About Yard Work Math

Yard Work Math is a small, independent website with free material calculators for yard and home projects: concrete, concrete block, gravel, mulch, topsoil, pavers, fences and decks. You enter your measurements, and the calculator tells you how much to buy, in the units your supplier uses. There is no sign-up and nothing to install.

Who runs this site

Yard Work Math is operated by Brytin Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number14806911, registered office 5 Cleveland Place West, Bath, BA1 5DG, United Kingdom). We are not a manufacturer, retailer or contractor, and we don't sell building materials. We are not affiliated with any of the brands or organisations named in our sources.

How the calculations are sourced and checked

• Formulas are written out on every page, with a worked example that uses the same numbers the calculator shows when the page loads.
• Every constant has a source and a date. Bag yields come from manufacturer data sheets, block, grout and mortar figures from the NCMA estimating guide, paver base depths from ICPI, stair limits from the International Residential Code, deck details from the American Wood Council's DCA 6 guide, and material weights from published supplier figures. Each page lists the sources it relies on and when they were last checked.
• Where sources disagree, you decide. Material weights in particular vary between suppliers and with moisture. In those cases (28 values at the moment, such as gravel density and waste allowances) the calculator uses a typical figure and lets you change it.
• No made-up prices. Material prices vary by region and season, so cost fields start empty. Enter the prices you are quoted to get a cost estimate.
• Automated tests. The calculation code is checked against known results (for example, a 10 × 10 ft slab 4 in thick is 1.23 cubic yards, or 56 bags of 80 lb concrete) every time the site is built.

The calculators give estimates for planning. They don't replace a structural design, your supplier's product data or your local building code, which always takes priority.

Report a mistake

If you find an error, an outdated figure or a better source, please email hello@yardworkmath.com. Use Copy link under the calculator so we can see your exact inputs. Corrections are checked against the source and fixed, and the page's "last checked" date is updated.

Advertising

The site is free to use and is intended to be funded by advertising. Ads never change the results a calculator gives, and no company pays to be listed or recommended.

Sources used across the site

• NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C – General Tables of Units of Measurement
• QUIKRETE Concrete Mix (No. 1101) product data sheet – bag yields, unit weight, fence-post method
• Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix – product page (bag yields)
• QUIKRETE Mortar Mix (No. 1102) product data sheet – yield per 80 lb bag
• NCMA / CMHA TEK 4-2A – Estimating Concrete Masonry Materials (units per ft², mortar, grout Table 3)
• 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 3 – R311.7 Stairways (riser, tread, width, handrails)
• 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 5 – R507 Exterior Decks (decking, joists)
• American Wood Council DCA 6 – Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide
• NIST Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20 – American Softwood Lumber Standard (dressed sizes)
• ICPI Tech Spec 10 – Application Guide for Interlocking Concrete Pavements (base, bedding sand, joints)
• Gorham Sand & Gravel – Calculating cubic yards vs. tons (sand, gravel, stone weights)
• Stone Center (Ohio) – Landscape rock calculator (weights per cubic yard by material)
• Hensons' Inc (NC/SC landscape supply) – FAQ: weights per cubic yard and coverage depths
• McCarty Mulch & Stone – How much mulch to use (weight, depth, coverage)
• Topsoil.com – How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh (dry, moist, saturated)
• Penn State Extension – Mulching Landscape Trees (2–4 in, no more)
• NC State Extension Gardener Handbook – Lawns (site preparation, topsoil)
• Purdue Extension AY-3-W – Establishing Turfgrass Areas (work soil 4–6 in deep)
• Scotts Premium Topsoil, 0.75 cu ft bag – retailer listing (Lowe's)
• QUIKRETE All-Purpose Gravel, 50 lb / 0.5 cu ft – retailer listing
• QUIKRETE HardScapes Paver Base, 50 lb / 0.5 cu ft – retailer listing (Lowe's)
• QUIKRETE Patio Paver Base Sand – product line
• TCC Materials (QUIKRETE manufacturer) – QUIKRETE Concrete Mix product page (bags and weight per pallet)
• 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 4 – R403.1 Footings (minimum width and thickness)
• U.S. CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325) – loose-fill surfacing depths
• Penn State Extension – Soil Health in Raised Beds (70% soil / 30% compost)
• University of Maryland Extension – Soil to Fill Raised Beds (mix ratios, minimum depths)