How many bricks do I need for a 10 ft long, 4 ft high wall?

By the YardBrick Editorial Team · Last updated October 5, 2026

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The count

The wall face is 40 ft². A modular brick (7-5/8 × 2-1/4 inches) with a 3/8-inch mortar joint lays at 6.86 bricks per square foot. 40 × 6.86 plus 5% waste gives 288 bricks.

Mortar

Figure about 35 bricks per 70 lb bag of Type N mortar mix, so 9 bags. Type N is the right choice for a garden or veneer wall above grade. For a retaining wall or anything below grade, use Type S.

Single or double wythe?

The 288 count is one brick thick (a single wythe). A freestanding garden wall 4 ft high should really be two wythes, tied together with masonry ties or header courses. Double the count to about 576 bricks for a double-wythe wall of the same size, and double the mortar.

Height limits

A single-wythe freestanding brick wall is not stable at 4 ft without piers or a serpentine shape. Many local codes need an engineer for freestanding masonry walls over 4 ft.

Footing

A 10 ft brick wall needs a concrete footing at least twice as wide as the wall and below frost depth. For a double-wythe wall, an 18-inch wide by 8-inch deep footing works on firm soil. That is roughly 0.4 yd³ of concrete for a 10 ft run, an easy job with bags.

Cap and finish

• Cap the top with a row of rowlock bricks or a stone/precast cap to shed water. Rowlock caps add about 40 bricks for a double wall.
• Tool the joints when the mortar is thumbprint hard. Concave joints shed water best.
• Leave weep holes at the bottom course every 24 to 32 inches if the wall retains any soil.

Buying bricks

Bricks come in cubes of about 500. For one 288-brick wall, a supplier will often sell a partial cube or loose bricks. Buy them all from one run so the color matches.

For other sizes, use the full Brick Calculator or browse all answers.