Free Calculator · By SubcontractorHub Editorial Team · Published November 2026
Mortar Calculator for Brick and Block Bags
A mortar calculator on this page starts from a count you already have. Three hundred seventy standard bricks, at QUIKRETE's "up to 37" per 80 pound bag, are 10 bags before waste. This page does not count the wall, and it does not print a bag price.
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Book a DemoHow the Mortar Calculator Counts Bags
Units divided by a yield, then rounded up.
370 and the 80 pound QUIKRETE yield are the starting numbers. They are one product's "up to" figure, not every mortar on the market. Waste starts at zero.
Using the sheet yield of 37.00 bricks per bag. Before waste, that count is 10 bags, rounded up. "Up to" on the sheet means this can run short if the joint is heavier.
All calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user.
Important: the yield is one product's best case
All calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user. This tool is provided as a free service for planning purposes only and is not a substitute for a professional assessment, a supplier quote, or applicable local code requirements.
This Mortar Calculator Is Not a Wall Count
How many brick are in the wall is the brick calculator. That page uses a Brick Industry Association note for one modular size, and its mortar line is cubic feet on that row only. How many concrete block are in the wall is the concrete block calculator. A retaining run is the retaining wall calculator. Bring the count here when you want bags.
QUIKRETE's Mortar Mix sheet, product 1102, revised November 2020, fetched the day this was written, says the standard mix meets ASTM C270 and C1714 as Type N. The yield sentence says each 80 pound bag will lay up to 37 standard bricks or 13 standard 8 by 8 by 16 inch blocks. "Up to" is the careful word. It is not a promise that every joint hits that yield.
Worked bag count
Three hundred seventy bricks divided by 37 is 10 even, so the mortar calculator prints 10 bags before waste. One hundred thirty standard blocks divided by 13 is also 10 bags. Type a waste percent if you want the order longer. Type a different units-per-bag number if the sack in the truck is not this product. The 37 and the 13 are replaced the moment you do.
| Line | Sheet | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 80 lb bag, brick | up to 37 | 370 brick = 10 bags |
| 80 lb bag, block | up to 13 | 130 block = 10 bags |
| Mix water, 80 lb | about 5 quarts | not a coverage |
| Waste | not on the yield line | typed, starts at 0 |
How should you write the mortar order?
- The unit count from the brick or block takeoff, not a guess.
- Brick or block, because the sheet yield is different.
- A custom units-per-bag number if the sack is not this 80 pound mix.
- Waste percent, or zero.
- Bags, rounded up, labeled as an "up to" yield.
- No price, and no claim that Type N is the spec on the drawing.
What the Bag Count Leaves Out
The same sheet says to start an 80 pound bag with about 5 quarts of water, and that the maximum is expected to stay below 6 quarts. A 60 pound bag starts near 3 and 3/4 quarts. That is mix water. It is not a second way to count bags. The application line says a full bed about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. A bed that thick, or a joint that is not the one the yield assumed, can miss the "up to" number. Type a lower yield if the job has shown you one.
ASTM C270 is named on the sheet as the mortar specification, and the sheet points to Appendix XI for choosing a type. This mortar calculator does not choose Type M, S, N, or O for the wall. The structural note on the drawing does that. Stone, tuckpointing, and a veneer with a different bed are not the 37-brick line unless the bag you buy says they are. Use the override box.
An older QUIKRETE usage chart that prints 12 blocks per 80 pound bag was visible in a search result and was not fetched as the sheet this page uses. The number here is the November 2020 data sheet: 13 blocks. If a pallet in the yard shows a different yield, type that yield. No bag price was on the sheet, so none is printed. Cubic yards of concrete for a footing are the concrete calculator, not this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the mortar calculator count bags?
It divides the unit count you type by a yield per bag, then rounds up. QUIKRETE's Mortar Mix sheet, product 1102, says an 80 pound bag will lay up to 37 standard bricks or 13 standard 8 by 8 by 16 inch blocks. Three hundred seventy bricks at that brick yield are 10 bags before waste. Up to means the sheet's best case, so a real wall can take more.
Is this the brick calculator?
No. The brick calculator counts modular brick from a wall, and it prints a cubic-foot mortar note only for one BIA row. This mortar calculator starts from a count you already have and returns bags. It does not count the brick.
Does the yield include waste?
The QUIKRETE sentence says up to 37 bricks or 13 blocks. It does not add a waste percent. The waste box on this page starts at zero. Type a percent if the order should be longer.
Can I use a different bag?
Yes. Type units per bag from the bag you are buying. That number replaces the 37 or the 13. If you leave it blank, the page uses the 80 pound QUIKRETE Mortar Mix yield for the unit you picked.
Count the Units First, Then the Bags
The wall count is another tool. The sack yield is this one.
Get a Free DemoAll calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user. This tool is provided as a free service for planning purposes only and is not a substitute for a professional assessment, a supplier quote, or applicable local code requirements.