Projects
Start With the Project, Not the Tool
Pick the job you're actually doing. Each hub gives you the build sequence, the calculators in the order you'll need them, and the guides that explain the numbers.
Most people find this site through a single calculator, then discover the job needs three of them plus a guide. A patio is not a paver problem — it's an excavation, a sub-base, a bedding layer and a joint-fill problem, and the pavers come fourth. Project-based planning flips the starting point: choose the project, get the sequence the work follows, then run the takeoffs in order instead of hunting for tools one at a time.
Each hub below follows the same shape: the plan first, the calculators in working order, the guides worth reading, and an honest section on what the hub doesn't cover. Measurements are metric first throughout, and every typical depth or spacing is labelled as typical — because trade practice varies by country, climate and ground, and a planning page that pretends otherwise isn't honest.
Pick Your Project
What's in Every Hub
Each hub runs the same five-step shape. Plan — the sequence in working order, so nothing is measured twice or built out of order. Measure — what to measure before touching a calculator, because one careful measuring session feeds every tool on the page. Calculate — the takeoffs in the order the work happens, metric first, waste allowances stated. Understand — the guides behind the numbers: typical depths, span logic, why the waste tier changes with the pattern. Build — with the limits said plainly.
That last part matters. Every hub carries a section on what it doesn't cover, and the safety-critical work — garage electrics, pool barriers, flue sizing, anything at roof height — says exactly where qualified professionals take over. The hubs get the quantities right and the sequence straight; they don't pretend a website replaces an electrician. If you'd rather browse by trade, the tools page and the field guides are organised the other way round.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a project hub and a category page?
Category pages group tools by trade or material. Project hubs follow the job instead: the calculators appear in the order the work happens, alongside the guides that explain the numbers and the safety limits at each stage.
Do the hubs tell me how to do the physical work?
No. The hubs cover sequence and quantities — what to measure, what to order and in what order to do it. Hands-on technique varies by country and product, and the safety-critical stages point you to qualified professionals.
Why do the hubs keep saying “typical”?
Because building practice genuinely varies by country, climate and soil. Depths, spacings and waste allowances on this site are common trade practice for planning, not substitutes for local standards or a professional opinion.