Calculate Materials. Build with Confidence.

144 free calculators using industry-standard formulas — for contractors and DIYers. No signup, ever.

Free to use · Mobile friendly · Industry standards

All Calculators

Grouped by trade. Each calculator uses industry-standard formulas and includes waste factors.

Remodel Planning

7 calculators

Attic Conversion Calculator

Live cost ranges for bonus-room → habitable → full ADU attic conversions. Permanent stair, joist sister, small / full-width shed dormer, egress dormer, mini-split, and spray-foam adders. IRC R301.5 / R305.1 / R310 / R806.5 callouts inline.

Basement Remodel Calculator

Live cost ranges + materials list for finishing a basement — pick scope, size, finish, region; toggle bath, egress window, sewage ejector, wet bar. IRC R310 / R317.1 / R305.1 callouts inline.

Bathroom Remodel Calculator

One materials list across drywall, paint, flooring, and wall tile — surface overlaps handled automatically. A great starting point for a full bathroom remodel.

Garage Conversion Calculator

Live cost ranges for bonus-room → habitable → full ADU garage conversions. Garage-door infill, mini-split, slab leveling, egress, foundation, and service-upgrade adders. IRC R302.6 / R310 / NEC 220.83 callouts inline.

Home Addition Cost Calculator

Live low–likely–high cost ranges for ground-floor, second-story, sunroom, ADU, and bump-out additions. Pick type, foundation, finish, HVAC, region; toggle bath/kitchen/panel. Itemized soft costs (design, permits, contingency) with all-in total.

Kitchen Remodel Calculator

One materials list across drywall, paint, flooring, and backsplash tile — backsplash vs paint overlap handled automatically. A great starting point for a full kitchen remodel.

Laundry Room Remodel Calculator

Live cost ranges + plumbing & electrical adders — pick typology, finish, floor level; toggle new rough-in, dryer circuit, drain pan, smart leak detection. IRC P2706 / NEC 210.8 / IRC M1502 callouts inline.

HVAC & Ventilation

13 calculators

AC Size Calculator

What size air conditioner do you need? The cooling load and the right tonnage under ACCA Manual S — from your home's size, climate, insulation, and windows by direction — with the load shown next to the "500 sq ft/ton" rule so you can see why oversizing makes a house clammy. Screening estimate.

Bathroom Exhaust Fan Calculator

What size bathroom exhaust fan? CFM from room size — the code minimum (IRC / ASHRAE 62.2) next to the HVI best-practice size, plus the rated-vs-delivered fix so it actually clears steam. Vent, duct, and fixture methods.

Ceiling Fan Size Calculator

What size ceiling fan for your room? The right blade span from the room area (ENERGY STAR), the mount type, and the downrod length from your ceiling height so the blades land where you feel them. Flags rooms that want two fans.

Dehumidifier Size Calculator

What size dehumidifier do you need? Pints/day from your room size and dampness, shown on BOTH the current DOE label and the old pre-2019 chart — because the 2019 rating change makes old charts buy you one too small. Basement and crawlspace adjustments.

Duct Size Calculator

What size duct for your airflow? The equal-friction method (the Manual D ductulator math) turns a run's CFM and friction rate into a round diameter, rectangular equivalents, and velocity — with noise checks, flex vs metal, and return-grille sizing. Screening estimate.

Furnace Size Calculator

What size furnace do you need? The heating load and the furnace BTU input/output (or kW for electric) from your home's size, climate, and insulation — plus the input-vs-output AFUE gotcha and why the "50 BTU/sq ft" rule oversizes. Screening estimate.

HVAC BTU / Manual J Calculator

Cooling + heating BTU, AC tonnage, furnace size at AFUE, heat-pump balance point + supplemental kW, blower CFM, ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation. Per ACCA Manual J / Manual S 2023, ASHRAE 1%/99%, DOE 2023.

Manual J Calculator

How many BTUs and tons does your house need? A Manual-J-lite heating and cooling load from your size, climate, insulation, and windows — with the right-sized equipment shown next to the "500 sq ft/ton" rule of thumb so you can see how badly rules oversize. Screening estimate.

Mini Split Breaker Calculator

Breaker and wire for mini-splits and central AC from the nameplate MCA and MOP — and why the breaker can legally exceed the wire (Art. 440).

Mini-Split Sizing Calculator

What size mini-split do you need? Per-zone cooling and heating loads → a recommended ductless head size, with the cold-climate capacity derate and oversizing/short-cycling checks that BTU/sq-ft rules miss. Flags when a hyper-heat model or backup heat is needed. Screening estimate.

Range Hood CFM Calculator

How many CFM for a range hood? Size by cooktop width or gas BTU, check it against the code minimum, and find out if you cross the 400 CFM line that requires makeup air per IRC M1503.4. Island and downdraft adjustments.

Return Air Grille Size Calculator

What size return air grille or supply register? Turn your airflow (CFM) into the grille size by face velocity, with the standard sizes that fit and the velocity each produces. Filter grilles, plain returns, supply registers. Undersized returns are the #1 duct problem.

Whole-House Ventilation Calculator

How much fresh air does your house need? Continuous CFM by ASHRAE 62.2-2019 shown next to the IRC number (they differ), with intermittent fan capacity and the optional blower-door infiltration credit done the correct 2019 way.

Masonry, Stucco & Hardscape

11 calculators

Asphalt Driveway Calculator

Hot mix asphalt tons, aggregate base, tack coat, geotextile, demo disposal & sealcoat for new install, overlay, mill-and-overlay, or tear-out. NAPA / Asphalt Institute MS-22 specs with climate & soil adjusters and recommended PG binder grade.

Brick Calculator

Bricks, mortar bags, ties, weep holes, paver base & polymeric sand, and firebox firebrick — across veneer, multi-wythe, thin brick, pavers, and firebox. BIA TN 10 / IRC R703.8 / ICPI Tech Spec 2.

Cinder Block / CMU Calculator

Blocks, mortar bags, grout / core fill, bond-beam and lintel units, joint reinforcement, and prescriptive rebar for a concrete masonry wall — with a hard-stop engineer gate. ASTM C90 / NCMA TEK 04-02A.

Driveway Sealer Calculator

Asphalt sealcoat two ways — ready-to-use pails (Homeowner) or concentrate plus water, silica sand & additive (Contractor) — with crack filler, oil-spot primer, and a coal-tar ban check by state. Anchored to manufacturer TDS at 0.11–0.13 gal/sy per coat; quantities only.

Fire Pit Calculator

How many blocks for a DIY fire pit ring? Block count, gravel base, optional firebrick liner, and a fire-clearance advisory — standard block or a manufacturer kit.

Paver & Patio Calculator

Pavers, base aggregate, bedding sand, polymeric sand, edge restraint & sealer for sand-set, mortar-set, pedestal & PICP installs. Concrete, brick, bluestone, travertine, granite, porcelain. ICPI Tech Spec 2/3/18.

Paver Base Calculator

How much gravel base and bedding sand for a paver patio or driveway? Base depth, compaction, and bedding by application — before you pick a paver. ICPI Tech Spec 2.

Polymeric Sand Calculator

Bags of polymeric sand for paver and flagstone joints by joint width and brand (Techniseal, Gator, SEK, Quikrete), plus the ASTM C33 bedding sand underneath.

Sand Calculator

Cubic yards, tons, and 50-lb bag count for ASTM C33 concrete sand, C144 mason sand, play sand, fill sand, and manufactured M-sand — with compaction, wet-weight, and regional naming (torpedo / sharp / bank sand) built in.

Stone Veneer Calculator

Flats and corners, mortar, lath, WRB, and weep screed for adhered manufactured or thin natural stone — with the corner-to-flat conversion done right. ASTM C1670 / C1780 / IRC R703.12.

Stucco Calculator

3-coat / 2-coat / 1-coat portland cement stucco take-off — bags per coat, metal lath, weep screed, casing bead, control joints, Grade D paper. Per 2021 IRC R703.7 + ASTM C926 / C1063.

Electrical

11 calculators

Breaker Size Calculator

What size breaker for your load — minimum standard rating per NEC 240.6(A) with the 125% continuous rule and the wire it must pair with.

Electrical Load Calculator

What size electrical service you need — a real NEC Article 220 dwelling load calc (Standard or Optional method) for minimum service amps and wire size.

EV Charger Circuit Calculator

Breaker and wire for any EVSE rating per NEC Article 625 — 125% rule, hardwire vs plug, GFCI, and long-run voltage drop.

Garage Subpanel Calculator

The 4-wire feeder to a detached garage or shed — wire by amps and distance, ground rods, disconnect, and burial depths.

Generator Size Calculator

What size generator for your backed-up loads — running watts plus the largest motor-starting surge, with proper sizing headroom.

Hot Tub Wiring Calculator

The full NEC Article 680 spa circuit — GFCI breaker, wire size with the manufacturer floor, 5-ft disconnect, bonding, and burial depths.

Recessed Lighting Calculator

How many recessed lights and where — fixture count, grid spacing, and wall offsets with a brightness check by room type.

Tankless Water Heater Breaker Calculator

Circuits, breakers, wire, and total amps for electric tankless models — with an honest check of whether your panel can take it.

Voltage Drop Calculator

How much voltage a wire run loses — volts and percent by wire size, load, and one-way distance, with the NEC 3% recommendation check.

Welder Circuit Calculator

Breaker and wire from the nameplate primary amps and duty cycle — the NEC Article 630 math that lets welder wire run smaller than the outlet.

Wire Size Calculator

What gauge wire for your load — minimum AWG per NEC Table 310.16 with derating, appliance presets, and a long-run voltage-drop check.

Flooring

9 calculators

Plumbing

9 calculators

Drain Slope Calculator

Minimum fall per foot by pipe size — with the IPC/UPC divergence named and a pass/fail against the vertical drop you actually have.

DWV Pipe Size Calculator

Fixture list to branch, building drain, and vent pipe sizes — straight from IPC Table 709.1 & 710.1, with the trap-arm distance check most sizing charts skip.

Septic Tank Size Calculator

Minimum tank capacity by state and bedroom count — straight from state code, with garbage-disposal adders and formula-state rules.

Sump Pump Calculator

Total Dynamic Head from static lift, pipe run, and fittings — the real number to match against a pump curve, not the box’s “max GPM.”

Tankless Water Heater Size Calculator

Peak simultaneous GPM and temperature rise to the flow and BTU/kW you need — with the winter-inlet reality most sizing charts skip.

Water Heater Size Calculator

The DOE first-hour-rating method — count your busiest hour’s hot-water uses and get the FHR to shop for, not a folklore tank size.

Water Softener Calculator

Grain capacity from household size and water hardness — WQA grain math with ppm conversion and the iron correction most sizing charts skip.

Water Supply Pipe Size Calculator

Total water supply fixture units to the minimum main size — with the real IPC-vs-UPC fixture-unit difference and developed-length effect built in.

Well Pressure Tank Calculator

The Boyle’s-Law drawdown math — pump GPM and switch settings to the tank size that stops short-cycling, with the pre-charge check.

Siding & Exterior

9 calculators

Cedar Shake Siding Calculator

Cedar shake & shingle sidewall by weather exposure — bundles, squares, corner allowance, coursing layout & fasteners. Single or double course, per CSSB & IRC R703.5.

Fiber-Cement Panel Calculator

Vertical 4x8/4x9/4x10 fiber-cement (HardiePanel) sheets by column-and-row layout — battens, trim, breakage & fasteners. Per HardiePanel data, ESR-1844 & IRC R703.10.

HardiePlank Calculator

James Hardie HardiePlank takeoff by HardieZone (HZ5/HZ10) — boards, HardieTrim, kickout & butt-joint flashing, fasteners, sealant, HardieWrap.

House Wrap Calculator

How many rolls of house wrap (Tyvek / WRB) you need — accounting for the 6" overlap that cuts coverage — plus seam tape and cap fasteners. Per IRC R703.2 & ASTM E2556.

Lap Siding Calculator

Generic lap siding calculator — LP SmartSide, wood bevel / clapboard, and vinyl. Boards, trim, and fasteners with even coursing adjustment.

Metal Siding Calculator

Metal siding by net coverage — R-panel, corrugated, standing seam & aluminum lap. Cut list, screws or clips, trim, flashing & foam closures. Per IRC R703 & ASTM A792.

Siding Calculator

Estimate siding materials for exterior wall coverage.

T1-11 Siding Calculator

4x8/4x9 T1-11 plywood/OSB panel sheets by shiplap-edge layout — Z-flashing at horizontal joints, trim & siding nails. Great for sheds, per APA 303 & IRC R703.3.

Vinyl Siding Calculator

Vinyl siding by the square — panels, cartons, and the full accessory system (starter, J-channel, corner posts, undersill & trim). Per ASTM D3679 & IRC R703.11.

Framing & Structure

9 calculators

Beam Span Calculator

What size beam for a basement or crawlspace floor girder? Girder size and ply, post/pier spacing, bearing, and minimum post size, straight from IRC R502.5 and Table R602.7.

Framing Calculator

Size studs, plates, headers, cripples, and fasteners for 2x4 and 2x6 wood-frame walls — straight from 2021 IRC R602.3, R602.7 header spans, R602.7.5 king-stud counts, and R602.3(1) nailing.

Header Size Calculator

What size header for a door or window in a bearing wall? Built-up header size and ply, plus the jack and king studs each end, straight from IRC Table R602.7 and R602.7.5.

Joist Span Calculator

Maximum allowable spans for floor and deck joists by species, grade, size, and spacing — IRC R502.3.1 and R507.6 values with pass/fail checks and the smallest size that carries your span.

Rafter Length Calculator

Common, hip, valley, and jack rafter lengths, plumb and seat cut angles, birdsmouth depth, and a lumber order length from your width, pitch, ridge, and overhang — per IRC R802.

Rafter Span Calculator

The smallest 2×4 to 2×12 rafter for your span, or the longest span a size can carry, by species, grade, spacing, snow load and ceiling — straight from IRC Table R802.4.1.

Roof Sheathing Calculator

Roof deck panel count from sloped area, the minimum span rating for your rafter spacing, H-clip count, and the 2021 IRC nail schedule (now 6 inches in the field).

Stairs Calculator

Code-compliant risers, treads, stringers, handrail, balusters & newels per 2021 IRC R311.7 (R318.7 in 2024 IRC) and AWC DCA 6 stringer span limits. Six configurations: straight, L, U, winder, spiral, curved.

Wall Sheathing Calculator

Count OSB or plywood wall panels, get the code minimum thickness for your wind speed and exposure from IRC Table R602.3(3), and a real nail count from the fastening schedule.

Doors, Windows & Trim

8 calculators

Baseboard Calculator

How much baseboard? Linear feet, stock pieces, shoe, finish nails, and caulk — from a room, a measured perimeter, or your whole house square footage. WM profiles.

Board & Batten Calculator

Exact, even batten spacing with a batten in every corner across every wall, plus wainscoting box sizes and a full bill of materials — sticks (with stock-length optimization), caulk, adhesive, brads, finish nails, and underlayment or beadboard sheets. Board & batten, Shaker, and picture-frame in one tool.

Egress Window Calculator

Check whether a bedroom or basement window meets IRC R310 emergency-escape code — net clear opening, minimum height and width, and sill height.

Garage Door Calculator

Door weight, torsion spring IPPT, lift cables, hinge / roller / strut count, opener HP, headroom, and wind / HVHZ / CA SB 969 compliance flags. Per DASMA 102/108/115, UL 325, 2021 IRC R309.4 / R602.7, FBC §1620 / §1626.

Interior Doors Calculator

Per-door rough openings, hinge counts, locksets, and specialty hardware (pocket / barn / bifold / bypass / French / Dutch) with IRC code flags. Casing LF feeds the trim calculator.

Shiplap Calculator

Exact board or pack count from the real EXPOSED coverage width — not the nominal or actual board width — across a verified profile catalog (traditional rabbeted pine, UFP-Edge nickel-gap, Woodtone, and more). Horizontal, vertical, and ceiling runs, plus fasteners, adhesive, and caulk.

Trim & Molding Calculator

Estimate crown, casing, chair rail, and shoe — linear feet, stick counts, fasteners, caulk, and crown compound-miter angles. WMMPA WM/LWM profiles.

Window Calculator

Per-opening IRC R310 egress, R308 safety glazing, IECC U-factor compliance by climate zone, flashing materials, and §25C tax-credit status (with OBBBA sunset).

Landscaping

8 calculators

Grass Seed Calculator

Extension-cited seeding rates by species — new lawn, overseed, or winter overseed of dormant bermuda/zoysia with ryegrass. Pounds, bags, starter fertilizer, and mulch. Penn State / Purdue / Arkansas / UGA / UF Extension cited.

Gravel Calculator

Cubic yards, tons, and bags for driveway gravel, pea gravel, river rock, RCA, and lava rock — with material-specific densities and AASHTO/TxDOT compaction multipliers built in.

Irrigation Zone Calculator

How many sprinkler heads fit on a zone? GPM budget, precipitation rate, cycle-and-soak run time, and a lateral pipe velocity check — from Hunter and Rain Bird design charts.

Landscape Material Calculator

Cubic yards, tons, and bags for gravel, crushed stone, sand, decomposed granite, river rock, lava rock, topsoil, riprap, and landscape boulders. ASTM D448 / AASHTO M43 / NCSA R-class.

Mulch Calculator

Estimate mulch volume and bags needed for landscaping projects.

Sod Calculator

Square feet, slabs, rolls, and pallets for a new lawn — with editable, region-aware pallet coverage (400–700 sq ft) so the pallet count is right, plus optional topsoil and starter-fertilizer quantities. TPI GSS / UFGS sod specs.

Stone Calculator

Tons and cubic yards for crushed stone by grade — #57, #67, #78, #8, #4 ballast, and dense-graded crusher run / ABC / DGA / 21A — with ASTM D448 densities, the compaction factor built in, and every regional alias labeled.

Topsoil Calculator

Project-first depth presets for new lawns, topdressing, garden beds, raised beds, and grade fills — plus a raised-bed blend split (50/50, 40/40/20, Mel's Mix). Cubic yards, tons, and bags. Penn State / UMN / UW Extension cited.

Roofing & Gutters

8 calculators

Insulation & Climate

8 calculators

Decks & Fences

7 calculators

Measuring & Estimating

5 calculators

Tile, Grout & Mortar

5 calculators

Drywall

4 calculators

Cabinets & Countertops

4 calculators

Concrete & Rebar

3 calculators

Paint & Wallpaper

3 calculators

Foundations & Drainage

3 calculators

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about using our free construction material calculators.

How accurate are these calculators?

Our calculators use industry-standard formulas and include typical waste factors recommended by manufacturers and trade associations. Results are estimates — actual material needs may vary based on site conditions, installer technique, and product-specific coverage rates. Always verify with your supplier before purchasing.

Do I need to create an account to use the calculators?

No account is needed for any of the free calculators. All tools are free to use.

What is the waste factor and why does it matter?

A waste factor accounts for cuts, breakage, and installation error. For example, tile layouts typically add 10–15% to cover cuts around edges and obstacles. Skipping a waste factor often means running short mid-project, which can result in dye-lot mismatches or costly delays.

Can I use these calculators on my phone?

Yes. Every calculator is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets. Many contractors use them on-site to generate quick estimates before ordering materials.

How do I get a detailed cost estimate?

Enter unit costs directly into the calculator to get an automatic material cost total alongside your quantity estimate.

Construction Diagrams & Visual Guides

Explore 366 free, technical construction diagrams — cross-sections, assemblies, spacing schedules, and measurement figures that show exactly how each material goes together. Every diagram is grounded in building code and industry standards and links back to the calculator it belongs to.