Construction & Landscaping calculators

Material calculators for concrete, gravel, mulch, soil and flooring: work out how much to buy, what it weighs and what it costs before you order.

Cubic Yard CalculatorTurn the length, width and depth of any bed, trench or hole into cubic yards, then price the order before you call the supplier.Gravel CalculatorWork out the volume, weight and cost of gravel for a driveway, path, patio or drainage trench, with densities for the most common stone types.Square Footage CalculatorAdd up the area of one room or a whole floor plan, subtract what you will not cover, and see the result in square feet, square meters and square yards.Concrete CalculatorEstimate how much concrete to order for a slab, footing, post hole or set of steps, and how many premixed bags that would take.

Construction & Landscaping guides

A large pile of brown wood chip mulchHow Big Is a Cubic Yard? A Visual Guide for Ordering Bulk MaterialsA cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, a cube 3 feet on each side. Here is how to picture it, what it weighs, and how far it spreads.4 min readClose-up of a pile of wood chipsCubic Feet to Cubic Yards: The Conversion, a Chart and Common MistakesDivide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. This guide shows why, gives a quick chart, and covers the inch and square-foot mix-ups that cause bad orders.4 min readBorder between dark brown wood mulch and white landscaping stonesHow Much Mulch Do I Need? Depth, Coverage and Yards ExplainedFind out how many cubic yards or bags of mulch your beds need, the right depth for each situation, and how to avoid mulching mistakes that harm plants.4 min readA bright green seedling growing in dark soil and mulchHow Much Topsoil Do I Need? Raised Beds, New Lawns and LevelingCalculate topsoil for raised beds, new lawns and low spots, plan for settling, and choose between topsoil, garden mix and fill dirt.4 min readWhite manor house with a gravel driveway and green lawnHow Much Gravel Do I Need for a Driveway? Layers, Depth and TonsPlan a gravel driveway layer by layer: which stone goes where, how deep each layer should be, and how to turn the dimensions into an order in tons.4 min readClose-up of a pile of small rocks and gravelTypes of Gravel Explained: Pea Gravel, #57, Crusher Run, River Rock and MoreA plain-English guide to the most common gravel and crushed stone types, their sizes, weights and best uses, so you can order the right stone the first time.4 min readA gravel path running through a forestHow Deep Should Gravel Be? Recommended Depths for Every ProjectRecommended gravel depths for paths, patios, driveways, sheds, drainage and decorative beds, with the reasons behind each number and a coverage chart.3 min readA light blue van parked on a gravel drivewayTons vs. Cubic Yards of Gravel: How to Convert and Compare PricesHow many tons are in a yard of gravel, how to convert between tons and cubic yards, and how to compare quotes from suppliers that price differently.3 min readA spacious empty living room with a bay window and gray wallsHow to Measure the Square Footage of a House, Step by StepMeasure a home's square footage the way appraisers do: from the outside, floor by floor, with the right spaces included and excluded. Includes a worked example.4 min readA beige wooden architectural model of a house layoutHow to Calculate Square Footage of L-Shaped and Irregular RoomsSplit L-shaped, angled and curved rooms into simple shapes, measure them accurately, and add or subtract areas to get square footage you can buy flooring from.4 min readSunlight streaming through a large window onto a wooden floorHow Much Extra Flooring to Buy: Waste Factors for Tile, Laminate and HardwoodThe right overage for flooring depends on the material, the layout pattern and the room shape. Use these waste factors to buy enough boxes without overspending.3 min readA pencil resting on a sheet of white drawing paperSquare Feet to Square Meters (and Yards, Acres): Conversions and ChartsConvert square feet to square meters, square yards, acres and hectares with exact factors, quick charts and tips to avoid the most common area-conversion mistakes.3 min readConstruction workers pouring concrete from a wheelbarrowHow Many Bags of Concrete Do I Need? 40, 60 and 80 lb Bag ChartsFind how many 40, 60 or 80 lb bags of concrete you need for slabs, posts and footings, with yield charts, worked examples and when to switch to ready-mix.3 min readA man standing on a freshly poured concrete slabHow Thick Should a Concrete Slab Be? Patios, Driveways, Garages and ShedsTypical concrete slab thicknesses for patios, walkways, garage floors, driveways and equipment pads, plus base, reinforcement and control-joint basics.3 min readA cement truck parked on a gravel lot with toolsHow to Order Ready-Mix Concrete: Yards, Slump, Strength and DeliveryWhat to tell the batch plant when ordering ready-mix concrete: volume, strength, slump, additives and site access, plus how to avoid running short.4 min readA group of construction workers on a building siteConcrete for Footings and Post Holes: Sizes, Depth and VolumeCalculate concrete for deck footings, fence posts and continuous footings. Covers frost depth, form tubes, hole sizes and how to total many holes at once.4 min read