About
Yard Material Tools helps homeowners and DIYers estimate common yard materials before buying bags, ordering bulk delivery, or talking with a supplier. The calculators cover concrete block, pea gravel, top soil, paver base, grass seed, compost, mulch, and raised-bed soil.
The site is intentionally narrow. It provides planning estimates, visible formulas, assumptions, and printable material lists. It does not provide contractor quotes, local price promises, structural design, permit advice, or real-time supplier inventory.
Every calculator is built from static content and local formulas so the core page can be read without client-side interaction. Interactive inputs are added for convenience, while the assumptions and disclaimers remain visible on the page.
Each calculator is written from hands-on experience and then cross-checked against published public references — aggregate densities, typical bag and coverage figures, and university extension seeding and application rates. Formulas are shown on every page, the core conversions are covered by automated tests, and the results are always framed as planning estimates, not exact orders or professional specifications. The current pages were last reviewed in June 2026.
A small group writes, builds, and reviews these tools. None of us are licensed engineers, contractors, or certified professionals — we are experienced homeowners, DIYers, and hands-on hobbyists who care about getting the math and the assumptions right.
Marcus Delgado
Founder & calculator maintainer · Greenville, SC
Marcus built Yard Material Tools after one too many hardware-store trips for backyard projects he thought he had planned right. Between a flagstone patio, two raised beds, a gravel side path, and reseeding a patchy lawn, he learned material estimating the slow, expensive way, then turned his spreadsheets into the calculators here.
A homeowner and hands-on DIYer, not a licensed engineer, contractor, or certified mason.
Cody Barnett
Hardscape contributor & reviewer · Fort Collins, CO
Cody spent six seasons on a residential landscaping and hardscape crew, then ran a small weekend side gig laying paver patios, spreading gravel, and building raised beds for neighbors. He has shoveled, screeded, and ordered enough material to know how often a bad estimate means a second delivery fee or a half-empty truck.
An experienced hands-on landscaping and hardscape laborer, not a licensed engineer, landscape architect, or certified mason.
Diane Whitfield
Gardening contributor & reviewer · Columbia, MO
Diane is a lifelong home gardener who has tended backyard beds, compost piles, and raised boxes for more than 20 years, and volunteers with her county's Master Gardener community program. She reviews the soil, compost, mulch, grass seed, and raised-bed calculators for how materials actually behave in a real backyard.
An experienced home gardener and Master Gardener program volunteer, not a licensed agronomist or professional horticulturist.
Nathan Pruitt
Founder & maintainer · Boise, ID
Nathan is a software engineer who got tired of yard-project calculators that hide their math and round away accuracy. He writes the code, tests the conversions, and chases down density and coverage numbers in published references instead of guessing. His background is in software, not construction, so he treats these as careful estimating tools.
A software engineer and hands-on DIYer who builds and tests these tools, not a licensed engineer.
Contributor photos via Unsplash.
Questions, corrections, or assumption notes are welcome at hello@yardmaterialtools.com. Please include the calculator URL and the inputs you used.