How to measure a house for brick veneer
- Walls. Measure the length of each wall to be bricked and the height from the foundation ledge to the soffit. You can enter the whole perimeter as one wall (for example 140 ft for a 40 × 30 ft house) or add each wall separately.
- Gable ends. Tap + Gable end and enter the base width and the height from the top of the wall to the peak. The calculator counts half of width × height — the triangle.
- Openings. Add doors, windows and garage doors so their area is subtracted.
- Brick and waste. Choose your brick (US modular is the most common veneer brick) and keep 10% waste for the cuts around openings and gables.
Worked example
A 40 × 30 ft house with 9 ft walls has a perimeter of 140 ft, so the walls are 140 × 9 = 1,260 ft². Two gable ends, each 30 ft wide and 6 ft high at the peak, add 2 × ½ × 30 × 6 = 180 ft². Subtract one 3 × 7 ft door, a 16 × 7 ft garage door and eight 3 × 4 ft windows (229 ft²) and you have 1,211 ft² of veneer.
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Modular bricks (6.86 per ft²) | 8,304 |
| Bricks to order with 10% waste | 9,135 |
| Brick ties (1 per 2.67 ft²) | 454 |
| Wet mortar (+15%) | ≈ 77 ft³ |
| Masonry cement, 70 lb, 1 : 3 mix | 26 bags |
| Mason sand | ≈ 3.8 tons |
Brick ties for veneer
Brick veneer is a single skin of brick that stands in front of the house frame with a 1 in (25 mm) or wider air space, fastened back to the studs with metal ties. The common US rule (International Residential Code R703.8.4) is one tie for every 2.67 ft² of wall, with ties no more than 24 in apart horizontally and vertically — that's what the calculator uses. Add extra ties within 12 in of the edges of openings. Local codes and other countries differ, so check yours.
Other things a veneer job needs
- Flashing and weep holes at the base of the wall and over openings, so water in the cavity can drain out — weeps are typically every 33 in (840 mm) or closer.
- Steel lintels (angle iron) over windows, doors and garage doors.
- Sills — rowlock bricks or stone/precast sills under windows.
- A foundation ledge wide enough to carry the brick and air space.
Planning a full-thickness brick wall instead? Use the main brick calculator, which handles double-skin and cavity walls. To price the job, try the brick wall cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks do I need to brick a house?
Measure the wall area to be bricked (walls plus gable triangles, minus doors and windows) and multiply by about 6.86 bricks per square foot for US modular brick, then add 10%. A typical 1,200 ft² of veneer needs roughly 9,000 bricks.
How many brick ties do I need for veneer?
One tie for every 2.67 square feet of wall under the US residential code, spaced no more than 24 inches apart each way — about 37 ties per 100 ft². Add extra ties around openings.
How do I calculate the area of a gable end?
A gable is a triangle: multiply the base width by the height from the top of the wall to the peak, then divide by two. A 30 ft wide gable that rises 6 ft has 90 ft² of brickwork.
How much waste should I allow for brick veneer?
About 10%. Veneer has many cuts around windows, doors and gable slopes, and you will want spare bricks from the same batch for future repairs.