HowMuchIt / Bricks
How many bricks do I need?
About 6.75 to 7 modular bricks for every square foot of wall, with standard 3/8 inch joints. Measure the wall, take off the openings, and order a little more than the count.
Work out your bricks
| Item | How much |
|---|---|
| Bricks | about 6.75 to 7 per sq ft of wall |
| Mortar | about 7 to 8 bags per 1,000 bricks |
| Laid size | 4 x 2-2/3 x 8 in (brick 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 7-5/8 plus one joint) |
The count per square foot is a minimum: order extra for breakage, cuts and repairs. Your mortar bag prints its own yield.
Nominal and actual size
A modular brick measures about 3-5/8 by 2-1/4 by 7-5/8 inches. Add one 3/8 inch mortar joint and its laid size becomes an even 4 by 2-2/3 by 8 inches: that is its nominal size, and the reason the count per square foot comes out at 6.75 to 7. Net wall area is length times height minus doors, windows and other openings.
Questions people ask
How many bricks per square foot?
About 6.75 to 7 modular bricks with 3/8 inch joints.
How much mortar for 1,000 bricks?
About 7 to 8 bags of masonry cement; check your bag's yield.
Good to know
- Nominal brick size = the actual (specified) brick size plus one mortar joint.1,2
- A modular brick is about 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 7-5/8 in; with a 3/8 in joint its nominal (laid) size is 4 x 2-2/3 x 8 in.1,2
- Modular brick with 3/8 in joints: plan on about 6.75 to 7 bricks per square foot of wall.1,2,3,4
- Net wall area = length x height minus the area of doors, windows and other openings.2,5
- The per-square-foot count is a minimum: order extra for breakage, cuts and future repairs.1,2,4
- Rule of thumb: about 7 to 8 bags of masonry cement (mortar) per 1,000 modular bricks.2,3
How we checked this page
Checked on October 27, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Brick Dimensions & Sizes - Per Square Foot Chart, Glen-Gery
- Technical Note 10: Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry, Brick Industry Association
- Engineering Services Technical Bulletin: Rule of Thumb Conversion Factors, General Shale
- Choosing Building Bricks, Lowe's
- Brick Calculator, Glen-Gery