Every project starts with the same question: how much do I actually need to buy?
BuildFigure answers it — and shows the math, so you can check it yourself. It’s a small, independent site built by one DIYer who got tired of calculators that hand you a number and no explanation. More about who’s behind it, and a dated log of every change.
Start with the three most-used calculators
Concrete, paint and flooring — pick one and get a shopping list you can check.
Browse all calculators
Every BuildFigure tool — same published math, one click away.
What every calculator gives you
The details that separate a checkable estimate from a number in a search box.
The math is shown
Every result comes with the breakdown and the assumptions it used, so you can check the number instead of taking it on faith.
Waste built in
Sensible waste factors and rounding to whole bags, sheets, yards or gallons so you don’t make a second supply run.
Any unit, instantly
Switch feet, inches, yards or meters on the fly. Enter what you measured; we handle the conversions.
Shareable estimates
Turn any estimate into a copy-paste link you can hand a client or take to the supplier — every input saved in the URL.
Guides to plan the job right
Practical, no-nonsense reads on estimating materials, why real-world numbers vary, and the classic mistakes to avoid.
- Concrete
How Much Concrete Do I Need?
A clear, accurate method for estimating concrete for any slab, footing, column, or set of stairs — with the exact formula, a worked example, and a reference table of common slab sizes.
Read the guide → - Gravel
How Much Gravel Do I Need?
The exact method contractors use to estimate gravel — turn your area and depth into cubic yards and tons, with a worked driveway example, a quick tonnage table, and the formula behind every number.
Read the guide → - Mulch
How Much Mulch Do I Need?
The simple, accurate way to estimate mulch for any bed — the exact formula, a worked example, and a reference table of bags and cubic yards by bed size.
Read the guide → - Paint
How Much Paint Do I Need?
A simple, accurate method for estimating how much paint to buy for any room — with a worked example, a quick reference table, and the exact formula painters use.
Read the guide → - Topsoil
How Much Topsoil Do I Need?
The exact method landscapers use to estimate topsoil — convert area and depth to cubic yards, add for settling, and read the weight in tons. Includes a worked example and a quick reference table.
Read the guide → - Drywall
How Much Drywall Do I Need?
A clear, accurate method for estimating how many sheets of drywall to buy for any room — with the exact formula, a worked example, and a sheet-count reference table.
Read the guide →
How BuildFigure works out the quantity
You give a few measurements; the tool converts them, applies a waste factor you can see and change, and rounds up to whole purchasable units — bags of concrete or mulch, gallons of paint, sheets of drywall, tons of gravel, cubic yards of topsoil, boxes of flooring. Nothing is hidden behind the answer: the breakdown and the assumptions are on the page, and the constants come from published bag yields and coverage rates rather than from thin air.
What you can do with the result
Switch units (feet, inches, yards, meters) without re-measuring, read a plain-language answer first, and turn any estimate into a shareable link that carries every input — handy for handing to a supplier or picking the job back up later. If something looks wrong, tell me and the fix gets logged on the changelog.