Outdoor & Yard calculators
Five calculators for yard and garden projects, where materials are sold by volume, by the bag or by the length.
Calculators in this category
- Concrete CalculatorSlabs, footings and round columns in cubic yards or m³ and bags.
- Mulch, Soil & Gravel CalculatorVolume, bags or bulk loads, and approximate weight.
- Fence CalculatorPosts, rails, pickets or panels, and concrete per post.
- Deck CalculatorDeck boards, joists and screws, with the material cost.
- Paver CalculatorPavers for a patio or path, plus gravel base and bedding sand.
Volume, bags or bulk?
Concrete, mulch, soil and gravel are measured by volume: cubic yards in the United States, cubic metres almost everywhere else. Small jobs are cheaper and easier with bags; larger ones usually come out cheaper as a bulk delivery, but delivery charges and minimum orders apply. The calculators show both so you can compare.
Before you dig
Fence posts, deck footings and slab bases all involve digging. Contact your local utility locating service before you start: call 811 in the United States, use Click Before You Dig in Canada, and check the services available in your area elsewhere, such as LinesearchbeforeUdig in the UK or Before You Dig Australia. Hitting a buried cable or gas line is dangerous and expensive.
Permits and frost depth
Many towns require a permit for decks, tall fences and new concrete, and some limit fence height near roads or boundaries. In cold climates, footings must reach below the local frost line so the ground cannot heave them. Your local building office can tell you the depth and the rules.