How to Use the Brick & Block Calculator
Figuring out how many bricks or blocks to order for a wall or fence is hard to eyeball. This calculator takes your wall's width and height to get the total area, then calculates units per square foot based on standard US modular brick (8 x 2.25in face) or CMU block (16 x 8in face) dimensions, and gives you the total quantity to order.
Brick coverage depends on mortar joint thickness, so the calculator factors in a joint size (typically 3/8in). For example, a 16ft x 6ft (96 sq ft) wall built with standard modular brick at a 3/8in joint needs roughly 6.55 bricks per square foot, or about 629 bricks — plus a 5% margin brings that to around 660. CMU block already accounts for its mortar joint in the nominal 16x8in size, so it needs no separate joint input — about 1.13 blocks per square foot.
Real jobs always use more material than the raw math suggests, due to cutting, breakage, and finishing around corners and openings. Adding a 5-10% waste margin when ordering is standard practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cutting, breakage, and finishing at corners and openings mean the actual amount needed is higher than the raw calculation. Adding a 5-10% margin when ordering is standard practice.
Modular brick is typically used for finish masonry and veneer walls, while concrete masonry units (CMU/block) are used for structural walls and fences where large areas need to be built quickly.