Outdoor Projects Calculators
Turn a sketch into a shopping list: every board, post, block and bag of base for a deck, fence, paver patio or retaining wall, with waste and cost.
6 calculators · Imperial and metric · Free
Paver Calculator Pavers, base gravel, bedding sand, joint sand and edging. Retaining Wall Calculator Blocks, caps, base gravel, drainage stone and pipe for a block wall. Deck Calculator Deck boards, joists, beams, posts, footings and fasteners. Fence Calculator Posts, rails, pickets or chain-link parts, gates and post concrete. Roofing Calculator Roof area, squares and shingle bundles, with underlayment, drip edge, ridge cap and starter. Stair Calculator Risers, treads, run, stringer length and angle, checked against IRC stair rules.
Which calculator do I need?
| Project | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Wood or composite deck | Deck calculator | Footing tubes, concrete bags |
| Wood privacy, picket or chain-link fence | Fence calculator | Post hole concrete |
| Paver patio, walkway or driveway | Paver calculator | Base gravel |
| Garden or retaining wall | Retaining wall calculator | Base gravel, drainage stone |
| Concrete patio or shed base | Concrete slab calculator | Rebar, cost |
Before you build
- Check permits and rules. Decks, tall fences and retaining walls often need a permit, and many areas have height limits and setbacks from property lines.
- Find your boundary. Confirm property lines before setting fence posts, and check any neighborhood or homeowner association rules.
- Locate buried services. Have underground utilities marked before you dig; in the US, call 811 a few days ahead.
- Know your frost depth. In cold climates, footings and posts must go below the local frost line; your building department can tell you how deep that is.
Getting quantities right
- Order base material with an allowance. Crushed stone bases shrink when compacted, so the calculators add extra by default.
- Lumber comes in fixed lengths. Plan board and rail lengths so cuts are short and offcuts are reusable.
- Structural sizes come from code. These calculators count materials. Joist and beam sizes, footing sizes and wall reinforcement must come from your plans, local code or an engineer.