How to use
- Enter the wall length and height in feet.
- Enter the block face in inches. A common nominal block is 16 inches long and 8 inches high. Measure the unit you are buying if the name and the face differ.
- Enter the joint. Three-eighths of an inch is a starting value in the box. Change it to the joint you will tool.
- Press Calculate. The hero is blocks. Courses and the count along the wall are beside it.
How it's calculated
Modules use inches. Across = wall length × 12 ÷ (block length + joint), rounded up. Courses = wall height × 12 ÷ (block height + joint), rounded up.
Blocks = across × courses. A joint of zero uses the bare block face. Corners that share a block between two walls are not removed, because this form is one wall.
Worked example
A wall 20 feet long and 8 feet high, with a 16 by 8 inch block and a 3/8 inch joint, needs 15 blocks along the wall and 12 courses, which is 180 blocks. The module is 16.375 inches by 8.375 inches, so neither direction lands on an even count of the nominal 16 and 8.
Assumptions
One rectangular wall, one block size, and one joint. Bond beams, lintels, half-blocks at an opening, and waste for breakage are not added. The 3/8 inch starting joint is editable.
FAQ
Should I use nominal or actual size?
Use the face you will lay, and add the joint in the joint box. If the block is already called 16 by 8 including the joint, type that size and set the joint to zero so you do not add the joint twice.
Are openings removed?
Not automatically. Shorten the length or the height, or subtract the blocks that fall inside the opening.
Does this estimate mortar bags?
No. Mortar yield depends on the joint and the mix. This page stops at the block count.
Is a fence on ClearQuip the same thing?
No. The fence calculator counts posts, rails, and pickets. This page counts masonry units.