Measurement & Cost Calculators

Square footage, cubic yards, board feet and cost tools.

Every material estimate starts with a measurement in the right unit: square feet for surfaces, cubic yards for bulk, board feet for lumber, linear feet for trim. The tools here handle those conversions and the two questions that follow every takeoff: how much waste to add, and roughly what the project will cost.

Use them before the material-specific calculators. Measure once with the square footage or cubic yard tool, then carry the number into the flooring, concrete or mulch calculator that turns it into an order.

How much material do I need

Quantities to order, in the units a supplier sells them in. 10 calculators.

Square Footage CalculatorCalculate the square footage of a room, floor, wall or lot. Handles rectangles, circles, triangles and L-shaped rooms and converts to square yards and acres.Cubic Yard CalculatorConvert length, width and depth into cubic yards and cubic feet for concrete, gravel, soil or mulch, and estimate the weight in tons for common materials.Cubic Feet CalculatorCalculate the cubic feet of a box, appliance or room from its length, width and height in inches or feet, with the volume in cubic inches, cubic yards and gallons.Excavation CalculatorCalculate the bank cubic yards to dig, the loose volume after swell, the weight in tons, how many truckloads it takes to haul away, and the haul-off cost.Material Waste CalculatorAdd the right waste factor to any measured quantity of flooring, tile, drywall, paint, roofing, concrete, lumber, brick or siding to find how much to actually buy.Linear Feet CalculatorConvert square feet to linear feet of boards from the board width, or find the linear feet around a room, then add waste and count the pieces of stock to buy.Acreage CalculatorCalculate acreage from lot dimensions in feet, yards, chains or meters. Handles rectangles, triangles, circles and four-sided lots, plus hectares and fence perimeter.Square Yard CalculatorConvert a measured area to square yards for carpet, topsoil and concrete finishing. Adds a waste allowance and the linear yards to order off a 12 ft roll.Cubic Meter CalculatorCubic meter calculator for freight: turn carton size, count and weight into total CBM, the chargeable weight on an LCL or air quote, and the container it fills.Tons to Cubic Yards CalculatorUse this tons to cubic yards calculator to convert a supplier quote either way, using published densities for crushed stone, sand, topsoil, mulch, asphalt and concrete.

What size do I need

Sizing and specification, against the code or standard that governs it. 1 calculator.

Dumpster Size CalculatorSize a roll-off dumpster from the debris the job actually makes. Turns tear-out area, roofing squares or a room count into cubic yards, tons and a container size.

What will it cost

Line item budgets built from current US material and labor rates. 9 calculators.

Renovation Cost CalculatorEstimate a renovation budget range from square footage, project type, finish quality and region, with a midpoint, contingency reserve and cost per square foot.Labor Cost CalculatorCalculate what an hour of construction labor really costs after payroll taxes, workers compensation, benefits and unbillable time, and what to bill.Home Addition Cost CalculatorEstimate a home addition by type and size, with the foundation, the kitchen or bath inside it, the HVAC extension and the soft costs per square foot hides.Basement Finishing Cost CalculatorEstimate a basement finishing project line by line: framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, ceiling, electrical, a bathroom and an egress window.Demolition Cost CalculatorEstimate demolition by scope and area, with the container and haul-away it generates, the asbestos and lead survey a pre-1980 house needs, and disposal by the ton.Kitchen Remodel Cost CalculatorBuild a kitchen budget line by line: cabinets per linear foot, countertops, appliances, flooring, backsplash, lighting and any layout change, as a low-to-high range.Bathroom Remodel Cost CalculatorBuild a bathroom budget line by line: shower or tub, vanity by width, toilet, floor and wall tile, fan, lighting and any moved fixtures, as a low-to-high range.Garage Cost CalculatorA garage cost calculator that prices an attached or detached build by the bay: slab, framing, roof, siding, the doors and openers, electrical and the permit.Contractor Markup CalculatorContractor markup calculator that turns a target profit margin into the markup you actually charge, prices the job, and shows what overhead eats out of it.

A typical project, in order

Carry each result into the next tool.

1Square Footage CalculatorArea of any shape
2Linear Feet CalculatorArea to boards, or a room perimeter
3Cubic Feet CalculatorSmall volumes and box sizes
4Cubic Yard CalculatorBulk volume and weight
5Excavation CalculatorDig volume, swell and truckloads
6Material Waste CalculatorAdd the right waste factor
7Renovation Cost CalculatorBudget range for the whole project

Measurement & Cost questions

How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?

Multiply the area by the depth in feet, then divide by 27. 100 square feet at 4 inches is 100 x 0.333 / 27 = 1.23 cubic yards.

How many square feet are in a square yard and an acre?

9 square feet in a square yard and 43,560 square feet in an acre.

How much waste should I add to a material estimate?

10% is the usual default for flooring, drywall, paint, lumber and simple roofs; 15% for diagonal layouts, hip roofs and large-format tile; 5% for brick and block.