Take-offs and pricing that add up
Material quantities with waste factors you control, and a job pricing tool that knows margin and markup are different numbers — the mistake that quietly costs contractors thousands a year.
Margin is not markup
Add 20% to a $7,705 job and you get $9,246 — but that is a 16.7% margin, not 20%. To actually keep 20% of the invoice you have to charge $9,631. The gap is $385 on one job; across a year of jobs it is the difference between a wage and a business. The pricing tool shows both numbers at once so the mistake is impossible to make.
Where do the coverage rates come from?
They are common industry conventions — 350–400 sq ft per gallon for smooth interior wall paint, 0.60 cu ft per 80 lb concrete bag, 32 sq ft per 4×8 sheet. Every default is editable, because your product and your crew are what actually matter. Check the manufacturer's stated coverage before ordering.
What waste factor should I use?
The defaults here are 10% for most materials and 5% for paint, which is a common starting point. But waste depends on the job: a simple rectangular room wastes far less than a cut-up space with angles, and diagonal tile layouts can need 15–20%. Your own history from past jobs beats any default on this page.
Can I quote from these numbers directly?
Use them as your take-off, then apply judgement. These tools compute geometry and arithmetic correctly, but they cannot see site access, substrate condition, or the surprise behind the wall. Always walk the job.
🎨 Paint Calculator
Net wall area after openings, multiplied by coats.
🧱 Concrete Calculator
Slabs, footings and round piers — cubic yards and bag counts.
🪵 Framing / Stud Count
Field studs plus the extras that estimates always forget.
🧊 Drywall & Sheet Goods
Sheets, screws and tape for any sheet size.
🪟 Flooring Calculator
Square feet turned into whole boxes.
◼️ Tile Calculator
How many tiles, for any tile size.
🏠 Roofing Calculator
Footprint is not roof area — pitch changes everything.
🚜 Excavation & Fill
Dug ground swells — bank yards and loose yards are different numbers.
💵 Job Pricing
Cost, overhead and profit — with margin and markup shown side by side.
⏱️ Labour Hours
Hours from your own production rates, then crew days.
🪜 Stair Layout
Riser and tread from total rise, checked against the usual limits.
🔄 Unit Converter
Length, area, volume and weight.