Mortar Calculator
How much mortar for a brick or block wall? Enter the count, pick Type N, S, M or O, and get 80-lb bags and cost — one bag lays about 40 bricks or 12 blocks.
Type N is the all-rounder; Type S is stronger for below grade and structural work; Type M is the strongest.
Mortar (Type N) for 500 bricks
14 bags (80 lb) — about 8.3 cu ft of mixed mortar
$126 — estimated mortar cost at $9.00 per bag
One 80-lb bag lays about 40 bricks with a standard 3/8-in joint. The count above includes 10% waste for dropped mortar and re-tempering. Do not mix more mortar than you can lay in about 90 minutes — once it stiffens, it should not be re-tempered with water.
Estimate. Coverage varies with joint size, brick absorption and how full the joints are struck — check the bag's coverage figure and the current shelf price.
Formula used: Bags = (units ÷ units per bag) × (1 + waste%), rounded up. One 80-lb bag ≈ 0.6 cu ft of mixed mortar.
How this estimate works: Mortar is estimated from the number of units, not the wall area: an 80-lb bag lays roughly 40 bricks or 12 blocks with a standard 3/8-inch joint. The tool divides your count by that figure and adds a waste allowance for mortar that falls off the trowel or stiffens in the wheelbarrow.
How the mortar calculator works
Mortar is estimated from the number of units, not the wall area: an 80-lb bag lays roughly 40 bricks or 12 blocks with a standard 3/8-inch joint. The tool divides your count by that figure and adds a waste allowance for mortar that falls off the trowel or stiffens in the wheelbarrow. Type N is the all-rounder; Type S is stronger for below grade and structural work. Do not mix more mortar than you can lay in about 90 minutes — once it stiffens, it should not be re-tempered with water.
Try next: Concrete Calculator · Concrete Bags Calculator · Brick Calculator
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