🧱 Block & Brick Calculator
Enter the wall length and height and choose blocks or bricks to estimate how many masonry units you need, based on the unit face area including mortar plus a wastage allowance.
🧱 Estimate Your Masonry Units
What is a Block & Brick Calculator?
A block and brick calculator estimates how many masonry units a wall needs. It works from the wall area and the face area of one unit including its mortar joint, then adds a wastage allowance for cuts and breakage so your order covers the real job.
Enter the wall length and height, pick a concrete block or a modular brick, and adjust the wastage to suit the layout. These are estimates for planning; verify with a structural engineer for load-bearing work, and deduct large openings yourself.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How many blocks do I need for a wall?
Divide the wall area by the face area of one block including its mortar joint. A standard 16 × 8 inch block covers about 0.89 square feet with mortar, so a 20 × 8 ft wall (160 sq ft) needs roughly 160 ÷ 0.89 ≈ 180 blocks before waste, and about 198 once a 10% allowance is added.
How many bricks are in a square foot?
A modular brick laid with a mortar joint shows a face of about 0.167 square feet, which works out to roughly six to seven bricks per square foot of single-wythe wall. The calculator uses that face area, so a 160 sq ft wall comes to a little over a thousand bricks once wastage is included.
Why add a wastage percentage?
Units get cut at corners and openings, some arrive cracked, and breakage happens on site, so ordering only the exact count leaves you short. A 10% wastage allowance is a common default; tight, complex layouts with many cuts may justify more. The calculator lets you adjust it.
Are these block and brick counts exact?
They are estimates for planning; verify with a structural engineer for load-bearing work. The count assumes a solid wall with no deduction for doors or windows, so subtract large openings yourself and confirm the unit size and mortar joint match what you will actually lay.