Includes —% waste | Type — mortar | 60 lb equivalent: — bags
Shopping List
- Mortar mix—
- Mortar volume—
- Mixing water—
- Mixing batches—
- Estimated cost—
Mortar Coverage
| Material | Approx. mortar |
|---|---|
| Brick (modular) | ~8 bags (80 lb) per 100 sq ft |
| CMU block | ~2.5 to 3 bags per 100 blocks |
| Stone veneer | ~9 to 10 bags per 100 sq ft |
| Repair / tuckpointing | ~3 bags per 100 sq ft |
An 80 lb bag of mortar yields roughly 0.6 cu ft; coverage varies with joint size and unit texture.
Mortar Type Guide
| Type | Strength | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Type N | 750 psi | Above-grade brick and veneer, general use |
| Type S | 1,800 psi | Structural walls, at or below grade |
| Type M | 2,500 psi | Foundations, retaining walls, heavy load |
| Type O | 350 psi | Interior, non-load-bearing, repairs |
How Much Mortar Do I Need?
Mortar is estimated from how much masonry you are laying. For brick and stone it scales with wall area; for block it scales with the number of units. A rough guide is about eight 80 pound bags of mortar per 100 square feet of brick, two and a half to three bags per 100 blocks, and a bit more for textured stone veneer. This calculator takes your project, area or block count, joint thickness, and waste, then returns the mortar volume, the number of 60 and 80 pound bags, a recommended purchase, and the cost, so you buy by the bag like the supplier actually sells it.
Mortar Types: N, S, M, and O
Mortar is graded by strength. Type N is the general-purpose choice for above-grade brick and veneer. Type S is stronger and used for structural walls and anything at or below grade. Type M is the strongest, for foundations, retaining walls, and heavy loads. Type O is a soft, low-strength mortar for interior, non-load-bearing work and for repointing historic soft brick, where a hard modern mortar would crack the brick. Matching the type to the job matters as much as getting the quantity right.
Mortar vs Concrete
People mix these up constantly. Mortar is a sticky blend of cement, lime, and fine sand that bonds bricks and blocks together; it has no coarse aggregate and is meant to be spread in joints. Concrete adds gravel and is built for compressive strength in slabs, footings, and piers. You cannot pour a slab with mortar or lay brick with concrete and expect good results. When a project needs both, this calculator handles the mortar and the related concrete calculators handle the pour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much mortar do I need? About 8 bags of 80 lb mortar per 100 square feet of brick, or 2.5 to 3 bags per 100 blocks.
How many bags of mortar per 100 bricks? Roughly 1 to 1.5 bags of 80 lb mortar per 100 modular bricks.
Type N vs Type S? Type N for general above-grade work, Type S for structural and below-grade walls.
How much water per bag? About 5 to 6 quarts for an 80 lb bag, added gradually to a workable paste.