Calculated versus estimated
Geometry is deterministic. Material coverage, density, installation waste and product yield can vary. We expose those assumptions so users can replace them with the values printed on the products they are actually buying.
- Calculated values come straight from your measurements, such as a floor area or the cubic yards in a slab.
- Estimated values depend on something that varies, such as paint coverage, tile waste, bag yield or gravel density.
Where each number comes from
Every starting value in a planner falls into one of four kinds, and each planner’s “Assumptions” table says which:
- Mathematical: an identity, such as 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard.
- Common planning default: an editable starting point such as a 10% cutting allowance. It is not a rule, and it has no published source unless the page says so.
- Manufacturer / industry sourced: a published figure such as a bag yield, with the source named on the page.
- You enter it: product or supplier data we deliberately do not guess, such as the square feet in a box of flooring or a pallet of sod.
We only cite a source for a claim it supports, and we say what it supports. Where no authoritative universal default exists, we either ask for your value, offer a clearly labelled editable starting point, or calculate only what can honestly be determined.
Math versus the material list
The math can say 2.26 gallons. You cannot buy 2.26 gallons. Every purchased unit (bags, boxes, sheets, rolls, pails, gallons) is rounded up to a whole unit so you never come up short because of rounding. Raw quantities keep sensible decimals.
Assumptions you can change
Each planner shows its starting values (coverage, waste, yields, densities) and lets you edit them. Starting values are typical, not universal. If the product label says something different, use the label.
Units
You can enter imperial or metric. Values are converted to one internal unit system before any calculation, so both give the same answer. Switching units converts the numbers you already typed rather than reinterpreting them.
Your prices
The optional cost estimate multiplies the quantities by prices that you type. We never fetch retailer prices, and the result covers materials only.
Who makes it
MeasureList is a product of Early Signal Labs.
Scope
MeasureList is a material estimator. It is not structural engineering, building-code, architectural or permit software, and it gives no professional construction advice. Product and manufacturer instructions take precedence over these estimates.
Sources by planner
Each planner shows its own review date. Source lists below were last compiled 2026-10-08.
Paint Reviewed 2026-10-08
- Sherwin-Williams – Paint Calculator page. A gallon of paint typically covers about 350–400 sq ft (enough for a 10 × 10 ft room), texture and coverage can change how much you use; primer is described at roughly 200–300 sq ft per gallon. Basis for the 375 sq ft/gal wall and ceiling default (middle of the published range) and the 300 sq ft/gal primer default. This site is not affiliated with Sherwin-Williams. Your paint can’s coverage always takes precedence.
Tile Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Drywall Reviewed 2026-10-08
- USG – Sheetrock FAQ on joint compound coverage. Roughly two 4.5 gal pails of Sheetrock UltraLightweight All Purpose Joint Compound finish 1,000 sq ft of gypsum wallboard. Basis for the 9 gal per 1,000 sq ft default. USG product data sheets list roughly 9–10 gal per 1,000 sq ft depending on the compound, so 9 gal is the low end. Other compound types differ.
- USG – Sheetrock Wallboard Estimator. USG’s own estimator notes that its estimate does not include a waste allowance. Why a separate, editable waste allowance is applied to the boards here.
- Ace Hardware listing – USG Sheetrock paper joint tape (retailer page, not a USG specification). About 370 linear feet of paper joint tape per 1,000 sq ft. Taken from a third-party listing of a USG product, not from a USG specification sheet. Confirm against USG literature or the tape you buy. The screw rate is a rough planning default; we found no published USG figure for it.
Flooring Reviewed 2026-10-08
- Home Depot Canada – how to calculate square footage for flooring. Measure each section, add the areas, then add roughly 5–10% extra for waste, and divide by the area per box. The 10% default sits in that range and remains editable.
Insulation Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Concrete slab Reviewed 2026-10-08
- QUIKRETE – Concrete Mix data sheet. Approximate yields: 40 lb → 0.30 cu ft, 50 lb → 0.375 cu ft, 60 lb → 0.45 cu ft, 80 lb → 0.60 cu ft (some copies of the sheet list only 40, 60 and 80 lb). Other mixes (for example fast-setting) have different yields. Use the yield printed on the mix you are actually buying.
Paver patio Reviewed 2026-10-08
- Belgard – Technical Resource Guide (installation details). Its interlocking-paver guidance gives minimum base thicknesses that depend on use (thinner for pedestrian areas such as patios, thicker for driveways), a nominal 1 in bedding sand layer, and notes that freeze–thaw climates and site conditions can call for more excavation or base. This is why base depth has no default here: you choose it for your installation. The 1 in bedding depth is a planning starting value; follow your paver manufacturer’s instructions. Check the current edition of the guide for your product line.
Brick Reviewed 2026-10-08
- Brick Industry Association – Technical Note 10, Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry. The wall-area method for estimating brick quantity; modifying estimates for bond pattern, breakage and waste; mortar quantities handled by its tables. We use a simple face-dimension module and leave mortar bags to a coverage you enter.
Gravel Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Sand Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Mulch Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Topsoil Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Raised bed soil Reviewed 2026-10-08
- University of Minnesota Extension – Raised bed gardens. Context only: raised-bed mixes of roughly one-half to two-thirds topsoil with the remainder largely plant-based compost. Used only as background text beside the optional mix. It never sets your percentages.
Sod Reviewed 2026-10-08
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Fence Reviewed 2026-10-08
- Lowe’s – 4×8 spaced arched picket panel assembly and installation instructions (product document). For that product, post holes are marked 96 in post-center to post-center, and the document tells the installer to check local requirements. Basis for treating spacing as an input from your own product’s instructions rather than a fixed rule. This is one product’s document, not a general standard.
- Lowe’s – How to install a vinyl fence. General retailer guidance on setting posts for panel fences. Background only. Always follow the instructions that came with your panels.
Decking Reviewed 2026-10-17
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Roofing Reviewed 2026-10-17
- TAMKO – Top 4 Factors That Affect the Cost of a New Roof. One square of shingles covers 100 sq ft of roof; three bundles per square is a rule of thumb for most three-tab and laminated shingles. We use the 100 sq ft square. Bundles per square is entered by you because it varies by product.
Concrete block Reviewed 2026-10-17
- CMHA (formerly NCMA) – TEK 05-12, Modular Layout of Concrete Masonry. Actual concrete masonry unit dimensions are typically 3/8 in less than nominal so the 4 or 8 in module is kept with 3/8 in mortar joints. Used for the standard block face and the 3/8 in joint. Mortar yield is left to you.
Siding Reviewed 2026-10-17
- Polymeric Exteriors (Vinyl Siding Institute) – How to Install Vinyl Siding: Estimating Required Materials. Every 100 square feet (9.29 square meters) is called a “square” for ordering purposes; windows and doors are not usually deducted, and very large openings can be. Used for the 100 sq ft square. Carton coverage is entered by you.
Wallpaper Reviewed 2026-10-17
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Grass seed Reviewed 2026-10-17
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Baseboard & trim Reviewed 2026-10-17
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
Landscape fabric Reviewed 2026-10-17
No third-party figure is built in. See the planner’s Assumptions table.
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