How much material do you need?
Thirty-one calculators for building work. Most answer in the unit the material is actually sold in: cubic yards for bulk stone, sand and soil, bags for mix, sheets for drywall, pieces for tile, block, pavers and sod, studs for framing, boards for a deck, pounds for grass seed, square yards for carpet and gallons for joint compound. Seven answer from a code table, a standard or a manufacturer's sheet: stair risers and deck joist spans to the 2021 IRC, concrete per fence post from the Quikrete data sheet, paver base depth from ICPI, actual lumber sizes from the PS 20 standard, grass seeding rates from Purdue Extension, and drywall mud coverage from the USG submittal sheet. Every figure on this site says where it comes from, and the ones we cannot source are not printed.
The calculators
What unit each page answers in
| Material | Answers in | What you enter |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel | cubic yards | length; width; depth; delivered state |
| Concrete slab | cubic yards or bags | length; width; thickness; bag size; extra for waste |
| Drywall | sheets | wall length; wall height; panel size; waste allowance |
| Concrete block | blocks | wall length; wall height; block size (nominal face); mortar; waste allowance |
| Sand | cubic yards | length; width; depth |
| Pavers | pavers | patio length; patio width; paver size; waste allowance |
| Topsoil | cubic yards | length; width; depth |
| Mulch | cubic yards or bags | length; width; depth; bag size |
| Tile | tiles | room length; room width; tile size; waste allowance |
| Insulation | batts | wall length; wall height; batt size; waste allowance |
| Brick | bricks | wall length; wall height; brick face size; mortar joint; waste allowance |
| Siding | panels | wall length; wall height; panel length and exposure; waste allowance |
| Fence | pickets | fence length; post spacing; rails per section; picket width; gap between pickets |
| Roofing | bundles | footprint length; footprint width; roof pitch, rise in 12; coverage per bundle; waste allowance |
| Stair | risers | total rise, floor to floor; tread depth; riser height you want (optional); tread thickness (optional); headroom you have (optional) |
| Fence post concrete | bags | number of posts; post size; hole diameter; concrete depth in the hole; bag size |
| Deck joist span | feet and inches of span | species; joist size; joist spacing; load; span you need (optional) |
| Paver base | cubic yards | length; width; use (sets the base thickness); bedding sand depth |
| Lumber size | actual size in inches | nominal thickness; nominal width; condition |
| Asphalt | cubic yards | length; width; depth; mix density |
| Dirt | cubic yards | length; width; depth; delivered state |
| Wall framing | studs | wall length; stud spacing on center; wall height; plate courses |
| River rock | cubic yards | length; width; depth |
| Deck board | deck boards | deck length; deck width; board size; gap between boards; waste allowance |
| Sod | sod pieces | lawn length; lawn width; sod size; waste allowance |
| Pea gravel | cubic yards | length; width; depth; delivered state |
| Crushed stone | cubic yards | length; width; depth; delivered state |
| Retaining wall block | blocks | wall length; wall height; block face size; buried course and gravel; waste allowance |
| Grass seed | pounds | lawn length; lawn width; grass mix |
| Carpet | square yards | room length; room width; waste allowance; carpet roll width; old carpet weight, to tear out |
| Drywall mud | gallons | drywall length; drywall height; bucket size |
| Plywood | sheets | length; width; roof pitch, rise in 12 (0 for a floor or wall); sheet size; waste allowance |
| Rebar | sticks | grid length; grid width; bar spacing, on center; bar size; stick length you buy |
| Compost | cubic yards | length; width; depth |
| Mortar | bags | number of bricks or blocks; what you are laying; waste allowance |
| Laminate flooring | boxes | room length; room width; coverage per box; waste allowance |
| Decomposed granite | cubic yards | length; width; depth |
| Roof pitch | pitch | rise; run; rafter run, level; roof covering |
| Wallpaper | rolls | wall width, all walls; wall height; roll width; roll length; pattern repeat |
| Raised bed soil | cubic yards or bags | bed length; bed width; soil depth; number of beds; bag size |
| Sonotube | bags | number of tubes; tube diameter; concrete height in the tube; bag size |
| Fertilizer | pounds | lawn length; lawn width; nitrogen, first number on the label; nitrogen rate per 1,000 sq ft; bag weight |
| Self-leveling concrete | bags | floor length; floor width; average thickness |
| Baseboard | pieces | room length; room width; door openings, total width; piece length; waste allowance |
| Concrete stair | bags | number of steps; riser height; tread depth; stair width; landing depth at the top; bag size |
| Firewood | cords | stack length; stack height; piece length (stack depth); number of stacks |
| Concrete weight | lb | length; width; thickness; concrete |
| Blown-in insulation | bags | attic length; attic width; r-value to reach; bags per 1,000 sq ft on your bag's chart (blank: Johns Manville) |
| Rafter length | ft | building width (span); roof pitch, rise per 12 in of run; overhang, measured level from the wall; ridge board thickness |
| Board and batten | battens | wall width; wall height; batten width (actual); largest gap you want between battens; horizontal rails across the wall; board length |
| Pond liner | ft | pond length, at its longest; pond width, at its widest; depth, at the deepest point; overlap at each edge |
| Caulk | tubes | length of joints; bead width; bead depth; bead shape; tube size |
| Wainscoting | sheets or boards | room length; room width; door openings, total width; panel or plank width it covers; wainscoting height; sheet or board length; waste allowance |
| Deck footing | inches of footing | joist span, ledger to beam; post spacing along the beam; joist overhang past the beam (optional); load; soil (IRC Table R401.4.1) |
| Deck stain | gallons | deck length; deck width; railings, steps and skirting (optional); coverage on your can; coats |
| Floor joist span | feet and inches of span | species; grade; joist size; joist spacing; room above; dead load; span you need (optional) |
| Deck beam span | feet and inches of beam span | joist span, ledger to beam; joist overhang past the beam (optional); beam species; beam; load; beam span you need (optional) |
| Crown molding | pieces | room length; room width; length of the pieces you buy; waste allowance; spring angle of your crown; corner angle |
| Spray foam | kits | length; height or width; foam thickness; kit |
| Polymeric sand | bags | length; width; joint width; coverage on your bag (optional) |
| Thinset | bags | length; width; trowel; coverage on your bag for your trowel (optional) |
| Rubber mulch | cubic feet | length; width; depth; where it goes; cubic feet per bag, from your bag (optional) |
| Rafter span | feet and inches of span | species; grade; rafter size; rafter spacing; roof load; ceiling; dead load; rafter ties above the wall plates (optional); ridge above the wall plates (optional); span you need, measured level (optional) |
| Gutter slope | inches | gutter length; slope per 10 ft of gutter; downspouts |
| Lime | lb | lawn length; lawn width; limestone your soil test calls for; given; cCE on the lime label; bag weight |
| Sealcoat | gallons | length; width; coats; pail size; coverage on your product, per gallon per coat (optional) |
| Stucco | bags | wall length; wall height; base coat thickness; coverage on your bag at your thickness (optional) |
| Sandbag | bags | wall length; wall height; stacking |
| Shiplap | boards | wall length; wall height; exposed face of one board; board length; waste allowance |
| Baluster | balusters | space between posts; baluster width; where the guard is; gap you want, if smaller; sections like this one |
| Potting soil | bags | pot; shape of a measured pot; diameter or width; depth of soil; number of pots; bag size |
| Attic ventilation | sq in | attic length; attic width; rule; net free area of one intake vent or foot, optional; net free area of one exhaust vent or foot, optional |
| Soffit | soffit panels | eaves and rakes to cover; soffit depth, wall to fascia; panel coverage width; panel length; fascia piece length, optional |
| Ice and water shield | rolls | total eave length; overhang, eave edge to the face of the wall, level; roof pitch, rise in 12; roll |
| Metal roofing | panels | eave length of one roof side; side length, eave edge to ridge along the slope; roof sides; roof pitch, rise in 12; longest panel you can get (blank if one piece) |
| Pine straw | bales | bed length; bed width; layer: 3 in new, 1 in top-up; bale weight |
| LVL beam | in deep | span, center to center of bearings; total load on the beam; live load on the beam; plies of 1 3/4 in |
| Plant spacing | plants | bed length; bed width; spacing between plants; pattern; between rows, rows only (blank = same) |
| Crusher run | tons | length; width; thickness after compaction; tons per cubic yard in place |
| Chain link fence | rolls | total fence length, gates included; fence height; end posts (0 if the fence closes on itself); corner posts; gates; gate opening |
| Wheelchair ramp | feet of ramp | total rise, ground to doorway; rule; ramp length you have room for (optional) |
| Drop ceiling | panels | room length, along the main beams; room width; ceiling panel |
| Egress window | sq ft | net clear width, window open; net clear height, window open; sill height above the floor; where the window is; window well depth, basement (optional) |
| Cinder block fill | bags | wall length; wall height; block width; grouted cells |
| Wood weight | lb | species; nominal thickness; nominal width; length of each piece; pieces; moisture |
| Excavation | cubic yards | length; width; depth; soil; truck load, from your hauler |
| Spiral staircase | risers | floor to floor height; stair diameter; center column diameter; turn per tread |
| Tile grout | bags | length; width; tile length; tile width; tile thickness; joint width; grout; waste allowance |
| Gutter size | gutter | gutter run, roof length; roof depth, eave to ridge seen from above; wall shedding onto this roof, if any; 100-year, 1-hour rain from NOAA Atlas 14; gutter slope; downspouts on this gutter |
| Riprap | tons | length; width, along the slope; riprap class (TDOT 709.03); class A-3 layer, from the plans; tons per cubic yard |
| Artificial turf | linear ft | lawn length; lawn width; roll width; pile height and infill rate; infill bag weight, if you know it |
| Header size | header | opening width; wall and what the header carries; ground snow load, exterior walls; building width, across the ridge; top of the header |
| Epoxy floor | kits | floor length; floor width; coating; coats; clear topcoat |
| Stone veneer | boxes | wall length; wall height; doors and windows; outside corners, total length; estimating method; extra for cutting; mortar bag |
| Septic tank size | tank | bedrooms; perc test, slowest of the three; drain field type |
| Gas pipe sizing | pipe | gas; longest run, meter or regulator to the farthest appliance; load on this section, appliance inputs added; natural gas heating value, from the gas supplier |
| Bathroom fan CFM | fan | bathroom length; bathroom width; how the fan runs; toilets, over 100 sq ft; showers, over 100 sq ft; bathtubs, over 100 sq ft; jetted tubs, over 100 sq ft |
| Drain pipe slope | pipe | pipe size; horizontal run; drainage fixture units on a building drain, if known |
| Range hood CFM | hood | range or cooktop width; where the range is; a natural-draft gas, oil or wood appliance inside the house |
| Baseboard heater | heater | room length; room width; heat per sq ft, 6 to 10 by Cadet; heater line; supply voltage; breaker |
| Concrete countertop | bags | first run length, along the wall; second run length (blank if none); how the runs meet; run depth, front to back; slab thickness, your choice; island or bar top length; island or bar top depth; drop edge below the slab; sink cutout width; sink cutout front to back |
| I-joist span | feet and inches of span | joist depth; tJI series; joist spacing; dead load; live load deflection limit; subfloor attachment; clear span you need (optional) |
| Ceiling joist span | feet and inches of span | species; grade; joist size; joist spacing; attic above; span you need (optional) |
| Pool filter sand | pounds and bags | tank diameter; or your filter model; bag weight |
| Concrete footing | inches of footing and cubic yards | total footing length; roof live or ground snow load; stories; foundation; soil; soil report bearing value, if you have one; house width across the footing; bag size |
| Conduit fill | wires per conduit | conduit or tubing; trade size; wire type; wire size; wires you need to pull, if you know |
| Wire size | wire gauge | breaker or circuit amps; metal; cable or wire; breaker and equipment terminals |
| Pool volume | gallons | shape; length or diameter; width; shallow end depth; deep end depth |
| Pool salt | pounds and bags | pool size; salt now (test strip or cell reading); salt cell; your own target, if not the maker's; bag weight |
| AC BTU | BTU per hour | room length; room width; sun; people who regularly use the room; kitchen |
| Expansion tank | gallons of tank volume | water heater size; water heater setting; static line pressure; maximum allowable pressure |
| Tankless water heater size | gpm at a temperature rise | showers at once; flow of each shower; tubs filling at once; kitchen sinks at once; laundry sinks at once; dishwashers at once; incoming water temperature; hot water temperature |
| Ceiling fan size | inches of blade span | room length; room width; ceiling height |
| Dehumidifier size | pints per day | floor area; how damp it is; humidity you measured, if any; usual temperature there, if known |
| Water heater size | gallons of first hour rating | showers in the busiest hour; baths; shaves; hand and face washes; hair shampoos; hand dishwashing; dishwasher loads; food preparation; clothes washer loads |
This is the table that decides the rest. Ask for a quantity in the unit a supplier quotes and the arithmetic is geometry. Ask for tons and it depends on the density of that particular stone, so the pages lead with the cubic yard and add tons only where you can pick the density and see its source. Where the answer is a code limit or a manufacturer's yield, the page prints the table it comes from and the date it was read.
Tons depend on the density of the material and how wet it is, which changes with every load, so the figure a page leads with is the cubic yard, the unit a supplier quotes. Where tons help, the gravel calculator adds them from a delivered state you choose, each option cited to its source.