About BuildHowMuch

BuildHowMuch is an independent website for homeowners and DIYers planning a project. Most material calculators stop at “you need 1.36 cubic yards.” We take the next two steps: what that means in the bags, boxes, sheets and boards a store actually sells, and roughly what it will cost.

What we publish

• Calculators for concrete, paint, decks, gravel, mulch and topsoil, fences, flooring and drywall. Each one gives a shopping list, a cost estimate you can edit, and — where it helps — a drawing of the layout.
• Cost guides for concrete, decks and fences, with installed and DIY price ranges from named, dated sources.
• Guides that explain the numbers behind the calculators, with worked examples you can check yourself.

Where the numbers come from

Technical figures come from primary sources: bag yields from QUIKRETE and Sakrete product data, paint coverage from manufacturer data sheets, drywall finishing rates from USG, and deck joist and beam spans from the American Wood Council's DCA 6 guide. Each calculator lists every source it uses, with links.

Prices are national averages read from public retail listings (such as Home Depot and Ace Hardware) and cost guides (such as HomeGuide and Angi), with the date we collected them. We show a typical price and the low–high range we saw, never a single made-up figure, and every unit price can be changed to what your local store charges.

How we check our work

Before a calculator goes live we run at least three worked examples through it and compare the results with hand calculations and with established calculators. Where our answer differs — for example because we add a waste allowance or count a gap between deck boards — the page explains why.

How we keep it current

Material prices move, so we re-collect prices every year before the spring building season and update the date on each page. Specifications change less often and are reviewed at the same time.

Independence

BuildHowMuch is not affiliated with, endorsed by or paid by any retailer, manufacturer or trade group named on the site, and we don't use their logos. The site may be supported by advertising; advertisers have no say in our numbers or content. Our results are estimates for planning, not professional construction advice — always check local building codes.

Contact

Found a number that looks wrong, or want a calculator we don't have yet? Email contact@buildhowmuch.com. See the contact page for what to include.