Estimate how many modular bricks you need for a wall from its length and height, with a waste factor for cuts and breakage.
bricks = wall_area_ft² × 6.86 × (1 + waste)
A single-wythe modular brick wall with a 3/8″ mortar joint needs about 6.86 bricks per square foot — commonly rounded to 7.
Brick is hard to match across dye lots and is cut frequently, so a 10% waste factor is sensible.
For a single-wythe brick wall 20 ft long and 8 ft high: the face area is 160 square feet. At 6.86 modular bricks per square foot, that's about 1,098 bricks before waste. Brick is cut constantly and breaks in handling, so add 10% — you'd order about 1,210 bricks.
If the wall has a 3 ft x 3 ft opening for a gate, subtract that 9 square feet first: 151 square feet x 6.86 = 1,036 bricks, then add waste. Always subtract large openings but keep the full waste factor, because the cut bricks around an opening can't usually be reused.
The 6.86 bricks/ft² figure assumes a standard modular brick and a 3/8″ joint. Other brick sizes change the count — this is an industry convention, not a single-source standard.
About 6.86 for a single-wythe modular brick wall with a 3/8″ mortar joint.