Describe your project. We'll pick the calculator and fill it in.
Type what you're building — "10x12 patio, 4 inches thick" or "mulch for a 30 ft border" — and get exact quantities in one click. 5 free calculators, 50+ Pro tools, waste factor built in.
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ACI, ASTM & manufacturer coverage data
Buys the right amount
Waste factor built into every result
Free forever · no signup
Which material calculators are free?
Five calculators are free forever with no signup: concrete, gravel, mulch, paint and drywall. Together they cover most DIY, landscaping and homeowner projects, returning cubic yards, bags, tons, gallons and sheets instantly.
The most-searched materials on the internet — permanently free, no email required.
Concrete calculator
Cubic yards, 60/80 lb bags & rebar for slabs, footings and columns
301K searches/mo
FreeGravel calculator
Tons and cubic yards for driveways, French drains and pathways
40K searches/mo
FreeMulch calculator
2 cu ft bags and cubic yards for beds, borders and playgrounds
27K searches/mo
FreePaint calculator
Gallons of primer, wall and trim paint with coverage per coat
18K searches/mo
FreeDrywall calculator
4x8 / 4x12 sheets, screws, mud and tape for any room
12K searches/mo
Pro · $4.95/mo
What do you get with MaterialCalc Pro?
Pro unlocks all 50+ calculators — tile, flooring, roofing, framing, HVAC, plumbing and electrical — from $4.95/month. It also adds saved projects, cost estimates with your own unit prices and PDF shopping lists.
Everything a contractor, remodeler or estimator needs — tile, flooring, roofing, framing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and more.
How MaterialCalc works
How does MaterialCalc work?
Pick your material, enter your dimensions and read the quantity — three steps, under a minute. Every calculator converts imperial and metric automatically and applies the waste factor you set, so the number you get is the number you order.
Every calculator uses the same three-step flow — no spreadsheets, no unit conversions in your head, no signup between you and the number you came for.
01
Pick your material
Search by material or project — 55 calculators covering concrete, gravel, mulch, paint, drywall, tile, roofing, framing, HVAC and more.
02
Enter your dimensions
Length, width, depth, pitch or area. Toggle imperial and metric in one click. Set a waste factor (usually 5–15%) so you don't come up short mid-job.
03
Get quantities & cost
Cubic yards, bags, sheets, tons, gallons — plus a dollar estimate using your unit prices, and a PDF shopping list on the Pro plan.
Full library
Which calculator do I need for my project?
All 55 calculators (5 free, 50 Pro) are grouped by project type below. Pick the material you are buying — concrete, masonry, landscape, paint, flooring, framing, roofing, trim, HVAC, plumbing or electrical.
Organized by project type
Concrete
Slabs, footings, columns, rebarMasonry
Brick, block, mortar, retaining wallsBrick
Estimate bricks and mortar bags for any wall size.
ProConcrete Block
Estimate concrete blocks (CMU) and mortar for any wall.
ProMortar
Estimate bags of mortar for brick and block projects.
ProRetaining Wall
Estimate blocks, capstones and base gravel for a retaining wall.
ProBlock Fill
Estimate grout to fill CMU block cores.
Landscape
Gravel, mulch, pavers, sod, poolsGravel
Estimate gravel by area and depth in tons or cubic yards.
FreeMulch
Estimate mulch in bags and cubic yards for any bed size.
ProTopsoil
Estimate topsoil in cubic yards and tons for any project.
ProSod
Estimate sod in square feet, rolls and pallets.
ProPaver
Estimate pavers, sand and base for any patio.
ProGrass Seed
Estimate grass seed in pounds for any lawn size.
ProPool Volume
Estimate pool gallons and starting chlorine dose.
ProFrench Drain
Estimate gravel and pipe for a French drain.
ProPlant Spacing
Estimate plants needed for any bed and spacing.
Paint & wallpaper
Rooms, walls, ceilingsFlooring
Tile, hardwood, carpet, LVPTile
Estimate tiles, boxes and total square footage with waste factored in.
ProFlooring
Estimate flooring in square feet and boxes with waste included.
ProCarpet
Estimate carpet in square yards with cost included.
ProGrout & Thinset
Estimate bags of grout and thinset for a tile job.
ProVinyl Plank Flooring
Estimate LVP flooring in square feet and boxes.
ProUnderlayment
Estimate underlayment rolls for any floor area.
Framing & structure
Studs, stairs, rafters, joists, decksDrywall
Estimate sheets, screws, mud and tape for any drywall job.
ProFence
Estimate posts, panels, rails and concrete for any fence.
ProDeck
Estimate deck boards, joists and screws for any size deck.
ProBoard Foot
Estimate board feet for hardwood or dimensional lumber.
ProWall Stud
Estimate studs and plates for any framed wall.
ProStair
Estimate risers, treads and stringer length for any staircase.
ProRafter Length
Estimate common rafter length from run and pitch.
ProFloor Joist
Estimate joist count and lumber for any floor frame.
ProPlywood Sheathing
Estimate 4×8 plywood or OSB sheets for any surface.
ProBaluster Spacing
Estimate baluster count and even on-center spacing.
ProDeck Fastener
Estimate deck screws or nails for any deck size.
Roofing
Shingles, metal, pitch, snow loadRoofing
Estimate roofing squares, bundles and underlayment.
ProRoof Pitch
Convert roof pitch to angle and area multiplier.
ProGutter
Estimate gutter length, downspouts and end caps.
ProMetal Roofing
Estimate metal roofing panels, screws and ridge cap.
ProSnow Load
Estimate roof snow load in psf and total pounds.
Walls & trim
Crown molding, baseboard, sidingHVAC
BTU, furnace, CFM airflowPlumbing
Water heater, pipe volumeElectrical
Wire gauge, generator sizingLoved by pros & homeowners
Who uses MaterialCalc?
Contractors, remodelers, estimators and DIY homeowners — from weekend deck builds to daily takeoffs. MaterialCalc runs the same math your supplier uses, in the same units as your plans, without a login page.
"I run a small concrete crew. I check my supplier's quotes against MaterialCalc before every pour — it's caught two ordering mistakes this year alone."
"Redid our whole basement — drywall, insulation, paint and flooring all off MaterialCalc. Zero material trips back to the store. That's a first."
"The multi-material bundle export replaced my spreadsheet. Client estimates go out the same day the walkthrough happens."
FAQ
What do people ask about material calculators?
Most questions are about concrete yardage, mulch bags per yard, gravel tons and paint gallons per coat. The answers below give the formula and a worked example for each, so you can order accurately the first time.
What is a material calculator?
A material calculator turns the dimensions of your project — length, width, depth, pitch or area — into the exact quantity of material you need to buy: cubic yards of concrete, bags of mulch, gallons of paint, sheets of drywall, boxes of tile, tons of gravel and so on. MaterialCalc gives you that number, plus a configurable waste factor and an optional cost estimate, in seconds.
Which calculators are free?
5 calculators are free forever with no signup: the concrete calculator, gravel calculator, mulch calculator, paint calculator and drywall calculator. Together they cover the vast majority of DIY and homeowner projects. The remaining 50+ calculators — tile, flooring, roofing, framing, rebar, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, decking, insulation and more — are part of the MaterialCalc Pro plan.
What do I get with MaterialCalc Pro?
Pro unlocks all 50+ professional calculators plus saved projects, PDF shopping lists you can hand to clients or your supplier, cost estimates with your own unit prices, and multi-material project bundles. Plans start at $4.95/month, $29.95/year, or a one-time $49.95 lifetime purchase.
How do I calculate how much concrete I need?
Multiply length × width × depth in feet, then divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards. For a 10 × 10 slab at 4 inches thick, that's 10 × 10 × 0.333 ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards. Add 5–10% for waste and spillage. The concrete calculator does all of this in one step and also gives you 60 lb and 80 lb bag counts for small pours.
How much does a cubic yard of concrete cost in 2026?
In 2026, ready-mix concrete averages $140–$200 per cubic yard delivered in the US, with short-load fees of $50–$150 for orders under 3 yards. Use the concrete calculator to convert dimensions to cubic yards, then multiply by your local ready-mix quote for a delivered price.
How many bags of mulch equal a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft mulch (or 9 bags of 3 cu ft mulch) to equal one cubic yard. Bulk delivery is almost always cheaper past 3 yards. The mulch calculator shows both bag counts and cubic yards side-by-side so you can compare.
How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
Plan on 4–6 inches of gravel depth for a residential driveway. A 20 × 40 ft driveway at 4 inches deep needs about 10 cubic yards, or roughly 13–15 tons depending on stone weight. The gravel calculator handles the depth, area and tons-per-cubic-yard conversion automatically.
How accurate are the results?
Every calculator uses industry-standard formulas from ACI, ASTM, ENERGY STAR and manufacturer coverage sheets. Results include a configurable waste factor (typically 5–15%) so you buy the right amount without overbuying — and without a return trip mid-job.
Do the calculators work in metric and imperial?
Yes. Every calculator supports both imperial (feet, inches, cubic yards, gallons) and metric (meters, centimeters, cubic meters, liters). Switch systems from the header at any time — your inputs convert automatically, so you never redo a calculation.
Can I use MaterialCalc for professional estimates and client quotes?
Absolutely. Contractors, remodelers and estimators use MaterialCalc for daily takeoffs. Upgrade to Pro to bundle multiple materials into one project estimate and export a branded PDF shopping list you can hand to clients or your supplier.
How do I stop overbuying materials?
Calculate the exact quantity with a waste factor before you order, instead of rounding up at the counter. That single step is what saves the return trip — and the leftover pallet in your driveway.
Start free with concrete, gravel, mulch, paint or drywall. Upgrade to Pro from $4.95/mo to unlock the other 50+ calculators, saved projects and PDF shopping lists.