Garden & Hardscape Estimating Calculators
Calculators for outdoor living projects. Estimate bulk mulch cubic yards, topsoil, crushed gravel, paver patios, fencing materials, deck framing, and retaining walls.
All Garden & Hardscape Calculators (6 Tools)
Gravel Calculator
Calculate gravel and crushed stone in tons, cubic yards, and 50lb bags for driveways, paths, and drainage.
Soil Calculator
Calculate topsoil, garden soil, and compost in cubic yards and 1 cu ft/2 cu ft bags for raised beds and lawns.
Mulch Calculator
Estimate wood chip mulch, bark nuggets, and pine straw in cubic yards and 2 cu ft bags.
Turf & Sod Calculator
Calculate sod pallets, turf rolls, square feet, and grass seed pounds for lawn installations.
Fence Calculator
Calculate fence posts, rails, pickets, gate kits, and concrete bags for privacy and post-and-rail fences.
Paver Patio Calculator
Calculate patio pavers, crushed stone road base, bedding sand, edge restraints, and polymeric sand.
Hardscape & Landscape Material Takeoff Standards
Field estimating rules for paver bases, bulk aggregate, mulch, fencing, and deck carpentry.
Bulk Material Compaction Allowance
When ordering crushed stone base, gravel, or topsoil in bulk cubic yards, always add a 12% to 15% compaction buffer. Loose aggregate compresses under heavy mechanical plate compactors. One cubic yard covers 108 square feet at 3 inches of depth or 81 square feet at 4 inches of depth.
Mulch & Soil Bag Conversions
Retail bags of landscape mulch are sold in 2 cubic foot or 3 cubic foot bags. Exactly 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft mulch or 9 bags of 3 cu ft mulch equal one cubic yard. Applying a 2-inch to 3-inch depth provides weed suppression while preserving natural soil moisture.
Patio Subbase Layering Profile
A long-lasting paver patio requires 4 to 6 inches of compacted dense-graded road base, a non-woven geotextile soil stabilization fabric, 1 inch of ASTM C33 coarse concrete sand, and spiked edge restraints to prevent lateral shifting and sunken paver tracks over winter freeze cycles.
Fence & Post Hole Depth Rules
Fence post holes must extend below the local winter frost line (typically 24 to 36 inches deep) to prevent frost heaving. The hole diameter should be 3 times the width of the post (e.g., a 12-inch diameter hole for a 4x4 post), filled with fast-setting concrete poured around crushed gravel drainage bases.