Guides
Short, practical answers to the questions people ask before buying materials or hiring a pro.
2026 cost guides
How Much Does a Concrete Slab Cost?About $4–$8 per sq ft installed for a basic 4-inch slab — with a size chart.How Much Does a Roof Replacement Cost?Roughly $4–$11 per sq ft of roof for asphalt shingles — by roof size.How Much Does It Cost to Build a Deck?Commonly $30–$60 per sq ft built — by size and material.How Much Does a Fence Cost per Foot?Wood privacy fencing runs about $24–$45 per linear foot installed.How Much Does a Paver Patio Cost?About $8–$24 per sq ft installed — by patio size.How Much Does Interior Painting Cost?Roughly $2–$6 per sq ft of floor area for pro painting.How Much Does Vinyl Plank Flooring Cost?Roughly $3–$11 per sq ft installed for rigid-core LVP.How Much Does Sod Cost?Installed sod runs about $1–$2.60 per sq ft; pallets $150–$450.How Much Does a Gravel Driveway Cost?Typically $1–$3 per sq ft installed — with tonnage by size.
How-to & reference
How Many Bags of Concrete Make a Yard?45 × 80 lb, 60 × 60 lb or 90 × 40 lb — plus a chart up to 10 yards.How Much Does a Gallon of Paint Cover?350–400 sq ft per coat on smooth walls — and when to expect less.What Is a Cubic Yard?27 cubic feet — and how to convert area and depth into yards.How Thick Should a Concrete Slab Be?4 inches for patios and sheds, 5–6 inches for driveways — with a volume chart.How to Measure a Room (Square Feet & Wall Area)Floor area, wall area and L-shaped rooms, step by step.How Deep Should Mulch Be?2–3 inches for most beds, 1 inch to refresh — and keep it off trunks.Best Types of Gravel for DrivewaysCrusher run, #57, #3 and pea gravel — what goes where.How Deep Should Fence Posts Be?About one-third of the post in the ground — about 2 ft for a 6 ft fence.Deck Joist Spacing and Board Gaps16 in on center for most wood decks, 12 in for many composites and diagonals.Roof Pitch ExplainedRise per 12 in of run — with the multiplier chart for estimating.How Many Bundles of Shingles in a Square?Usually 3 bundles per 100 sq ft square — about 33 sq ft per bundle.What Soil Goes in a Raised Garden Bed?Topsoil and compost blends, depths and how much to buy.How Much Extra Tile Should You Buy?10% straight, 15% diagonal or large format, 20% herringbone.Drywall Sheet Sizes and Thickness4×8, 4×10, 4×12 sheets; 1/2 in for walls, 5/8 in Type X where required.Paint Sheen Guide: Flat to GlossFlat ceilings, eggshell/satin walls, semi-gloss trim — and why.Recommended Insulation R-Values by Climate ZoneR-30 in the warmest zone up to R-60 in zones 4–8, per ENERGY STAR.How Many Bricks per Square Foot?6.75 modular bricks or 1.125 blocks per sq ft — plus mortar.Wallpaper Roll Sizes and CoverageSingle roll ≈ 25 usable sq ft, double ≈ 50 — and the Euro roll.Stair Rise and Run: Code and ComfortMax 7¾ in rise, min 10 in tread under the IRC — and the comfort rule.Grass Seed vs. Sod: Which Is Better?Instant lawn vs. lowest cost — how to choose.How Many Bags of Concrete per Fence Post?About 2.5 × 50 lb fast-setting bags for a typical 4×4 post.When Is the Best Time to Plant Grass Seed?Early fall for fescue and bluegrass, late spring for Bermuda and zoysia.