How it's calculated
bricks = wall ft² × 144 ÷ ((L+j)(H+j)) × wythes × (1 + waste)
wall ft² = length × height, L, H = brick face length and height (in), j = mortar joint (in), wythes = number of brick layers, waste = spare fraction. 144 = square inches per square foot.
Common questions
How many bricks are in a square foot?
A standard US modular brick with a 3/8 inch joint runs about 7 bricks per square foot of wall face.
Why add a waste factor?
Cuts, breakage, and color matching mean some bricks go unused, so a waste allowance of around 5 to 10 percent keeps you from running short.