Guides
The formulas, conversions and rules of thumb behind the calculators — written to actually answer the question, and grouped by the tool they support.
How Much Does a Concrete Driveway Cost?
A concrete driveway costs about $6–$18 per square foot installed — roughly $3,600–$10,800 for a typical two-car driveway. A cost breakdown by finish.
Concrete Cost Per Square Foot (Slab, 2026)
A concrete slab costs about $6–$15 per square foot installed — plain gray at the low end, stamped and colored higher. Cost by finish, thickness and project.
How Much Concrete Do You Need for a Sonotube?
A round column is a cylinder: volume = π × radius² × height. A 12-inch tube 4 ft tall takes about 6 × 80 lb bags.
Concrete Footing Size Chart (Width & Thickness)
A footing size chart by number of stories and soil: strip footings run 12–23 inches wide and 6–10 inches thick. Sizing rules and code minimums.
How Much Is a Yard of Concrete?
A cubic yard of ready-mix concrete costs about $125–$165 delivered, covers 81 ft² at 4 inches thick, and equals 45 × 80 lb bags.
How Much Rebar Do I Need for a Concrete Slab?
Work out rebar for a slab: lay a two-way grid at 12–18 in on center, count the bars each way, total the length and add ~10% for laps. Worked example inside.
Rebar Size & Spacing Chart (Weight, Diameter & Grid)
Rebar sizes #3–#6 with diameter and weight per foot, plus the on-center spacing to use by application. A quick reference for sizing a slab mat.
How Many Concrete Blocks Do I Need? (CMU Wall Calculator + Chart)
Multiply your wall area by 1.125 to get the number of standard 8×8×16 concrete blocks. Here's the formula, a blocks-per-square-foot chart, mortar and course counts, and a free calculator.
How Much Does a Concrete Block Wall Cost? (2026 Price Breakdown)
Concrete block walls run about $10–$22 per square foot installed. Here's the cost per block, mortar and labor breakdown, examples by wall size, and a free calculator.
How Much Does Gravel Cost? (Per Ton, Yard & Truckload)
Gravel costs about $30–$65 per ton or $40–$100 per cubic yard delivered. A dump truck load runs $300–$700. Full price breakdown by type.
Types of Gravel (and the Best Gravel for Each Job)
From #57 stone to crusher run and pea gravel — a guide to gravel types and grades, and which to use for driveways, drainage, pavers and sheds.
How Much Gravel Do I Need? (Coverage by Depth)
Multiply area × depth ÷ 27 for cubic yards of gravel, then × 1.4 for tons. One yard covers 108 ft² at 3 inches. Full coverage chart.
How Much Topsoil Do I Need? (By Depth & Area)
Multiply area × depth ÷ 27 for cubic yards of topsoil. A new lawn wants 4–6 in; raised beds 8–12 in. A 1,000 ft² lawn at 4 in needs about 12 yd³.
How Much Does a Yard of Topsoil Weigh?
A cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 2,000–2,200 lb (roughly 1 ton) when dry, and up to 2,700 lb wet. Weight by type and moisture.
How Much Grass Seed Do I Need? (Rate Chart by Grass Type)
Grass seed by the pound: multiply your lawn area by the species' seeding rate. New-lawn vs overseeding rates for fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass, Bermuda and more, plus a free calculator.
How Much Sod Do I Need? (Pallet, Roll & Cost Guide)
Sod by the pallet, roll or slab: area × (1 + waste) ÷ coverage. How many square feet a pallet covers, a sod-by-size chart, typical cost, and a free calculator.
How Many Pavers Do I Need? (By Patio Size & Paver Size)
Divide your patio area by one paver's face area, then add 5–10% for cuts. A 12×12 in paver covers 1 ft²; a 12×6 in paver needs 2 per ft². Full chart.
How Much Does a Paver Patio Cost? (Per Square Foot)
A paver patio costs about $10–$30 per square foot installed, or $3–$8 per ft² for materials DIY. A 200 ft² patio runs roughly $2,000–$6,000 installed.
How Much Does It Cost to Pave a Driveway?
Paving a driveway costs about $2–$4/ft² for gravel, $7–$13/ft² for asphalt, $6–$18/ft² for concrete and $15–$30/ft² for pavers. Cost by material and size.
How Many Blocks for a Retaining Wall?
Count retaining wall blocks: courses = height ÷ block height, blocks per course = length ÷ block width. Includes a blocks-per-wall chart.
Retaining Wall Cost (Per Square Foot & by Material)
A retaining wall costs about $20–$60 per face square foot installed. Block, boulder, poured concrete and timber prices compared, with project examples.
How Much Mulch Do I Need? (Depth, Coverage & Bags)
Figure out how much mulch to buy: measure your beds, pick a 2–3 inch depth, and convert to bags or cubic yards. Full charts plus a calculator.
Mulch Installation Cost (and What Landscapers Charge)
Installed mulch runs about $60–$120 per cubic yard including labor and delivery. Here's how homeowners are billed and how contractors price mulch jobs.
How Much Paint Do I Need? (Coverage & Room Sizes)
One gallon of paint covers about 350 ft² per coat. Most rooms need 1–2 gallons for two coats. Formula, coverage chart and gallons by room size.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room or House?
Painting a room costs about $300–$1,000, or $2–$6 per square foot of floor. A whole house interior runs $2–$6/ft²; cabinets $900–$3,800. DIY cuts it sharply.
How Much Drywall Do I Need? (How to Estimate Sheets)
Add up wall and ceiling area, divide by the sheet size, and add 10% for waste. Here's how to figure drywall sheets for any room.
Drywall Installation Cost (Per Square Foot & Per Sheet)
Installed drywall costs about $1.50–$3.50 per square foot to hang, tape and finish — roughly $45–$60 per sheet. Costs by room and how pros bid.
How Much Attic Insulation Do I Need? (R-Value Chart)
Most attics need R-30 to R-49, and up to R-60 in cold climates. Here's the R-value by climate zone, the depth that means, and how to top up existing insulation.
Spray Foam Insulation Cost (2026 Price Guide)
Spray foam runs about $1–$1.50 per board-foot for open-cell and $1.50–$3 for closed-cell. See cost by area, open vs. closed cell, and DIY kit pricing.
How Much Tile Do I Need? (Calculate Tiles & Boxes)
Find how much tile you need: room ft² ÷ tile coverage, plus 10–15% waste, rounded up to whole boxes. Includes a coverage chart by tile size.
How Much Tile Do I Need for a Backsplash?
Backsplash tile = counter length × backsplash height, + 10–15% waste. A typical kitchen backsplash is 16–35 ft². How to measure, handle outlets, and order mosaic sheets.
Tile Installation Cost (Per Square Foot, 2026)
Tile installation costs about $7–$25 per square foot installed — $1.50–$10 in materials plus $5–$15 labor. Full breakdown by tile type and project.
How Much Does a Fence Cost? (Per Foot, by Material)
A fence costs about $15–$60 per linear foot installed, depending on material. Wood runs $15–$45/ft, vinyl $25–$60, chain link $10–$25. Full price breakdown.
Vinyl Fence Cost (Per Foot & Installed, 2026)
Vinyl fencing costs about $25–$60 per linear foot installed — roughly $15–$30/ft in materials plus labor. Cost by style, height, and DIY vs. pro.
How Many Fence Pickets Do I Need?
Pickets = fence length in inches ÷ (picket width + gap). A 100 ft solid fence of 5.5 in pickets needs ~218 boards. Board-on-board needs roughly double.
How Many Shingles Do I Need? (Bundles & Squares)
Roofers buy shingles by the square (100 ft²) and the bundle (1/3 square). Divide roof area by 100 for squares, then ×3 for bundles, + 10–15% waste. Chart by roof size.
How Much Does a New Roof Cost?
A new asphalt-shingle roof costs about $5,500–$16,000 installed, or $450–$750 per roofing square. A cost breakdown by material and roof size.
How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost?
A metal roof costs about $8–$16 per square foot installed — roughly $12,000–$24,000 for a typical 1,500 ft² roof. A cost breakdown by panel type.
How Much Siding Do I Need? (Squares Formula + Chart)
Siding is sold in squares (100 ft² each). Measure your wall perimeter × height, add gables, subtract openings, add 10% waste, divide by 100. Includes a chart and a free calculator.
How Much Does Siding Cost? (2026 Price per Square Foot)
Siding runs about $4–$13 per square foot installed, depending on material. Cost breakdown by type (vinyl, fiber cement, wood, metal), example house costs, and a free calculator.
How Many Deck Boards Do I Need?
Count deck boards: rows = width ÷ (board + gap), then × length for linear feet, + 10% waste, ÷ board length. Includes a boards-per-deck chart.
Deck Joist Spacing (12, 16 or 24 Inches?)
Deck joist spacing explained: 16 in on center is standard, 12 in for diagonal or stiffer decks, 24 in only with rated composite. Span and o.c. basics.
Cost to Build a Deck (Per Square Foot, 2026)
A deck costs about $25–$70 per square foot installed — pressure-treated $25–$45, composite $40–$70. Material vs labor and project examples.
How Many Studs Do I Need? (Wall Framing Formula + Chart)
Work out studs for a wall: divide the length in inches by the spacing, round up and add one for the end stud. Plus plate lumber, openings and a quick-reference chart.
Lumber Dimensions Chart (Nominal vs. Actual Sizes)
A 2×4 is really 1½ × 3½ inches. The full nominal-vs-actual size chart for dimensional lumber and boards, why they differ, and the actual sizes of every common size.
Nail & Screw Size Chart (Penny Sizes, Gauges & Uses)
Nail and screw size chart: penny (d) sizes to length, screw gauge to diameter, and which fastener size to use for framing, decking, drywall, subfloor and trim.
How Many 80 lb Bags of Concrete Are in a Yard?
You need 45 × 80 lb bags to make one cubic yard of concrete. Here's the math and the counts for 60 and 40 lb bags too.
How Many Bags of Concrete Are on a Pallet?
A pallet of concrete holds 42 × 80 lb, 56 × 60 lb, 64 × 50 lb or 80 × 40 lb bags — about 3,200–3,360 lb of mix, near a forklift's safe limit either way.