About DIY Tally

DIY Tally is an independent project with a single goal: to answer the question every home and garden project starts with — how much material do I actually need?

Most people answer that question with a rough guess and a hopeful trip to the store. We think you deserve a precise number. Every calculator here uses the same formula a professional would, with practical allowances for waste, coverage and compaction, and then translates the result into the units suppliers really sell: bags, boxes, tins and tons.

How our calculators are built

Each tool is based on standard measurement formulas and widely used industry figures — for example, that a gallon of paint covers roughly 350 square feet, or that crushed stone weighs about 1.5 tons per cubic yard. Where a sensible default is needed, we choose a conservative one and tell you what it is, so you can adjust for your specific product.

We review the calculators regularly and welcome corrections. If you spot something that looks off, please get in touch — accuracy is the whole point.

Free and independent

DIY Tally is free to use and always will be. To cover hosting and development, some pages may carry advertising, and some “where to buy” suggestions may be affiliate links — meaning we could earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This never changes the numbers the calculators produce. You can read more on our disclaimer and privacy pages.