Bathroom remodel
Floor tile, shower walls, thinset, grout, cement board, then paint for what is left.
Remodel material calculator
Measure once, then let the numbers do the arguing with the lumberyard. Twenty-one quantity calculators for tile, floors, decks, walls, sheds, framing, roofing and concrete, each with the waste allowance built in and a planner that shows where buying smarter saves money.
Start from a project
Most renovations are a chain of calculations. Work through them in order; each result can go into the planner so the whole job's list lives in one place.
Kitchen refresh
Backsplash tile and grout, new flooring, baseboard and a fresh coat of paint.
Deck build
Joist size from the span table, footings, boards and fasteners.
New floors
Subfloor repairs, the floor itself (LVP, laminate, hardwood or carpet) and trim.
Backyard shed
Footing or slab, a full lumber list, roof shingles, then paint.
Basement or attic finish
Insulation to the right R-value, drywall, mud and tape, then paint.
Every calculator
Walls & ceilings
Framing & roofing
Concrete
Area & budget
Ask the site foreman
Calculators give you the big-ticket quantities. The small stuff (spacers, primer, sponge, drop cloths, the transition strip) is what sends you back to the store twice. Describe the job and get a checklist, the order of work and what DIYers most often forget.
0/800 · Answers are AI-written; check quantities with the calculators.
How much material do I need for a renovation?
1. Measure in rectangles
Measure each wall at floor height, to the nearest half inch. Convert inches to decimal feet (9 inches is 0.75 ft). Break L-shapes, alcoves and closets into rectangles and add them. The square footage calculator does this for up to eight sections. Watching a shape break into parts is what makes the arithmetic click, the same trick ahaboo uses to show why the Moon seems to change shape over a month.
2. Add the waste allowance for the pattern, not the room
Waste comes from cuts at the edges, so it depends on how the material is laid. About 10% covers straight-laid tile, plank flooring and drywall; 15% for diagonal tile or rooms full of corners; 20% for herringbone. Small rooms waste proportionally more because they are mostly edge.
3. Round up to what the store sells
Tile and flooring come by the box, paint by the gallon, lumber in 2 ft length steps, carpet off a 12 ft roll. The calculators round up to whole units, then price what you actually carry out.
4. Buy from one lot, keep a spare
Tile, flooring and wallpaper vary in shade between production runs. Check the lot or batch number on every box. Keep one spare box after the job for repairs; discontinued lines are almost impossible to match later.
5. Check the structural bits against code
Deck joists, footings and anything load-bearing follow the International Residential Code as adopted by your town. Use the joist span table to plan, and the building department to confirm.
Questions
How much extra material should I buy for a renovation?
A 10% waste allowance covers most straight-laid tile, flooring and drywall. Diagonal or herringbone patterns need 15–20%, and simple long runs can get away with 5%.
How do I measure a room for materials?
Measure each wall at floor level in feet and inches, convert to decimal feet, and split odd-shaped rooms into rectangles. Add the rectangles together for total area.