Project Guides
Every guide answers its title question directly in the first paragraph, shows the math with a worked example you can verify, and links to the calculator that automates it. All content is written and reviewed under our methodology, with a named author and last-reviewed date on every article.
Concrete
ConcreteHow Much Concrete Do I Need? A Step-by-Step GuideCalculate concrete for any slab, driveway, patio, or footing: the exact formula, worked examples, a common-projects table, waste factors, and ordering rules.ConcreteHow to Calculate Concrete for a SlabSlab-specific concrete estimating: choosing thickness, handling thickened edges and footings, base and vapor barrier allowances, plus a full worked takeoff.ConcreteConcrete Bags vs. Ready-Mix: Which Should You Choose?Bagged concrete or ready-mix truck? Costs per cubic yard, the 1.5-yard break-even rule, quality differences, and a decision matrix for slabs, posts, and driveways.ConcreteHow Much Extra Concrete Should You Order?Why every concrete pour needs 5-15% extra, where the waste actually goes, how to pick your percentage, and what to do with surplus concrete when the pour ends.ConcreteWhat Goes Under a Concrete Slab?The layer stack under a good slab: compacted subgrade, gravel base depth by use, vapor barrier placement, and reinforcement - with a diagram and quantity math.ConcreteConcrete Cost per Cubic Yard (2026)Ready-mix concrete costs $125-$180 per cubic yard delivered in 2026. Full price breakdown: PSI upgrades, short-load fees, delivery charges, and bagged concrete compared.ConcreteConcrete Slab Cost per Square Foot (2026)A concrete slab costs $6-$12 per square foot installed in 2026. Cost breakdown by project type, what labor adds, thickness upcharges, and where DIY actually saves money.ConcreteCost to Set Fence Posts in Concrete (2026)Setting a fence post in concrete costs $10-$30 per post DIY or $60-$150 installed. Bag counts per post, material budgets by fence length, and 2026 fence labor rates.
Gravel & Aggregate
Gravel & AggregateHow Much Gravel Do I Need?Calculate gravel for any project: the volume formula, compaction and waste corrections, cubic-yards-to-tons conversion, and a coverage table by depth.Gravel & AggregateHow to Convert Cubic Yards of Gravel to TonsConvert gravel volume to weight: the density formula, a conversion chart for 8 materials, why moisture changes the answer, and how suppliers weigh loads.Gravel & AggregateHow to Calculate Gravel for a DrivewayEstimate gravel for a driveway layer by layer: base, middle, and surface courses, tons per 100 feet, truckload planning, and a complete worked example with costs.Gravel & AggregateGravel Driveway Layers ExplainedWhy gravel driveways are built in three layers, what stone goes in each, how thick each lift should be, and the construction sequence with a cross-section diagram.Gravel & AggregateGravel Prices per Ton (2026)Bulk gravel costs $10-$50 per ton in 2026, with crushed stone at $25-$40, pea gravel $30-$50, and river rock $40-$75. Full price table, delivery fees, and how to read quarry quotes.Gravel & AggregateGravel Driveway Cost (2026)A gravel driveway costs $2-$10 per square foot installed in 2026, or $1-$3 in materials alone. Budgets by driveway size, the layer-by-layer cost breakdown, and maintenance costs.Gravel & AggregateDump Truck Load of Gravel Cost (2026)A dump truck load of gravel costs $300-$900 delivered in 2026 for 10-15 tons of common crushed stone. Costs by truck size and material, and when a full load beats small orders.Gravel & AggregateGravel Road Construction: Layers, Tons per Mile & CostA gravel road is not a long driveway: it needs a crowned profile, ditches, and 6-12 inches of stone in layers. Tons per 100 feet and per mile, cost per foot, and the maintenance cycle.
Excavation & Earthwork
Excavation & EarthworkHow to Calculate Excavation VolumeExcavation volume step by step: rectangular digs, trenches with sloped sides, average-depth method for uneven ground, soil swell, and truckload planning.Excavation & EarthworkSoil Swell Explained: Bank, Loose, and Compacted VolumeWhy dirt grows when you dig it and shrinks when you compact it: swell and shrinkage factors by soil type, the three volume states, and conversion math with examples.Excavation & EarthworkHow Many Dump-Truck Loads of Dirt Will You Need?Dump truck capacities in cubic yards and tons, why weight limits beat volume limits for soil, and how to convert your dig or fill into a load count and cost.Excavation & EarthworkExcavation Cost Guide (2026)Residential excavation costs $50-$200 per cubic yard or $100-$250 per machine-hour in 2026. Rates for grading, trenching, and hauling, plus what drives quotes up or down.Excavation & EarthworkFill Dirt & Topsoil Delivery Cost (2026)Fill dirt costs $5-$25 per cubic yard and topsoil $10-$50 in 2026, plus $50-$150 delivery. Truckload pricing, which material each job needs, and how to avoid paying topsoil prices for fill jobs.
Drainage
DrainageWhat Is a French Drain and How Does It Work?French drains explained: how gravity and gravel move groundwater, the anatomy of a working drain, where they help (and don't), costs, and design basics.DrainageHow Much Gravel Do You Need for a French Drain?Calculate French drain gravel in cubic yards and tons: the trench-minus-pipe formula, per-foot quick table, the right stone spec, and a 50-ft worked example.DrainageWhat Slope Does a French Drain Need?The 1% rule for French drain slope: minimum and ideal grades, drop-per-length chart, how to set slope with a string line, and what to do on flat ground.DrainageFrench Drain vs. Drainage Swale: Which Do You Need?Subsurface pipe or shaped surface channel? Costs, capacity, lifespan, and maintenance compared - and a decision framework based on where your water actually is.DrainageWhy French Drains Fail (and How to Build One That Lasts)The seven failure modes of French drains - clogged stone, missing fabric, flat pipe, dead outlets - how to diagnose which one you have, and repair vs. rebuild guidance.DrainageHow to Fix Standing Water in a YardDiagnose why water stands in your yard - grading, compaction, roof water, groundwater - and fix it with the right solution, from $0 downspout moves to French drains.DrainageFrench Drain Cost (2026)A French drain costs $10-$65 per linear foot for exterior yard drains and $40-$100 for interior basement systems in 2026. Full DIY materials budget and what drives pro quotes.DrainageHow to Install a French Drain (Step by Step)Install a French drain in 9 steps: plan the outlet, call 811, dig at 1% slope, line with fabric, bed the pipe holes-down, backfill with washed stone. Tools, timing, and the mistakes that clog drains.DrainageHow Deep Should a French Drain Be?Standard yard French drains run 18-24 inches deep; foundation drains must reach footing depth (6-10 ft); interceptor drains go below the water path. Depth rules by drain type, with width and cost impact.DrainageDownspout Drainage: How to Move Roof Water AwayA 1,500 sq ft roof sheds about 935 gallons per inch of rain. Move it away from the foundation with extensions, splash blocks, buried solid pipe, and pop-up emitters: sizing, slope, and winter rules.DrainageDry Wells Explained: When You Need One and How to Size ItA dry well stores stormwater underground and lets it soak away. When a dry well beats daylight discharge, how to size one with a percolation test, installation steps, and why they fail in clay.DrainageCatch Basin vs. French Drain: Which One You NeedCatch basins collect surface water at a low point; French drains intercept water moving through soil. How to tell which problem you have, costs for each, and when a yard needs both.
Slope & Grade
Slope & GradeHow to Calculate Percent GradePercent grade = rise / run x 100. How to measure rise and run in the field with a string line or level, worked examples, and target grades for common projects.Slope & GradeHow to Convert Percent Grade to Degrees (and Back)Convert slope percent to degrees with arctan, degrees to percent with tan, a full conversion chart from 0.5% to 100%, and why the two scales aren't proportional.Slope & GradeHow to Slope a Patio for DrainageSlope a patio 1/4 inch per foot (2%) away from the house: how to set form heights, screed to the fall, handle two-direction slopes, and fix an existing patio that drains toward the wall.Slope & GradeHow to Grade a Yard: Slopes, Fill & Doing It by HandGrade a yard to fall 6 inches in the first 10 feet from the house (5%), then 1-2% beyond. String-line method, how much fill you need, hand grading vs. machine, and when to hire.