Masonry calculators count the units and the mortar in a wall: concrete blocks, cinder blocks, bricks and the bags that bind them. Masonry is bought by the piece and the pallet, and mortar by the bag, so a wrong count shows up either as a second delivery fee or a stack of leftovers. The tools here share the same wall math, face sizes from published standards and mortar yields from manufacturer data sheets.
Masonry tools
| Calculator | Best for | Main result |
|---|---|---|
| Brick Calculator | Brick walls and veneer, with openings deducted | Bricks by size, mortar bags, material cost |
| Concrete Block Calculator | CMU walls sized by length and height | Blocks, mortar bags, cost by block width |
| Cinder Block Calculator | Raised beds, fire pits and garden walls laid course by course | Blocks per course, finished height, mortar |
| Brick Wall Cost Calculator | Pricing a garden or screen wall built by the owner or a mason | Bricks by wythe, mortar, DIY and installed ranges |
| Mortar Calculator | Mortar for a counted pile of units | Premixed bags, or masonry cement and sand |
Counting units
Block counts run at 1.125 per square foot of wall for every standard width, since the faces match. Bricks vary more, and larger faces such as king and Norman need fewer per square foot than modular. Doors and windows come off the wall area before counting, and a waste allowance covers cuts, corners and breakage.
The block calculator and the cinder block calculator use the same rates in different ways. The block tool works from wall area, which suits plans and elevations. The cinder block tool counts by courses and rounds each course up to whole blocks, which suits beds and walls built a row at a time.
Mortar, two ways
Mortar can be bought ready to use or mixed on site. Premixed bags need only water and cover 12 blocks per 80 lb bag. Masonry cement mixed with sand on site covers 46 blocks per 70 lb cement bag, so it saves money on large walls while premixed bags suit small jobs.
A typical wall project
- A footing goes in below the frost line, sized with the concrete footing calculator.
- The wall area or the course count gives the unit order, with waste.
- The laid unit count gives the mortar order for the chosen mix.
- Reinforcement, ties, flashing and caps get added for the wall type.
- Courses go up to a string line, with joints tooled as the mortar stiffens.
Choosing a wall material
Concrete block and brick often end up on the same shortlist, and they solve different problems. Block lays up fast because each unit covers far more wall, its hollow cores take steel and grout for strength, and it suits foundations, retaining structures, sheds and garden walls that will be stuccoed, painted or left plain. Brick is smaller, slower to lay and usually serves as the finished face of a wall, either as veneer tied to a framed house or as a solid garden wall with a decorative bond.
Many walls use both. A common pattern is a block wall for strength with a brick face for looks, or a block garden wall topped with brick or stone caps. Running the block and brick calculators for the same wall shows the unit count and material cost of each route, and the mortar calculator then totals the joints for whichever mix is chosen.
Ordering and delivery
Masonry is heavy and is usually delivered on pallets by a boom or forklift truck. A firm, level drop spot close to the wall saves hours of carrying, and units stacked near each section of wall keep the work moving. Masons blend color between production runs by drawing bricks out of several cubes at once. A small stock of leftover units makes later repairs match.
Codes and safety
Garden walls and raised beds are ordinary projects, but retaining walls, tall freestanding walls, brick veneer on a house and anything carrying a load fall under the building code and often need engineered design. Wet mortar is caustic, cutting block or brick releases silica dust and pallets of masonry are heavy, so gloves, eye protection and wet cutting are standard on every job.
Masonry cost guides
Three guides price the repair side of masonry: the tuckpointing cost guide for worn mortar joints, the chimney repair cost guide for caps, crowns, liners and rebuilds, and the stone veneer cost guide for adding a stone face to walls and fireplaces.
Related pages
The concrete calculators cover the footings and slabs that masonry stands on, and the paver calculators cover patios laid beside a new wall. The methodology page lists every source behind the brick, block and mortar figures.