Guides
Plain-language guides to measuring, estimating and buying materials for home and garden projects. Each one links to the calculators that do the arithmetic.
- How to Calculate Concrete for a Slab (With Worked Examples)A step-by-step way to work out the cubic yards and bags of concrete for a patio, shed base or garage slab, with two worked examples and common mistakes.
- How Much Mulch Do I Need? A Simple Way to MeasureMeasure a garden bed, pick a depth and convert to cubic yards or bags of mulch. Includes a coverage table and a worked example.
- Gravel: How Many Tons Do You Need? Tons vs Cubic Yards ExplainedGravel is sold by the ton or the cubic yard. Learn how to convert between them, how deep to spread it, and how to order the right amount.
- How to Calculate How Much Paint You Need for a RoomWork out gallons of paint from room size, doors, windows and coats, with a worked example for a 12 × 12 foot room.
- How to Measure a Roof for Shingles: Squares, Pitch and BundlesLearn what a roofing square is, how pitch changes the roof's surface area, and how to turn a house footprint into a bundle count with a worked example.
- How to Estimate Flooring, Tile and Carpet (and How Much Waste to Add)Measure a room, add the right waste allowance and convert to boxes of flooring, tiles or square yards of carpet.
- How Many Fence Panels and Posts Do You Need?Count panels, posts and concrete bags for a straight fence run, and learn what changes the count at corners, gates and slopes.
- How to Calculate Swimming Pool Volume in GallonsCalculate the gallons in a rectangular or round pool from its dimensions and average depth, and estimate fill time.
- Ready-Mix vs Bagged Concrete: Which Is Right for Your Project?Compare ready-mix delivery with bagged concrete mix by volume, effort, cost and timing, so you choose the right option for your pour.
- How to Estimate Deck Boards and JoistsCount rows, linear feet and boards for decking, and see how joist spacing affects the count, with a worked example for a 12 × 12 foot deck.