Guides & comparisons

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.

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.

Eight feet for wood, six for vinyl, and why corners cost more than runs. Post depth by frost line, plus the counting mistake that leaves you a post short.

Rough spans for 2x6 through 2x12, what changes them — species, grade, spacing, load — and why the span table is the only answer that counts.

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.

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.

A square is 100 square feet of roof — not of house. The pitch multiplier, three bundles per square, and why a 2,000 sq ft home has far more than 20 squares.

Ten percent for a straight layout, fifteen for diagonal, twenty for herringbone or a patterned tile — and why you round up twice, not once.

What each costs installed, how long each lasts, and the room-by-room answer — including the one where carpet still wins outright.

Up-front cost against twenty years of upkeep, plus the practical differences — heat, span, scratching and fasteners — that decide it on a real deck.

Concrete is cheaper to install and cracks; pavers cost more, never crack as a unit, and can be lifted and reset. What each costs and what each asks of you.

Engineered trusses are faster and cheaper on most roofs; stick framing wins where the attic has to be usable or the plan is complicated. What decides it.

A slab is more concrete and a finished floor; piers are less concrete, faster on a slope, and leave the services accessible. Which suits which build.

Twice the price for no maintenance, or half the price and a stain every few years. What each one does over twenty years, and which repairs are possible.