GuideStandard dimensions — nothing to enter.
Every coverage and unit figure the calculators use, in ten tables. The cubic-yard rule is exact arithmetic; everything sold by the box, bag, pallet or bundle is a manufacturer figure and is labelled as an example or a range.
| Depth | Square feet covered | Square feet per cubic foot |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | 12 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 6 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 4 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 3 sq ft |
| 5 in | 64.8 sq ft | 2.4 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | 2 sq ft |
| 8 in | 40.5 sq ft | 1.5 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft | 1 sq ft |
Arithmetic: 324 ÷ depth in inches, because a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. This one is exact and applies to every bulk material.
| Bag | Yield | Bags per cubic yard | Bags per cubic foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | 0.30 cu ft | 90 | 3.34 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 cu ft | 72 | 2.67 |
| 60 lb | 0.45 cu ft | 60 | 2.23 |
| 80 lb | 0.60 cu ft | 45 | 1.67 |
Example manufacturer values — the exact yield is printed on the bag. They imply about 133 lb of dry mix per cubic foot of finished concrete, which is a check you can run yourself.
| Sheet | Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 8 ft | 32 sq ft | The sheet one person can carry |
| 4 × 9 ft | 36 sq ft | For 9 ft walls, hung horizontally |
| 4 × 10 ft | 40 sq ft | Fewer butt joints |
| 4 × 12 ft | 48 sq ft | What hangers prefer where it fits |
| 2 × 4 ft handy panel | 8 sq ft | Fits in a car |
| 2 × 8 ft handy panel | 16 sq ft | Fits in a car |
All panels are 4 ft wide, so the area is four times the length. Sizes are manufacturer values and are highly consistent across US producers.
| Surface | Coverage per gallon | Coats |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth, sealed, previously painted | 400 sq ft | 1–2 |
| Typical interior wall | 375 sq ft | 2 |
| Textured or porous | 350 sq ft | 2 |
| New drywall or bare plaster | 300 sq ft or less | Primer + 2 |
Example ranges — the spread rate for the product you buy is on the can. Porosity moves this more than brand does.
| Tile | Area each | Tiles per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 3 × 9 in subway | 0.19 sq ft | 533 |
| 6 × 6 in | 0.25 sq ft | 400 |
| 12 × 12 in | 1.00 sq ft | 100 |
| 12 × 16 in | 1.33 sq ft | 75 |
| 12 × 24 in | 2.00 sq ft | 50 |
| 16 × 24 in | 2.67 sq ft | 38 |
| 24 × 24 in | 4.00 sq ft | 25 |
Before waste. Box coverage varies by product and is printed on the carton, which is why the tile calculator asks for it.
| Roll | Width | Length | Area if unpatterned |
|---|---|---|---|
| US double roll | 20.5 in | 33 ft | 56 sq ft |
| US single roll | 20.5 in | 16.5 ft | 28 sq ft |
| Alternative US | 21 in | 33 ft | 58 sq ft |
| Wide width | 27 in | 15 ft | 34 sq ft |
| European | 53 cm (20.9 in) | 10 m (33 ft) | 57 sq ft |
Examples of common manufacturer sizes, not a standard. The area column is only useful for an unpatterned paper — a pattern repeat makes area arithmetic under-order, which is why the wallpaper calculator works in drops.
| Unit | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Square | 100 sq ft | The trade unit for both roofing and siding |
| Bundle at 3 per square | 33.3 sq ft | Three-tab and many architectural shingles |
| Bundle at 4 per square | 25.0 sq ft | Heavier architectural |
| Bundle at 5 per square | 20.0 sq ft | Designer and premium |
| Vinyl siding box | 200 sq ft | Commonly two squares to a box |
The square is fixed at 100 sq ft. Bundles per square is a product value on the wrapper — assuming three on a five-bundle product leaves you 40% short.
| Unit | Face size | Face area | Units per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modular brick, 3/8 in joint | 8 × 2 5/8 in | 0.1458 sq ft | 6.86 |
| Queen brick | — | 0.2222 sq ft | 4.50 |
| CMU block 8 × 8 × 16 in | 8 × 16 in | 0.8889 sq ft | 1.125 |
| CMU block 4 × 8 × 16 in | 4 × 16 in | 0.4444 sq ft | 2.25 |
Face area including the mortar joint, so the count follows from geometry. A different joint thickness changes the figure.
| Unit | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pallet (small) | about 400 sq ft | Varies by farm |
| Pallet (typical) | about 450 sq ft | The common middle |
| Pallet (large) | about 500 sq ft | Varies by farm |
| Slab | 16 × 24 in — 2.67 sq ft | The individual piece |
A range, not a standard — that hundred square foot spread between farms is why the sod calculator asks instead of assuming. Confirm with your supplier before ordering.
| Board | Per foot of length | 8 ft | 12 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 4 | 0.33 bd ft | 2.67 | 4.00 |
| 1 × 6 | 0.50 bd ft | 4.00 | 6.00 |
| 2 × 4 | 0.67 bd ft | 5.33 | 8.00 |
| 2 × 6 | 1.00 bd ft | 8.00 | 12.00 |
| 2 × 8 | 1.33 bd ft | 10.67 | 16.00 |
| 2 × 10 | 1.67 bd ft | 13.33 | 20.00 |
| 2 × 12 | 2.00 bd ft | 16.00 | 24.00 |
Thickness × width ÷ 12 per foot of length, using nominal sizes. A board foot is 144 cubic inches; 12 make a cubic foot and 324 make a cubic yard.
Bulk material: 324 ÷ depth. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. One square foot at D inches deep is D/12 of a cubic foot, so a cubic yard spreads to 324 ÷ D square feet. That covers concrete, gravel, mulch, topsoil, sand and asphalt — every material on this site sold by the yard.
Sheet goods. Drywall and plywood are 4 ft wide. A 4 × 8 sheet is 32 sq ft, 4 × 9 is 36, 4 × 10 is 40 and 4 × 12 is 48. Divide your area by the sheet, add ten per cent, round up.
Squares. Roofing and siding are quoted in squares, and a square is 100 square feet. Shingles come three bundles to a square. On a roof, multiply the building footprint by the pitch factor first — the square root of 1 plus (rise ÷ 12) squared, which is 1.118 for a 6/12 roof and 1.414 for a 12/12.
Unit counts. A modular brick with a 3/8 in joint occupies 0.1458 sq ft of wall face, so 6.86 to the square foot. A standard 8 × 8 × 16 in block occupies 0.889 sq ft, so 1.125 to the square foot. Both come straight from the face dimensions.
Lumber. A board foot is 144 cubic inches: thickness × width × length in inches ÷ 144. Twelve board feet make a cubic foot and 324 make a cubic yard.
Bag yields. Concrete mix yields about 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 cubic feet from 40, 60 and 80 lb bags — around 133 lb of dry mix per cubic foot of finished concrete. Mulch comes in 2 cubic foot bags, so 13.5 bags to a cubic yard. The exact yield is printed on the bag.
324 at 1 inch deep, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3, 81 at 4, 54 at 6 and 27 at 12. The figure is always 324 divided by the depth in inches.
32 for a 4 × 8 sheet, 36 for 4 × 9, 40 for 4 × 10 and 48 for 4 × 12. All are 4 ft wide, so the sheet area is just four times the length.
100 square feet of roof surface, and three bundles of standard shingles. Note it is roof surface, not building footprint — a pitched roof is longer up the slope than the ground below it.
6.86 modular bricks with a 3/8 inch mortar joint, or 1.125 standard 8 × 8 × 16 inch blocks. Both figures come from the face size of the unit plus its joint.
13.5, because mulch bags hold 2 cubic feet and a cubic yard is 27.