Measurement Calculators

Which measurement calculator do you need?

• Area (floors, walls, lawns, lots): the square footage calculator adds and subtracts shapes and converts to square yards, square meters and acres.
• Volume (soil, gravel, mulch, concrete): the cubic yard calculator turns length, width and depth into cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters.
• Length (trim, fencing, lumber): the linear feet calculator adds up runs and plans stock pieces.

Square feet, cubic yards and linear feet

Almost every material estimate starts with one of three measurements. Linear feet measure length only. Square feet measure area: length × width. Cubic feet and cubic yards measure volume: length × width × depth, with 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. Keep units consistent: convert inches to feet by dividing by 12 before multiplying, or type feet and inches straight into the calculators and let them convert.

Measuring tips

• Sketch first. Draw the space, split it into rectangles, circles and triangles, and write each measurement down.
• Measure twice and use the larger figure when walls are not square.
• Average uneven depths by measuring in several places.
• Add waste only once. These measurement calculators give exact quantities; the material calculators add the right allowance for each product.

Quick conversions and examples

• Room area: a 12 × 14 ft room is 168 ft², or 18.67 square yards (9 ft² per square yard).
• Volume for a bed: 10 × 10 ft at 3 in deep is 100 × 0.25 = 25 ft³, which is 0.93 cubic yards.
• Land: one acre is 43,560 ft², about 4,047 m².
• Metric: 1 m² is 10.76 ft², and 1 m³ is 1.31 cubic yards.
• Trim: a 12 × 14 ft room has a perimeter of 52 linear feet before subtracting doorways.

Odd shapes

L-shaped rooms, curved beds and triangular corners are easiest to handle by splitting them into simple shapes. Add the rectangles, circles and triangles together, and subtract cut-outs such as an island, a fireplace hearth or a tree ring. Circles use π × radius², triangles half of base × height. The square footage and cubic yard calculators let you add several sections and subtract areas so you do not need to do this by hand.

From measurement to materials

Once you have the area or volume, the material calculators turn it into what to buy: boxes of flooring, gallons of paint, tons of gravel or yards of concrete.