GaugeYard
Topic

Estimating

Every GaugeYard guide filed under Estimating. Practical, plain-English walkthroughs, ranked on what actually matters.

14 guidesBrowse all topics
A pencil sketched floor plan on graph paper with a metal ruler and a calculator resting beside it on a wood tableLatest in Estimating
Estimating

Cost to Build a House: The NAHB Data Breakdown

NAHB's 2024 Cost of Constructing a Home survey splits a sale price into construction, lot, and profit, then breaks construction into eight named stages.

· 23 min readRead the guide →
A yellow tape measure held vertically against a plain painted wall above white baseboard, one hand steadying the blade at the top and the other holding the case at the floorEstimating

How Much Siding Do I Need? Square Footage in 6 Steps

This manual runs a siding takeoff end to end: wall rectangles, gable triangles, opening deductions, the waste factor, and square feet into squares and boxes.

· 33 min read
Two workers in orange hard hats and high visibility vests placing concrete inside a timber slab form on a house site, wet mix sliding off a chute on the left over a grid of steel bars laid in squares across the base, the second worker drawing a long straight board across the fresh surfaceEstimating

How Much Rebar Do I Need? Slab and Footing Spacing Math

This manual counts rebar from the slab itself: divide the clear span by the grid spacing, add one bar, multiply by bar length, then allow for lap splices.

· 35 min read
A stack of large white panels leaning against an interior stud wall in an unfinished room, vertical wood studs running floor to ceiling behind them over brown sheathing, a white double hung window set into a framed opening on the right, bare panel subfloor underfootEstimating

How Many Studs Do I Need? (Wall Framing Math)

This manual counts studs from the layout: wall length over spacing plus one, then corner and tee extras, kings, jacks, cripples, plates and a waste factor.

· 40 min read
A metal tape measure with a black lock button sitting on a tiled floor, its yellow blade extended away across the tiles and crossing a grout line, warm light raking in from one sideEstimating

How Many Tiles Do I Need? (Floor and Wall)

How much extra tile should you order? This manual counts tile in nine steps: measure the area, derive coverage, set the waste by layout, round into boxes.

· 39 min read
A person holding a yellow tape measure vertically against a pale interior wall, one hand steadying the case at the white baseboard and the other pinching the blade higher up the wallEstimating

How to Calculate Stair Rise and Run

This manual calculates stair rise and run in eleven steps: total rise floor to floor, whole risers, the exact riser, tread run, headroom, and stringer drop.

· 44 min read
A low red brick wall part way up in a garden, courses staggered so the joints fall over the middle of the brick below, a yellow spirit level and a pointing trowel resting on the top course, loose bricks stacked on the ground beside a board of mortarEstimating

How Many Bricks Do I Need? (Wall Math)

How many bricks do I need? This manual derives the count from the brick's own nominal face: divide 144 by that area, deduct the openings, add cut waste.

· 37 min read
A stack of white faced panels leaning against exposed wooden wall studs in an unfinished room with a window and daylight falling across the top panelEstimating

How Many Sheets of Drywall Do I Need?

This manual derives the drywall sheet count from wall and ceiling area, fixes the opening deduction cutoff, then adds compound, tape, screws and corner bead.

· 37 min read
A hand marking a short wooden block with a pencil while a yellow tape measure lies across the face of it, lit warmly against a dark backgroundEstimating

How to Calculate Board Feet in 6 Steps

This manual walks how to calculate board feet: the formula, the quarter system, nominal versus actual sizes, and the waste allowance that sizes the order.

· 26 min read
A person kneeling to run a tape measure along a plank floor in an empty room lit by a bright windowEstimating

How to Calculate Square Footage and Square Feet: The Formula

This manual runs square footage calculations step by step: how to calculate square feet with the area formula, inches into decimal feet, and gross versus net.

· 40 min read
Stacked timber, cut stone slabs, and a tape measure arranged on a dark bench, the materials a written estimate has to put a price againstEstimating

How to Write a Contractor Estimate: Materials, Labor, Margin

This manual writes a contractor estimate line by line: define the scope, price the materials, add labor and equipment, then add overhead and profit margin.

· 33 min read
Stacked timber, cut stone slabs, and a tape measure arranged on a dark bench, the materials and the measurement every estimate starts fromEstimating

Material Estimate: How to Estimate Materials for a Project

Material estimate and materials estimate math: measure the area or volume, apply coverage or density, add a waste factor, round up, and check the arithmetic.

· 42 min read
A yellow tape measure lying on bare dirt inside a rectangle marked out with string lines and wooden stakesEstimating

Cubic Yard Calculator: Yardage Math for Gravel and Soil

Yardage calculator and manual: turn length, width, and depth into cubic yards of gravel, soil, sand, or concrete using the divide-by-27 rule and worked math.

· 39 min read
A paint roller loading warm gold paint from a metal tray in soft window lightEstimating

How Much Paint Do I Need? Wall and Room Coverage Math

This manual works the wall-area formula, the two-coat default, primer and texture math, and the gallon rounding rules that get any paint order exactly right.

· 23 min read