How YardCal estimates your project

YardCal uses measurements and explicit product assumptions to estimate materials. Calculations run in your browser. Each project has its own input fields and quantity rules; a roof, a lawn and an electrical route do not use the same formula.

Quantities and packages

Area and volume use measured geometry. Repeated members are counted by spacing; sheet, roll and board planners use their stated coverage or cut-layout assumptions. The material allowance is applied where indicated, then package quantities are rounded up. Bulk materials use the purchasing increment shown in the result. This is a planning takeoff, not a cutting optimization service.

Prices you can replace

Default project prices are illustrative USD inputs, not surveyed national averages, live retailer quotes or professional estimates. Replace each price with a supplier quote. Totals cover the listed materials only. Labor, delivery, tax, rental, permits and unlisted site work are excluded. Confirm product compatibility, availability and price with your supplier before ordering.

Work time

Working time uses provisional activity allowances tied to the project quantities, multiplied by the labor allowance multiplier, plus setup or extra person-hours. The total is divided by crew size and working hours per day. These rates are planning assumptions, not measured contractor productivity. Adjust them for your crew and access. Curing, inspections and delivery waiting time are excluded.

Structural and building services

Structural planners count materials from your chosen or approved dimensions. They do not select load-bearing member sections or approve spans, foundations or retaining walls. Electrical, heating, plumbing, drainage and fire-protection planners provide arithmetic and takeoff allowances with their limits stated on the page. An equipment count or power estimate does not establish a safe, compliant design.

Reference material

Product labels and approved plans take precedence over defaults. Useful references for checking assumptions include American Wood Council deck guidance, QUIKRETE concrete product data, EPA WaterSense irrigation guidance and US Department of Energy water-heater sizing guidance. These references do not mean every YardCal estimator has been professionally reviewed or certified.

Saving and sharing

Project plans can be saved to this browser’s local storage. Clearing browser data removes those saves. Editing inputs keeps the page address unchanged. Use Share link to create a link with your changed inputs, custom prices and unit preference, or Save to keep the project before leaving the page. Anyone with a shared link can see its values. CSV downloads and browser printing provide portable copies. Open saved projects.