55 calculators

All material calculators

MaterialCalc turns the measurements you already have into an order list. Pick a calculator, enter length, width and depth or thickness, and you get the quantity in the unit your supplier sells: cubic yards, tons, bags, squares, sheets, gallons or linear feet. Every tool includes a waste allowance so the delivery covers the job.

Concrete

Slabs, footings, columns and post holes in cubic yards or bags.

Masonry

Brick, block, mortar and stone counts for walls and veneer.

Landscape

Gravel, mulch, topsoil, sand and sod by area and depth.

Paint & wallcovering

Gallons per coat, primer and wallpaper rolls.

Flooring

Tile, plank, carpet and underlayment with waste factored in.

Framing & lumber

Studs, joists, board feet and sheathing quantities.

Roofing

Squares, panels, pitch and underlayment.

Trim & finish

Baseboard, casing, balusters and linear-foot runs.

HVAC

Heating and cooling loads plus duct sizing.

Plumbing

Pipe volume, fall and fixture sizing.

Electrical

Wire, conduit and load calculations.

Other tools

Unit conversions and everyday jobsite math.

How do I choose the right calculator?

Start from the unit your supplier quotes. Bulk products such as gravel, topsoil, sand and mulch are sold by the cubic yard or ton, so use the gravel calculator or the mulch calculator and give them a depth in inches. Ready-mix and bagged products are ordered by volume or bag count, which is what the concrete calculator returns. Sheet goods, panels and boards are counted in pieces, so the drywall calculator and the tile calculator convert your area into full sheets or boxes. If you are still comparing products rather than counting them, read the materials guide first: it lists weight per cubic yard, typical depths and the product grades each job needs.

How accurate are the results?

The math is the same math an estimator does by hand: area times depth, divided by 27 for cubic yards, multiplied by a material density to get tons, then rounded up to whole units. Accuracy therefore depends on your measurements, not on the tool. Measure each rectangle separately instead of averaging an irregular shape, record depth after compaction rather than before, and subtract only openings larger than about 20 square feet when you estimate walls or ceilings. Suppliers deliver in fixed increments, so the results round up to the next bag, sheet, box or half yard. Treat the output as a purchase quantity for planning, and confirm structural or code-driven quantities with your contractor, engineer or building department before you build.

How much extra material should I order?

Add 5 to 10 percent to bulk materials for compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade. Add 10 percent to tile and plank flooring for cuts, and 15 percent when the pattern runs diagonally or the room has many angles. Paint needs a second coat allowance rather than a waste factor: calculate one coat, then double it over bare drywall or a colour change. Lumber and trim waste depends on stock length, so order the next full length up instead of a percentage. Running short costs a second delivery, a second trip and often a second dye lot, which is why every MaterialCalc tool shows the waste allowance separately from the raw quantity.

What does a project cost?

Multiply the quantity by your local unit price, then add delivery, which is frequently charged per load rather than per yard. Pro accounts store the prices you enter, total several materials into one estimate and export the whole list as a PDF you can hand to a supplier — see pricing for what is included. For worked examples with current material prices, the estimating guides walk through complete jobs from measurement to invoice, and the project assistant can describe your project in plain language and pick the calculators for you. Usage of these tools is covered by our terms of service.