How many bricks per square foot?
A standard US brick with a 3/8 in joint gives 6.55 bricks per square foot.
A standard US modular brick (8 x 2.25 in) with a 3/8 in joint gives 6.55 bricks per square foot for a single leaf, which is 70.5 per square metre.
The formula
With 8 x 2.25 in and a 3/8 in joint, the module is 8.375 x 2.625 in = 21.98 sq in. A square foot is 144 sq in, so 144 / 21.98 = 6.55 bricks. The joint is why it is not 8.
Table by format
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| Brick | Face | Per sq ft | Per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| US modular | 8 x 2.25 in | 6.55 | 70.5 |
| US queen | 8 x 2.75 in | 5.57 | 60.0 |
| UK standard | 215 x 65 mm | 5.51 | 59.3 |
| Metric perforated | 240 x 115 mm | 2.97 | 32.0 |
| Metric on edge | 240 x 50 mm | 5.95 | 64.0 |
| Concrete block | 16 x 8 in | 1.05 | 11.3 |
The exposed face changes everything
The same brick can give very different counts depending on how it is laid. A metric perforated brick of 240 x 115 x 50 mm shows a 240 x 115 mm face laid flat or a 240 x 50 mm face laid on edge: 32 per square metre against 64. Decide the bond before calculating.
Breakage
5 % is normal for common brick that will be rendered. For facing brick, use 10 %, because any chipped corner makes a brick unusable where it will be seen. With many cut bricks, add a little more.
And the mortar
Bricks do not hold themselves up. A 108 sq ft wall in 8 x 2.25 in brick with a 3/8 in joint and 4 in thickness takes roughly 212 litres (7.5 cubic feet) of mortar including waste. That is calculated separately because it depends on the wall thickness, not just the face area.
Sources and methodology
The table is calculated from the module formula using face dimensions common in each market. Actual sizes vary by manufacturer and country: measure a brick before placing the final order.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
6.55 for a standard US modular brick with a 3/8 in joint, single leaf. A UK standard brick gives 5.51 per square foot.
How many bricks for a 100 square foot wall?
About 688 standard modular bricks including 5 % breakage. Double it for a two-leaf wall.
Does the mortar joint change the count much?
Yes. Going from 3/8 to 1/2 in reduces bricks per square foot by about 7 %, and ignoring the joint entirely inflates the count by up to 20 %.
How much mortar per square foot of brickwork?
For a 4 in wall with 3/8 in joints, roughly 0.07 cubic feet per square foot before waste, or about 0.08 with the usual 15 % allowance.