall

Finished in 3 weekends · $1,376 DIY

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How to estimate bricks, blocks and mortar

  1. Measure the wall. Length x height in feet, less the area of every door and window.
  2. Find units per square foot. 144 / ((unit length + joint) x (unit height + joint)) using actual sizes: 6.86 modular bricks or 1.125 8 in blocks per sq ft at a 3/8 in joint.
  3. Multiply and add waste. Net area x units per sq ft, then add 5 to 10% for cuts and breakage.
  4. Convert to mortar bags. Divide units by the yield per bag: about 33 modular bricks or 12 8 in blocks per 80 lb bag of premix.
  5. Add grout and steel for block. Grout the cores at each vertical bar (or solid), and count rebar sticks and ladder wire every other course.

Worked example: a 20 x 8 ft wall in brick vs 8 in block

Modular brick8" CMU block
Units per sq ft6.861.125
Units with 10% waste1,208199
Courses3712
Mortar, 80 lb bags37 (Type N)17 (Type S)
Grout and rebarNone0.53 cu yd, 5 sticks at 32 in
Material cost$1,166$833

Mortar yield by brick and block size

Units laid per bag at a 3/8 in joint; a 1/2 in joint uses about a third more
UnitActual size (in)Units per sq ftPer 80 lb premixPer 60 lb premixPer 70 lb masonry cement
Modular brick3.625 x 2.25 x 7.6256.863325125
Standard brick3.625 x 2.25 x 86.553224121
Queen brick2.75 x 2.75 x 7.6255.764131155
Jumbo brick3.5 x 2.75 x 85.503123117
King brick2.75 x 2.625 x 9.6254.803526133
Norman brick3.625 x 2.25 x 11.6254.57241891
Utility brick3.625 x 3.625 x 11.6253.00221783
4" CMU block3.625 x 7.625 x 15.6251.13161261
6" CMU block5.625 x 7.625 x 15.6251.13141153
8" CMU block7.625 x 7.625 x 15.6251.1312945
10" CMU block9.625 x 7.625 x 15.6251.1311842
12" CMU block11.625 x 7.625 x 15.6251.1310838

Mortar types N, S, M and O

TypeStrengthPortland : lime : sandUse
Type N750 psi1 : 1 : 6Above-grade walls, veneer, chimneys; the default
Type S1,800 psi1 : 0.5 : 4.5Below grade, retaining walls, foundations, patios
Type M2,500 psi1 : 0.25 : 3Heavy loads, footings and walls in contact with soil
Type O350 psi1 : 2 : 9Interior non-bearing walls, repointing soft old brick

Site-mixing with portland and lime: Type N is 1 part portland, 1 part lime and 6 parts sand; Type S is 1 : 1/2 : 4-1/2. With bagged masonry cement (lime already in it), use about 1 part cement to 3 parts sand. Retaining walls take Type S; see the retaining wall guide, and the masonry joint guide for finishing the joints.

Stone veneer rule of thumb

Thin stone veneer is sold by the square foot (flats) and linear foot (corners). Order the net wall area plus 10%, subtract a foot of flat for each linear foot of corner, and plan on one 80 lb bag of Type S for about 15 sq ft including the scratch coat. Full-bed natural stone uses two to three times that.

The footing under the wall

A freestanding wall needs a concrete footing about twice the wall thickness wide and below the frost line. Mix it with the concrete mix calculator, check the bearing with the foundation load calculator, and pave in front of it with the paver patio guide.

Masonry estimator FAQ

How many bags of mortar do I need for 1,000 bricks?

About 30 bags of 80 lb premix (33 modular bricks per bag at a 3/8 in joint), or 8 bags of 70 lb masonry cement mixed with about 20 cu ft of sand.

How many bags of mortar per 100 blocks?

About 9 bags of 80 lb premix for 8 in block (about 12 blocks per bag), or 3 bags of masonry cement with sand.

How much sand per bag of masonry cement?

About 2.5 to 3 cu ft of mason sand per 70 lb bag, roughly 1 part cement to 3 parts sand by volume, or about 250 to 300 lb.

Brick vs block: which costs less per square foot?

Block. In the 20 x 8 ft example the brick wall's units and mortar run about $7 per sq ft and the block wall, grouted at the rebar, about $5, and block goes up several times faster. Brick costs more but needs no finish.

Type N or Type S mortar?

Type N (750 psi) for above-grade walls, veneer and chimneys. Type S (1,800 psi) for anything below grade or holding back soil: retaining walls, foundations, patios and steps.

How many bricks per square foot?

6.86 modular bricks per sq ft of single-wythe wall with a 3/8 in joint; double that for a double wythe. Queen brick is about 5.8, Norman and utility fewer.

Does a block wall need rebar and grout?

Retaining walls, bearing walls and most walls over 4 ft do: #4 bars at 24 to 48 in on center grouted solid in their cores, with a bond beam at the top. Your plans or local code set the spacing.

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