Material Cost Calculator & Estimator
Free online material cost calculators that answer in two numbers: how much material the job takes, and what it costs where you live. Concrete, lumber, framing, decks, fencing, and drywall — completely free, no sign-up.
Most used
- Concrete Slab Cost CalculatorConcrete volume, bag count and slab cost.
- French Drain Gravel & Rock CalculatorGravel or rock tonnage, pipe, fabric and cost for a french drain.
- Deck Cost CalculatorDeck material list and cost, framing to railing.
- Fence Cost CalculatorMaterial and installed cost per linear foot of fence.
- Demolition Debris & Weight CalculatorDemolition debris weight, loose volume, truckloads and disposal cost.
- Gravel Driveway Tonnage & Cost CalculatorStone tonnage, truckloads and cost for a gravel driveway.
- 12x12 Room Drywall Sheet CalculatorSheet count, mud, tape and screws for a room.
- Paver Patio CalculatorPavers, base stone, bedding sand and cost for a patio.
Or pick a trade
How it works
- 1
Answer three questions
How big it is, what it is for, and where the job is. Most answers are buttons — pick "a car parks on it" and the thickness sets itself.
- 2
Read the two numbers
The quantity you order and the cost you should expect, as a range. The buy list underneath is the one you hand to the yard.
- 3
Check what it assumed
Bag yields, waste allowance, spans and prices are printed on the page with their source and the date they were last verified.
Guides & comparisons — the questions people ask before they reach for a calculator: how thick, which material, ready-mix or bags.
Construction Guides & Estimating Rules
View all guides ›The rules of thumb, thicknesses, and code standards to check before ordering materials.
- How Much Concrete Do I Need?Volume in cubic yards, the waste allowance nobody adds, and the point where bags stop making sense and a truck starts. With the arithmetic shown.
- How Thick Should a Concrete Slab Be?Four inches for foot traffic, five to six where vehicles park. What each inch costs, and why the base under the slab matters more than the last inch of concrete.
- What Does a Deck Cost Per Square Foot?Why the per-square-foot number ranges so widely, which half of the budget actually moves, and what changes when the deck gets taller rather than wider.
- How Many Tons of Gravel Do I Need?Cubic yards to tons, the compaction allowance that catches people out, and the depths that actually work for a driveway, a base course and a drain.
Every figure comes from a published source that we name on the page — bag yields from the manufacturer, spans from the code tables, prices from shelf and supplier quotes checked on a schedule. Where a number is soft, the estimate widens instead of pretending to be exact. You can read the whole method on the methodology page.