Safety Disclaimer

HomeBuild Atlas provides educational content and planning estimates - not engineering services, construction advice for your specific site, or a substitute for professional judgment.

Calculators are planning tools

Our calculators apply standard formulas to the dimensions you enter. They know nothing about your soil, groundwater, frost depth, slopes, buried utilities, or local code requirements. Results are reasonable starting points for budgeting and material orders on typical residential projects, and nothing more. Confirm quantities with suppliers and contractors before purchasing.

Excavation safety

Before any digging, U.S. law requires notifying 811 so buried utilities can be marked - it's free. Never enter a trench 5 feet or deeper without OSHA-compliant protection (sloping, benching, a trench box, or shoring); soil collapses without warning, and one cubic yard weighs as much as a small car. Keep spoil piles and equipment at least 2 feet back from trench edges.

Structural work requires professionals

Foundations, footings for structures, suspended or vehicle-loaded slabs, retaining walls above locally permitted heights (often 3–4 ft), and anything showing cracks, settlement, or movement must be designed or assessed by a licensed engineer. Permits are legally required for most structural work - your building department decides, not a website.

Water and drainage

Redirecting surface or subsurface water can damage your property and your neighbors', and discharge is regulated in many municipalities. Chronic basement leaks, saturated slopes, and water against foundations are symptoms that deserve professional diagnosis, not just a bigger drain.

No liability

Use of this site's tools and content is at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, HomeBuild Atlas and its contributors accept no liability for losses, damages, or injuries arising from use of the information or calculations on this site. See also our Terms of Service.