Sources

Every figure these calculators use is read from a versioned data file. A figure a publisher printed is listed below with the document it came from, and where a figure was worked out from a document's own numbers, the row shows the arithmetic. A value a calculator chose itself — a starting allowance nobody publishes, a rounding step, a way of counting, a limit on what it will answer — is not listed as a source: the calculator says beside it that the choice is its own.

How to read this page

The link is a deep link. It points at the section holding the figure, not at a publisher's front page, so the number is visible without hunting for it.
Two dates, and they mean different things. "Effective from" is when the publisher's specification took effect. "Retrieved" is when that document was last read and the figure checked against it.
Specifications are re-checked on a 180-day clock. Product specifications drift more slowly than statutory rates but they do drift — a grower changes a roll size, a manufacturer restates a dose rate.
Where a document is quoted, the quote is the published wording. It is what remains usable if the link later moves.
Where a figure's meaning depends on its words, the row quotes them beside the figure, and where a calculator worked a figure out, the row shows the arithmetic.
Where a document holds a table, it is transcribed as a table and labeled as a transcription. A table has no wording to quote — the layout is ConcreteTally’s, the words and figures are the publisher’s — so it is shown separately from the quotations.
Tables are transcribed, not photographed. A heading the publisher prints over several columns is joined to each column’s own heading with a colon, and what a table leaves out is said under it.
Where a publisher’s own figures disagree with each other, the entry says so. It names the figures, shows the arithmetic and says which one the calculators use and why.

Aggregate base

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Paver base , Retaining wall , Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin DOT volume-to-weight conversion factor for in-place dense-graded aggregate base

Tons per cubic yard

1.85 — in the quote: “the conversion factor for the acceptably completed in-place Base Aggregate Dense bid items is 1.85 tons per cubic yard”

State the material is in

acceptably completed in place, compacted

US short tons. 1.85 tons per cubic yard is 3,700 pounds per cubic yard, or 137 pounds per cubic foot in place. It is an IN-PLACE factor, so a tonnage worked out with it already allows for compaction and must not be increased again for it.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Used by: Paver base , Retaining wall , Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin DOT volume-to-weight conversion factor for in-place dense-graded aggregate base — Standard Specifications section 305 Dense-Graded Base, subsection 305.4 Measurement, paragraph (2) Effective from November 2024. The specification is headed 'Effective with the November 2024 Letting' and '2025 Standard Specifications'; no calendar day is published. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

If the department converts volume to weight as specified in 109.1, the conversion factor for the acceptably completed in-place Base Aggregate Dense bid items is 1.85 tons per cubic yard.

'Compacted' is from the same section's construction clause, 305.3.2.1(1): 'Compact each base layer, including shoulder foreslopes, with equipment specified in 301.3.1. Use standard compaction conforming to 301.3.4.2.' The factor covers all three Base Aggregate Dense gradings (3/4-inch, 1 1/4-inch and 3-inch) and replaces the job-by-job factor 109.1.4.1(2) otherwise leaves to the engineer.

Wisconsin DOT statewide estimating range for compacted dense-graded base aggregate, 3/4-inch

Agency-adopted range, bottom (tons per cubic yard): 1.75
Agency-adopted range, top (tons per cubic yard): 2.1
Applies to: Wisconsin DOT Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch, bid item 305.0110
State the material is in: compacted

A design-estimating RANGE that the agency tells its own estimators to stay inside for its three-quarter-inch dense-graded base, not a pay factor and not a measurement. The single figure the same agency's Standard Specifications pay against for all three of its dense-graded gradings, 1.85 tons per cubic yard in place, sits inside it. The paver base and driveway calculators compute from that 1.85 and from nothing in this range; the range is stored so a reader can see how far a quarry's own figure may honestly sit from the one the calculators use, which is why the scale ticket governs.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Wisconsin DOT statewide estimating range for compacted dense-graded base aggregate, 3/4-inch — Facilities Development Manual, Chapter 19 Section 5 Estimates, FDM 19-5-3 Bid Item Guidance — the paragraph 'Base Aggregate Dense, Breaker Run, Select Crushed Material, Pit Run and Backfill Granular Conversions' (PDF page 2, continuing on page 3) and Table 3.1 'Compacted Aggregate Conversion Factors', row 305.0110 Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch (PDF page 3). Effective from May 15, 2025. FDM 19-5-3 is dated May 15, 2025 in its own heading. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Base Aggregate Dense, Breaker Run, Select Crushed Material, Pit Run and Backfill Granular Conversions, Items 305.0110, 305.0120, 305.0130, 310.0110, 311.0110, 312.0110, 313.0110, 209.0100 and 210.0100: To gain additional consistency in estimates, the following statewide conversion factors are provided for granular materials. Designers are to use values within the conversion factor ranges of Table 3.1 The conversions are based on Region experience and are for compacted material.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3.1 Compacted Aggregate Conversion Factors

Bid Item Number	Material Bid Item Name	Conversion Factor (Tons/Cubic Yard)
305.0110	Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch	1.75 - 2.1
305.0120	Base Aggregate Dense 1 1/4-Inch	1.75 - 2.0
305.0130	Base Aggregate Dense 3-Inch	1.75 - 2.2
310.0110	Base Aggregate Open Graded	1.6 - 1.9
311.0110	Breaker Run	1.7 - 1.8
312.0110	Select Crushed Material	1.7 - 1.9
313.0110	Pit Run	1.6 - 1.8
209.0100	Backfill Granular (Grade 1 or 2)	1.5 - 1.7
210.0100	Backfill Structure (Grade A or B)	1.75 - 2.0

305.0120; 305.0130; 310.0110; 311.0110; 312.0110; 313.0110; 209.0100; 210.0100: Other WisDOT bid items; this entry is the row for Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch, and the open-graded row is its own entry.

Transcriber’s note: Every row of the table is transcribed.

The missing full stop after 'Table 3.1' is as printed; the sentence breaks across the page boundary, under the running head of the next page. The pay factor this range sits around is recorded separately, from Standard Specifications 305.4(2).

Wisconsin DOT statewide estimating range for compacted open-graded base aggregate

Agency-adopted range, bottom (tons per cubic yard): 1.6
Agency-adopted range, top (tons per cubic yard): 1.9
Applies to: Wisconsin DOT Base Aggregate Open-Graded, bid item 310.0110, graded to Standard Specifications 310.2
State the material is in: compacted, rolled in place

A design-estimating RANGE that the agency tells its own estimators to stay inside, not a pay factor and not a measurement. The same agency's Standard Specifications measure this base by the ton or the cubic yard and fix no factor for it (310.4); where a contract lets a volume be converted, the engineer and the contractor agree a factor job by job (109.1.4.1). The grading is the agency's own and the stone is rolled. Nothing cited on the retaining wall page ties the stone behind a wall to this grading: the trade association's figure there is a depth of gravel fill, not a grading, and Allan Block grades its own wall rock. Stored so a reader can see it; no calculator computes from it.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Used by: Retaining wall

Wisconsin DOT statewide estimating range for compacted open-graded base aggregate

— Facilities Development Manual, Chapter 19 Section 5 Estimates, FDM 19-5-3 Bid Item Guidance — the paragraph 'Base Aggregate Dense, Breaker Run, Select Crushed Material, Pit Run and Backfill Granular Conversions' (PDF page 2, continuing on page 3) and Table 3.1 'Compacted Aggregate Conversion Factors', row 310.0110 Base Aggregate Open Graded (PDF page 3). Effective from May 15, 2025. FDM 19-5-3 is dated May 15, 2025 in its own heading. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Base Aggregate Dense, Breaker Run, Select Crushed Material, Pit Run and Backfill Granular Conversions, Items 305.0110, 305.0120, 305.0130, 310.0110, 311.0110, 312.0110, 313.0110, 209.0100 and 210.0100: To gain additional consistency in estimates, the following statewide conversion factors are provided for granular materials. Designers are to use values within the conversion factor ranges of Table 3.1 The conversions are based on Region experience and are for compacted material.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3.1 Compacted Aggregate Conversion Factors

Bid Item Number	Material Bid Item Name	Conversion Factor (Tons/Cubic Yard)
305.0110	Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch	1.75 - 2.1
305.0120	Base Aggregate Dense 1 1/4-Inch	1.75 - 2.0
305.0130	Base Aggregate Dense 3-Inch	1.75 - 2.2
310.0110	Base Aggregate Open Graded	1.6 - 1.9
311.0110	Breaker Run	1.7 - 1.8
312.0110	Select Crushed Material	1.7 - 1.9
313.0110	Pit Run	1.6 - 1.8
209.0100	Backfill Granular (Grade 1 or 2)	1.5 - 1.7
210.0100	Backfill Structure (Grade A or B)	1.75 - 2.0

305.0110; 305.0120; 305.0130; 311.0110; 312.0110; 313.0110; 209.0100; 210.0100: Other WisDOT bid items; this entry is the row for Base Aggregate Open Graded, and the dense 3/4-inch row is its own entry.

Transcriber’s note: Every row of the table is transcribed.

The missing full stop after 'Table 3.1' is as printed; the sentence breaks across the page boundary, under the running head of the next page. Standard Specifications 310.4(1), verbatim: 'The department will measure Base Aggregate Open-Graded by the ton or cubic yard acceptably completed. The department may deduct for contaminated aggregate or unrecovered aggregate deposited outside the outer shoulder limits.' 109.1.4.1(2), verbatim: 'If the contract allows, the engineer may measure the volume of material and convert to weight for payment. The engineer will determine the volume to weight conversion factors. The engineer and contractor must agree on the conversion factor before the engineer converts a pay quantity.' 310.2(1) gradation, percent passing by weight: 1-inch 90 - 100; 3/8-inch 45 - 65; No. 4 15 - 45; No. 10 0 - 20; No. 40 0 - 10; No. 200 0 - 5.0. 310.3(1): 'Construct open-graded base conforming to 301.3. Use standard compaction conforming to 301.3.4.2.'

Caltrans published weights of broken stone, 1 inch to dust, loose measure

Crushed gravel, loose (pounds per cubic yard)

2,700

Crushed limestone, loose (pounds per cubic yard)

2,550

Crushed granite, loose (pounds per cubic yard)

2,600

LOOSE measure, one inch to dust. 2,700 pounds per cubic yard is 1.35 tons - well under the 1.85 tons per cubic yard the same kind of material weighs once it is compacted in place. The two answer different questions and mixing them is a 27 percent error. The spread between the rocks on this one publisher's own list is about 6 percent, which is the honest reason to ask your own quarry rather than take any single figure off a page.

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Maintenance — Government publication

Caltrans published weights of broken stone, 1 inch to dust, loose measure — Appendix, weights-of-materials reference list, 'Broken Stone 1" to dust - Loose measure' block (Page Appen-31) Effective from July 2014. The document is dated July 2014 on its face; no day of month is printed. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Broken Stone 1" to dust Loose measure

Crushed gravel 2,700 pounds per cu. yd.
Crushed limestone 2,550 pounds per cu. yd.
Crushed granite. 2,600 pounds per cu. yd.
Screenings. 2,400 pounds per cu. yd.

Screenings.: Screenings are not a base course; the paver base calculator names them among the materials never to bed pavers on.

Transcriber’s note: The publisher’s list continues with other materials this entry makes no claim about; the rows transcribed are the broken-stone block its figures come from, printed under the three-line heading given as the caption. The full stops after “Crushed granite.” and “Screenings.” are what the printed leader dots leave in the extracted text.

Crushed gravel	2,700 pounds per cu. yd.
Crushed limestone	2,550 pounds per cu. yd.
Crushed granite.	2,600 pounds per cu. yd.
Screenings.	2,400 pounds per cu. yd.

Caltrans estimating multipliers for aggregate surfacing, loose versus compact

Tons of stone for each cubic yard of loose layer: 1.5 — in the quote: “Loose tons = 1.5 X actual yardage.”
Tons of stone for each cubic yard of compacted layer: 2 — in the quote: “Compact tons = 2.0 X actual yardage.”
Cubic yards of stone for each cubic yard of compacted layer: 1.5 — in the quote: “Compact cu. yds. = 1.5 X actual yardage.” — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note
Cubic yards of stone for each cubic yard of loose layer: 1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The footnote says loose cubic yards equal the actual yardage, which is a factor of one.

The figure the paver base, driveway and retaining wall calculators order cubic yards with: the compacted layer they work out, times 1.5. Reading those as loose cubic yards is ConcreteTally’s reading; no publisher it found says how a yard measures the cubic yard it sells, so the calculators tell the reader to ask.

Four multipliers against one finished-layer volume, published together for estimating shoulder, base or surface material of no named grading. The footnote calls the finished layer’s volume the actual yardage; its loose cubic yards equal that yardage, and its compact cubic yards are 1.5 times it. The paver base, driveway and retaining wall calculators use that one figure: for a cubic-yard order of stone that ends up compacted, they order the compacted layer times 1.5 and treat those cubic yards as loose ones. The publisher does not print the word loose against them; that reading is ConcreteTally’s, and so is applying the figure to a garden wall’s leveling pad and to the stone behind the wall, which are not road surfacing. Ordered by weight they use neither: they weigh the compacted layer at Wisconsin DOT’s 1.85 tons per cubic yard of its own dense-graded base in place. Caltrans’ loose 1.5 tons per cubic yard is also above the 2,700 pounds (1.35 tons) its own appendix lists for crushed gravel measured loose; the publisher does not reconcile its two pages.

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Maintenance — Government publication

Used by: Paver base , Retaining wall , Driveway asphalt

Caltrans estimating multipliers for aggregate surfacing, loose versus compact — Appendix, Section 20 'Aggregate per Mile - Aggregate for One Mile Surfacing, For Estimating Shoulder, Base or Surface Material', basis footnote below the table (Page Appen-28) Effective from July 2014. The document is dated July 2014 on its face; no day of month is printed. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Section 20 Aggregate per Mile

Aggregate for One Mile Surfacing For Estimating Shoulder, Base or Surface Material

Thickness, inches	18' wide: Loose: Tons	18' wide: Loose: Cu. yds.	18' wide: Compact: Tons see the note	18' wide: Compact: Cu. yds.	20' wide: Loose: Tons	20' wide: Loose: Cu. yds.	20' wide: Compact: Tons see the note	20' wide: Compact: Cu. yds.	22' wide: Loose: Tons	22' wide: Loose: Cu. yds.	22' wide: Compact: Tons see the note	22' wide: Compact: Cu. yds.
1	439	293	586 see the note	439	489	326	652 see the note	489	537	358	717 see the note	537
2	880	587	1,174 see the note	880	978	652	1,304 see the note	978	1,076	717	1,434 see the note	1,076
3	1,320	880	1,760 see the note	1,320	1,467	978	1,956 see the note	1,467	1,613	1,075	2,150 see the note	1,613
4	1,760	1,173	2,346 see the note	1,760	1,956	1,304	2,608 see the note	1,956	2,151	1,434	2,868 see the note	2,151
5	2,199	1,466	2,932 see the note	2,199	2,445	1,630	3,260 see the note	2,445	2,688	1,792	3,584 see the note	2,688
6	2,640	1,760	3,520 see the note	2,640	2,934	1,956	3,912 see the note	2,934	3,225	2,150	4,300 see the note	3,225
7	3,080	2,053	4,106 see the note	3,080	3,423	2,282	4,564 see the note	3,423	3,764	2,509	5,018 see the note	3,764
8	3,520	2,347	4,694 see the note	3,520	3,912	2,608	5,216 see the note	3,912	4,300	2,867	5,732 see the note	4,300
9	3,960	2,640	5,280 see the note	3,960	4,400	2,933	5,866 see the note	4,400	4,838	3,225	6,450 see the note	4,838
10	4,400	2,933	5,866 see the note	4,400	4,888	3,259	6,518 see the note	4,888	5,376	3,584	7,168 see the note	5,376

Quantities based on-- 1.5 tons = 1 cu. yd. Loose cu. yds. = Actual yardage per mile. Loose tons = 1.5 X actual yardage. Compact tons = 2.0 X actual yardage. Compact cu. yds. = 1.5 X actual yardage. see the note

Every row: Reproduced so the multipliers can be checked against the publisher’s own arithmetic; the calculators read the multipliers, not these rows.

Transcriber’s note: Every row the section prints is transcribed, thicknesses 1 to 10 inches. The three printed heading levels (width; loose or compact; tons or cubic yards) are joined with colons. Leader dots after the thickness figures are left out. The footnote prints its five statements on five lines; they are given here as one paragraph.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. Caltrans’ Section 20 table does not agree with its own basis line. Its footnote says “1.5 tons = 1 cu. yd.”, “Compact tons = 2.0 X actual yardage.” and “Compact cu. yds. = 1.5 X actual yardage.”, but 1.5 cubic yards at 1.5 tons a cubic yard is 2.25 tons, not 2.0. Every row of the compact columns has the same gap: at 18 feet wide and 1 inch thick the table prints 439 compact cubic yards and 586 compact tons, where 439 cubic yards at 1.5 tons a cubic yard would be 658.5 tons. By weight, then, the table puts about 1.33 cubic yards of stone into each cubic yard of compacted layer; by volume, 1.5. ConcreteTally takes the volume figure, 1.5: it is stated in cubic yards, the unit a cubic-yard order is placed in, and it is the larger, so it cannot leave a base short of stone. The paver base, driveway asphalt and retaining wall block calculators use it for every cubic-yard order of compacted stone; ordered by weight, they use neither figure.

What Wisconsin DOT’s in-place conversion factor is for — dense-graded base

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

dense-graded base

Wisconsin DOT’s name for the base whose in-place weight is the 1.85 tons per cubic yard the paver base and driveway calculators weigh stone at. The driveway calculator names its stone in these words because the asphalt association it cites for the base depth says crushed aggregate under asphalt paving should meet Wisconsin DOT’s specifications. The aggregates the section allows are listed in the specification and are not repeated here.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

What Wisconsin DOT’s in-place conversion factor is for — dense-graded base — 2025 Standard Specifications, section 305 Dense-Graded Base: the section heading and 305.1 Description, paragraph (1), first sentence (printed page 123) Effective from November 2024. The specification is headed “Effective with the November 2024 Letting” and “2025 Standard Specifications”; no calendar day is published. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

305 Dense-Graded Base 305.1 Description (1) This section describes constructing a dense-graded base using one or more of the following aggregates at the contractor's option:

The section heading and the subsection number are part of the quotation because the driveway calculator’s line names the section. The list the sentence introduces is not transcribed: the line names the base, not what it may be built from.

Wisconsin DOT pay units for dense-graded base aggregate

Sold by: the ton or the cubic yard

The published proof that the same crushed stone is paid for either way: the specification carries paired bid items for identical material, one per ton and one per cubic yard. The department measures both “acceptably completed”, which is the finished base in place: a contract pay quantity, not the loose cubic yard the paver base and driveway calculators order. Those calculators cite this row for the units only, which is why they ask which unit the yard quoting uses instead of picking one.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Used by: Paver base , Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin DOT pay units for dense-graded base aggregate — Standard Specifications section 305 Dense-Graded Base, subsection 305.5 Payment, bid item table Effective from November 2024. The specification is headed 'Effective with the November 2024 Letting' and '2025 Standard Specifications'; no calendar day is published. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

ITEM NUMBER	DESCRIPTION	UNIT
305.0110	Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch	TON
305.0115	Base Aggregate Dense 3/4-Inch	CY
305.0120	Base Aggregate Dense 1 1/4-Inch	TON
305.0125	Base Aggregate Dense 1 1/4-Inch	CY
305.0130	Base Aggregate Dense 3-Inch	TON
305.0135	Base Aggregate Dense 3-Inch	CY
305.0410	Aggregate Detours	TON
305.0415	Aggregate Detours	CY
305.0500	Shaping Shoulders	STA

Related measurement clause, 305.4 (1): The department will measure the Base Aggregate Dense and Aggregate Detours bid items under this section by the ton or cubic yard acceptably completed.

Transcriber’s note: The bid item table of subsection 305.5 Payment, which prints no title of its own; every row is transcribed.

Required base compaction for patios and residential driveways

Compaction required (% of standard Proctor)

98 — in the quote: “should be compacted a minimum 98% of standard Proctor density”

What "compacted" means, from the hardscape association rather than from a highway agency. It matters here because every tonnage on these pages is worked out from a COMPACTED layer thickness: a base that was never brought to this density has a finished depth that is not the depth the reader measured for. The sentence quoted names a test method only for the MODIFIED Proctor case it also covers; the standard-Proctor test the residential figure uses is named in a companion guide specification that is not linked here, so no test number is claimed for it.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base , Driveway asphalt

Required base compaction for patios and residential driveways — Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, base compaction paragraph following the base-thickness discussion, page 5 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Bases for pedestrian areas and residential driveways should be compacted a minimum 98% of standard Proctor density. For vehicular areas, compaction should be at least 98% of modified Proctor density as determined by ASTM D1557, or AASHTO T180.

Asphalt paving

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Driveway asphalt

Spread rate for dense-graded asphalt mixtures, pounds per square yard per inch of thickness

Pounds per square yard, per inch of thickness

110 — in the quote: “use a spread rate of 110 pounds per square yard per inch”

Mix family this figure is for

dense-graded hot-mix asphalt

ConcreteTally’s reading of the article, not the publisher’s words: the article gives 110 pounds as the typical spread rate for asphalt mixtures and names no mix for it, and it reports that open-graded mixes yield less.
The Asphalt Institute's rule of thumb, kept as a check. The same article says it moves with the state and the mix: Illinois 112, Tennessee 106, and an open-graded friction course as low as 88. A residential driveway or car park is dense-graded, which is what this figure describes. The tonnage a plant actually tickets is governed by the job mix formula your supplier is running that day.

Asphalt Institute (Asphalt magazine) — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Spread rate for dense-graded asphalt mixtures, pounds per square yard per inch of thickness — Rule of thumb #3, 'The typical application spread rate for asphalt mixtures is 110 lbs. per square yard per inch of thickness' — the sentence appears in the body text under that numbered rule Effective from September 11, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

A good rule of thumb to help establish the total amount of tonnage needed is to use a spread rate of 110 pounds per square yard per inch.

Caltrans estimating basis for asphalt mix weight, pounds of mix per square yard

Pounds per square yard, per inch of thickness: 111.15 — in the quote: “111.15 # Mix Per Sq. Yd.”

A second publisher, arrived at independently and one percent away. The table header prints "111.15 # Mix Per Sq. Yd." without the words "per inch"; the per-inch reading is forced by its own columns, which are headed 1", 1 1/2", 2", 2 1/2" and 3" and whose values scale linearly with thickness. READ THE TABLE'S SCOPE BEFORE ITS NUMBERS, and it has two limits, not one. Every tonnage in it is FOR ONE MILE of paving at the stated width, which is a highway estimating unit and not a driveway. And every tonnage in it is ASPHALT BINDER, not mix - the rest of the same header line reads "Based on 240 Gals. /Ton, 5 Percent Asphalt by Wt.", so a printed column is five percent of the material that actually goes down, and mix tonnage is the column divided by 0.05. Doing that once is what produces the 111.15: eighteen feet wide is 10,560 square yards to the mile, the table prints 29.34 tons at one inch, 29.34 divided by 0.05 is 586.8 tons of mix, and 586.8 tons spread over 10,560 square yards is 111.1 pounds per square yard per inch. Read a column as mix and the order comes out twenty times too small. Only the spread rate the table is built on is read here, and only as a check.

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Maintenance — Government publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Caltrans estimating basis for asphalt mix weight, pounds of mix per square yard — Appendix, Section 07 'Tons Asphalt per Mile of Paving', basis line printed directly under the section heading (Page Appen-19) Effective from July 2014. The document is dated July 2014 on its face; no day of month is printed. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Section 07 Tons Asphalt per Mile of Paving

Based on 240 Gals. /Ton, 5 Percent Asphalt by Wt. and 111.15 # Mix Per Sq. Yd.

Width in feet	Square yards per mile	Tons per mile: 1.0 gal./sq. yd.	Tons asphalt per mile: 1" thick	Tons asphalt per mile: 1 1/2" thick	Tons asphalt per mile: 2" thick	Tons asphalt per mile: 2 1/2" thick	Tons asphalt per mile: 3" thick
1	587	2.44	1.63020	2.44530	3.26040	4.07550	4.89060
18	10,560	44.00	29.34	44.02	58.69	73.36	88.03
19	11,147	46.44	30.97	46.46	61.95	77.43	92.92
20	11,733	48.89	32.60	48.91	65.21	81.51	97.81
21	12,320	51.33	34.23	51.35	68.47	85.59	102.70
22	12,907	53.78	35.86	53.80	71.73	89.66	107.59
23	13,493	56.22	37.49	56.24	74.99	93.74	112.48
24	14,080	58.67	39.12	58.69	78.25	97.81	117.37
25	14,667	61.11	40.76	61.13	81.51	101.89	122.27
26	15,253	63.55	42.39	63.58	84.77	105.96	127.16
27	15,840	66.00	44.02	66.02	88.03	110.04	132.05
28	16,427	68.44	45.65	68.47	91.29	114.11	136.94
29	17,013	70.89	47.28	70.91	94.55	118.19	141.83
30	17,600	73.33	48.91	73.36	97.81	122.27	146.72

Every row: Reproduced so the 111.15 basis can be checked against the publisher’s own tonnages; no calculator reads these rows.

Transcriber’s note: Every row the section prints is transcribed: widths 1 and 18 to 30 feet. Leader dots after the widths are left out. The worked example printed under the table is not transcribed.

In-place weight of asphalt mixture, pounds per cubic foot

In place, lightest (pounds per cubic foot)

142 — in the quote: “from 142 to 148 pounds per cubic foot (PCF)”

In place, heaviest (pounds per cubic foot)

148 — in the quote: “148 pounds per cubic foot (PCF)”

In place, the figure the publisher says to use (pounds per cubic foot)

148 — in the quote: “Use 148 PCF.”

A size or grading is published

false

The same publisher answering the same question, inside a worked example whose own instruction is "Use 148 PCF." 148 pounds per cubic foot is 111.0 pounds per square yard per inch.
The Asphalt Institute gives 142 to 148 pounds per cubic foot for hot-mix asphalt mixture in place and names no mix grading for it. The driveway calculator’s hot-mix line says so: the plant’s own mix sets the tonnage it weighs out.

Asphalt Institute — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

In-place weight of asphalt mixture, pounds per cubic foot — Engineering FAQs, answer to 'How do I determine how much asphalt is required for a project?', step 2 of the numbered answer The Engineering FAQs page carries no publication or revision date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Here’s the process: Calculate the number of cubic feet to be paved. (Remember to convert the thickness to feet – by dividing by 12 inches per 1 foot). 10′ x 25′ x (4/12)’ = 83.3 cubic feet of HMA Asphalt Mixture typically weighs from 142 to 148 pounds per cubic foot (PCF) in-place. Use 148 PCF. Calculate the tonnage needed. (remember to convert from pounds to tons; 2000 pounds per ton). 83.3 cubic feet x 148 PCF = 12328 pounds of mix = 12328 / 2000 tons = 6.1 tons

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association pavement thickness for Traffic Class I - residential driveways and parking lots under 50 stalls

Good subgrade — asphalt (inches): 3.0
Good subgrade — aggregate base, thinnest (inches): 6.0
Good subgrade — aggregate base, thickest (inches): 8.0
Medium subgrade — asphalt (inches): 3.5
Medium subgrade — aggregate base, thinnest (inches): 6.0
Medium subgrade — aggregate base, thickest (inches): 10.0
Poor subgrade — asphalt (inches): 4.0
Poor subgrade — aggregate base, thinnest (inches): 9.0
Poor subgrade — aggregate base, thickest (inches): 12.0

Every thickness in this table is the COMPACTED thickness - the guide says so on the preceding page - which is what makes it usable by a calculator that works from volume and density. Traffic Class I is the association's own name for residential driveways, school and recreational areas, bike paths and car parks under fifty stalls.

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association pavement thickness for Traffic Class I - residential driveways and parking lots under 50 stalls — Chapter 3 Construction, Table 3.1 'Pavement Thickness for Traffic Class I' (guide page 10) Effective from February 19, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3.1. Pavement Thickness for Traffic Class I

20-Year Design ESALs: < 2 million. Typical Use: Residential driveways; School and recreational areas; Playgrounds and tracks; Bike paths; Sidewalks; Parking lots (<50 stalls). Asphalt Mixture Type: LT.

Subgrade Type: Rating	Subgrade Type: Description	Asphalt with Crushed Aggregate Base: Total Asphalt Thickness (in.)	Asphalt with Crushed Aggregate Base: Base Thickness (in.) [1]	Recommended Surface Layer PG Binder Designation
Good-to-excellent	Gravels and coarse sands. SSV ≥ 5.0	3.0	6.0 – 8.0	S
Medium	Clays and silts with low plasticity. SSV = 4.0 - 4.9.	3.5	6.0 – 10.0	S
Poor	Clays and silts with high plasticity; sugary (incompactable) sands. SSV = 2.5 - 3.9.	4.0	9.0 – 12.0	S

[1], [2]. Because a parking lot asphalt pavement is likely to be re-constructed in the future without replacing the base, it may be desirable to use a thicker base course than those specified here. Consider adding up to four inches when considering base thickness for parking lot pavements.

Design Steps, step 3 (guide page 9): Note in Table 3.1 and Table 3.2 that layer thickness listed is the compacted thickness.

Transcriber’s note: The cells the table prints across all three rows (design traffic, typical use, mixture type) are given once, before the rows. “Thick-ness”, broken across two lines in the printed heading, is written whole.

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association pavement thickness for Traffic Class II - parking lots of 50 stalls or more and low-volume roadways

Good subgrade — asphalt, thinnest (inches): 3.0
Good subgrade — asphalt, thickest (inches): 3.5
Good subgrade — aggregate base, thinnest (inches): 6.0
Good subgrade — aggregate base, thickest (inches): 10.0
Medium subgrade — asphalt, thinnest (inches): 3.5
Medium subgrade — asphalt, thickest (inches): 4.0
Medium subgrade — aggregate base, thinnest (inches): 6.0
Medium subgrade — aggregate base, thickest (inches): 12.0
Poor subgrade — asphalt, thinnest (inches): 4.0
Poor subgrade — asphalt, thickest (inches): 4.5
Poor subgrade — aggregate base, thinnest (inches): 9.0
Poor subgrade — aggregate base, thickest (inches): 14.0

Traffic Class II is car parks of fifty stalls or more, subdivision and collector streets, and town and county roads - the same twenty-year traffic band as Class I but a heavier duty cycle.

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association pavement thickness for Traffic Class II - parking lots of 50 stalls or more and low-volume roadways — Chapter 3 Construction, Table 3.2 'Pavement Thickness for Traffic Class II' (guide page 10) Effective from February 19, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3.2. Pavement Thickness for Traffic Class II

20-Year Design ESALs: < 2 million. Typical Use: Low-volume roadways; Subdivision streets; Collector streets; Town roads; County roads; Parking lots (≥50 stalls). Asphalt Mixture Type: LT.

Subgrade Type: Rating	Subgrade Type: Description	Asphalt with Crushed Aggregate Base: Total Asphalt Thickness (in.)	Asphalt with Crushed Aggregate Base: Base Thickness (in.) [2]	Recommended Surface Layer PG Binder Designation
Good-to-excellent	Gravels and coarse sands. SSV ≥ 5.0	3.0 – 3.5	6.0 – 10.0	S or H
Medium	Clays and silts with low plasticity. SSV = 4.0 - 4.9.	3.5 – 4.0	6.0 – 12.0	S or H
Poor	Clays and silts with high plasticity; sugary (incompactable) sands. SSV = 2.5 - 3.9.	4.0 – 4.5	9.0 – 14.0	S or H

Design Steps, step 3 (guide page 9): Note in Table 3.1 and Table 3.2 that layer thickness listed is the compacted thickness.

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association recommended minimum thickness designs for asphalt driveways

Good subgrade — asphalt (inches)

3

Good subgrade — aggregate base (inches)

4

Fair subgrade — asphalt (inches)

3

Fair subgrade — aggregate base (inches)

4

Poor subgrade — asphalt (inches)

3

Poor subgrade — aggregate base (inches)

6

Good subgrade — full-depth asphalt (inches)

4.5

Fair subgrade — full-depth asphalt (inches)

4.5

Poor subgrade — full-depth asphalt (inches)

5.5

Colorado holds the asphalt at three inches on every subgrade and moves the stone instead, and its stone is thinner than Wisconsin's at every rating. Neither is wrong: frost depth and local subgrade decide it, which is exactly the thing a calculator cannot see.

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association recommended minimum thickness designs for asphalt driveways — Technical Brief 'ASPHALT DRIVEWAYS', DESIGN section, table 'RECOMMENDED MINIMUM THICKNESS DESIGNS (Inches)' on page 1 Effective from March 2020. The brief is dated 'MARCH 2020' on page 1 with no day of month printed. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: RECOMMENDED MINIMUM THICKNESS DESIGNS (Inches)

SUBGRADE SUPPORT FULL-DEPTH ASPHALT ASPHALT AGGREGATE

POOR 5.5 3 6
FAIR 4.5 3 4
GOOD 4.5 3 4

The body sentence under the table: The minimum thickness recommendations are suitable for the cars and light trucks plus the occasional heavier service and delivery trucks normal to the single unit residence.

Transcriber’s note: The brief draws the two designs next to the table: full-depth asphalt as an asphalt surface course on an asphalt intermediate course on the subgrade, and asphalt with aggregate base as an asphalt surface course on an aggregate base course on the subgrade; the drawing is not transcribed. The driveway asphalt calculator works out its order from the area and depths the reader enters, not from any cell of this table; the note under its answer quotes the ASPHALT and AGGREGATE columns for asphalt over a stone base and the FULL-DEPTH ASPHALT column for asphalt laid straight on the subgrade.
Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association driveway construction - aggregate base and asphalt thickness

Base, thinnest recommended (inches)

6

Base, thickest recommended (inches)

8

Asphalt over the base (inches)

3

An option the Illinois association's driveway page says some contractors use — 6 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate under 3 inches of asphalt — and not its recommendation: the same page recommends full-depth asphalt and quotes a National Asphalt Pavement Association official recommending the same. The same consumer text appears on other asphalt associations' sites; it has not been traced to an original author, so it is credited here to the page it was read on. Its own sentence calls the base "compacted aggregate, or gravel", which is one of the places the trade itself uses the plainer word.

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association driveway construction - aggregate base and asphalt thickness — Driveways page, the paragraph describing the aggregate-base alternative to full-depth construction The page carries no publication or revision date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

As an option, some contractors use 6 to 8 inches of compacted aggregate, or gravel, as a base under 3 inches of asphalt pavement.
Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association driveway construction - full-depth asphalt thickness

Full-depth asphalt that may be adequate (inches)

4

Full-depth asphalt for a stronger driveway, thinner end (inches)

5

Full-depth asphalt for a stronger driveway, thicker end (inches)

6

The Illinois association's own recommendation for a driveway: asphalt all the way down, with no stone base. Four inches it calls possibly adequate; five or six it says will give a stronger, stable driveway. The calculator orders asphalt over stone, so this is reported in the note under the answer, not used in it.

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association driveway construction - full-depth asphalt thickness — Driveways page, the section headed "Full-depth Asphalt: The Best Option" The page carries no publication or revision date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A 4-inch thickness may be adequate, but 5 or even 6 inches of full-depth asphalt will assure you of a stronger, stable driveway under a wider range of climate and loads.
Minimum crushed aggregate base thickness for asphalt parking areas and driveways

Published minimum (inches)

6

A published floor rather than a recommendation, and the reason this calculator says something when a reader enters four inches of stone under a driveway. Colorado's four-inch figure is a real disagreement with it, and both are shown.

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Minimum crushed aggregate base thickness for asphalt parking areas and driveways — Chapter 3 Construction, 'Base Construction' (guide page 8) Effective from February 19, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

All crushed aggregate material should meet Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) specifications and be suitable for this type of application, with a minimum crushed aggregate thickness of six inches (see Table 3.1 and Table 3.2 for details).
Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association - asphalt must be placed and rolled while hot

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association - asphalt must be placed and rolled while hot — Technical Brief 'ASPHALT DRIVEWAYS', ASPHALT PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION paragraph on page 2 Effective from March 2020. The brief is dated 'MARCH 2020' on page 1 with no day of month printed. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Both placing and compaction by rolling must be completed while the asphalt is hot and workable. Thin layers lose heat rapidly after spreading onto a cool surface and the time available for effective rolling then may be less than 10 or 20 minutes. For that reason, placing and rolling always should be done as a continuous process.

About laying the mix, not about how much to order. The same brief's line "There is no such thing as leftover asphalt" is a warning about door-to-door sellers (its own tip: "don't deal with 'door to door' operators"), not an ordering rule.
Wisconsin DOT minimum air temperature for placing asphaltic mixture

Coldest air it may be laid in, upper layers (°F)

36

Coldest air it may be laid in, lower layers (°F)

32

Measured about three feet above grade, in shade, away from any artificial heat. It is a specification a public agency holds contractors to, and it is here because it decides whether the material this calculator counts can be laid at all on the day it arrives.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin DOT minimum air temperature for placing asphaltic mixture — Standard Specifications section 450, subsection 450.3.2.1.1 Preparation and Paving Operations, paragraph (1) The specification is headed 'Effective with the November 2024 Letting' and '2025 Standard Specifications'; no calendar day is published. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Do not place asphaltic mixture when the air temperature approximately 3 feet above grade, in shade, and away from artificial heat sources is less than 36 F for upper layers or 32 F for lower layers unless the engineer allows in writing.
Wisconsin DOT measurement unit for asphaltic mixtures

Sold by

the ton

US short tons of 2,000 pounds. Unlike the crushed stone underneath it, the mix has no cubic-yard bid item anywhere in the specification - it is weighed, every time, and the ticket that comes off the truck is a weight.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Government publication

Used by: Driveway asphalt

Wisconsin DOT measurement unit for asphaltic mixtures — Standard Specifications section 450 General Requirements for Asphaltic Pavements, subsection 450.4 Measurement, paragraph (1) The specification is headed 'Effective with the November 2024 Letting' and '2025 Standard Specifications'; no calendar day is published. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The department will measure asphaltic mixtures by the ton acceptably completed unless the measurement subsection for a particular application specifies otherwise.

SUBGRADE SUPPORT	FULL-DEPTH ASPHALT	ASPHALT	AGGREGATE
POOR	5.5	3	6
FAIR	4.5	3	4
GOOD	4.5	3	4

Brick masonry

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Brick

The estimating method the published brick counts belong to

The rule

Multiply the net wall area — the gross area less the area of the openings — by the published quantity of material per square foot

This is the sentence that licenses everything on this page: the published counts are per square foot of wall FACE, and the openings come off before the multiplication rather than after it. It is also why the openings box exists at all.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

The estimating method the published brick counts belong to — Technical Note 10, printed page 8 of 11, section heading "ESTIMATING BRICK MASONRY", first paragraph. Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Because of its simplicity and accuracy, the most widely used estimating procedure is the "wall-area" method. It consists simply of multiplying the net wall area (gross areas less areas of openings) by known quantities of material required per square foot (square meter).

Technical Note 10 is the association's own technical note, not a standard: its closing paragraph reads "Final decisions on the use of the information discussed in this Technical Note are not within the purview of the Brick Industry Association and must rest with the project architect, engineer and owner", and its reference list hands the standards to ASTM International (C216, C270, C652, E835). That is why every node citing it here is recorded as a trade association publication rather than as a standard.

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, modular sizes — the trade association's table

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, modular sizes — the trade association's table: 675
Applies to: running or stack bond, one wythe, solid or fully bedded units, before any breakage figure is added

The figure the association publishes for a modular brick, and the default this page reads. It is printed as a count per 100 sq ft, not per square foot: the per-square-foot form on screen is this site dividing that printed figure by 100. The count spans BOTH published joint thicknesses on one merged cell, because a nominal dimension already contains its joint — which is the whole point of modular dimensioning and the reason the joint control on this page does not move a modular count.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, modular sizes — the trade association's table — Technical Note 10, printed page 9 of 11, section "Brick and Mortar Quantities", TABLE 4 "Quantity Estimates for Brick Masonry", band "MODULAR BRICK SIZES", column "Number of Brick per 100 sq ft (per 10 m2)". Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 4 Quantity Estimates for Brick Masonry

MODULAR BRICK SIZES

Brick Designation	Nominal Dimensions, in.: W x H x L	Number of Brick per 100 sq ft
Modular	4 x 2-2/3 x 8	675
Engineer Modular	4 x 3-1/5 x 8	563
Closure Modular	4 x 4 x 8	450
—	4 x 6 x 8	300
—	4 x 8 x 8	225
Roman	4 x 2 x 12	600
Norman	4 x 2-2/3 x 12	450
Engineer Norman	4 x 3-1/5 x 12	375
Utility	4 x 4 x 12	300
—	6 x 3-1/5 x 12	375
—	6 x 4 x 12	300
—	8 x 4 x 12	300
—	4 x 2-2/3 x 16	338
Meridian	4 x 4 x 16	225
Double Meridian	4 x 8 x 16	113
6-in. Through-Wall Meridian	6 x 4 x 16	225
8-in. Through-Wall Meridian	8 x 4 x 16	225
Double Through-Wall Meridian	8 x 8 x 16	113

—; Engineer Norman; Meridian; Double Meridian; 6-in. Through-Wall Meridian; 8-in. Through-Wall Meridian; Double Through-Wall Meridian: The brick calculator offers six of these sizes; the others are printed so the six can be read in their table.

Transcriber’s note: Width, height and length are printed in three columns, each with millimeters in brackets; they are written here as one size in inches, W x H x L, with a hyphen in the mixed fractions. Each size row carries two joint sub-rows, 3/8 in. and 1/2 in., and one brick count spanning both; the joint column, the per-10-m² counts in brackets and the two mortar columns are not transcribed. Sizes printed with an em dash have no designation, under the table’s footnote 2: “No brick designation is provided due to inadequate consensus among manufacturers.”

Two columns of this table are deliberately NOT carried anywhere in this file. The first is the mortar volume: the table prints cubic feet of mortar per 100 sq ft and per 1000 brick, and this page answers mortar in bags from a bag maker's own figure instead, so those cells appear in no node here and can reach no calculation. The second is every parenthesized metric value in the table: the brick-count parenthetical is per 10 square meters, which is 107.64 sq ft and not the metric of the same 100 sq ft, and the mortar parentheticals do not agree with the table's own stated basis. The page above states the quantities are for running or stack bond and do not include breakage, and the correction factors and the breakage figure are published separately on printed page 11.

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, non-modular sizes — the trade association's table

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, non-modular sizes — the trade association's table: 655
Applies to: running or stack bond, one wythe, a 3/8 in joint, before any breakage figure is added

The Standard row, which is the size the association itself uses in its own worked example of a bond correction factor. Column 2 of this half of the table is SPECIFIED dimensions, not nominal ones — a non-modular brick has no nominal size, which is also why its count cannot be joint-independent the way a modular count is. Working the published counts back reproduces all six rows at a 3/8 in joint, each of them to within a tenth of a percent. Reused at 1/2 in the same counts run high by 4.7 percent on the Closure Standard row at one end and 6.3 percent on the Standard at the other, with the four rows between them at 5.3 to 5.5 percent. One row reproduces at either joint - the King, whose two printed specified sizes differ by exactly the eighth of an inch that separates the two joints - and King is not a size this page offers; no size this page does offer from this half of the table reproduces at 1/2 in. Those percentages are this site's arithmetic on the rows transcribed below, not figures the association prints. This page therefore reads this half of the table at a 3/8 in joint and refuses 1/2 in rather than reusing a count the arithmetic does not support.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, non-modular sizes — the trade association's table — Technical Note 10, printed page 10 of 11, TABLE 4 (continued), band "NON-MODULAR BRICK SIZES", column "Number of Brick per 100 sq ft (per 10 m2)". Column 2 of this band is headed "Specified Dimensions, in. (mm)". Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 4 (continued) Quantity Estimates for Brick Masonry

NON-MODULAR BRICK SIZES

Brick Designation	Specified Dimensions, in.: W x H x L	Number of Brick per 100 sq ft
Queen	2-3/4 or 3 x 2-3/4 x 7-5/8 or 8	550
King	2-3/4 or 3 x 2-5/8 or 2-3/4 x 9-5/8 or 9-3/4	455
—	3 x 2-5/8 or 2-3/4 x 8-5/8	512
Standard	3-5/8 or 3-1/2 x 2-1/4 x 8	655
Engineer Standard	3-5/8 or 3-1/2 x 2-13/16 or 2-3/4 x 8	539
Closure Standard	3-5/8 or 3-1/2 x 3-5/8 or 3-1/2 x 8	430

Queen; King; —; Closure Standard: The brick calculator offers two of these sizes; the others are printed so the two can be read in their table.

Transcriber’s note: Width, height and length are printed in three columns, each with millimeters in brackets; where a column prints two specified figures for one size, both are given with “or” between them, and the size is written as one cell in inches, W x H x L. The count spans both of the table’s joint sub-rows, as it does in the modular band; the joint, per-10-m² and mortar columns are not transcribed.

The mortar columns of this half of the table are not carried and must never be. They do not agree with the modular half of the same table: the association prints 5.5 cubic feet per 100 sq ft for a modular brick and 9.5 for a Standard, which is the same brick 3/8 in longer with fewer joints per unit area, and the manufacturer's figure for the identical brick is near the modular one. That is a 73 percent step in the wrong direction, so those cells are treated here as a defect in the source rather than as a quantity. The brick counts in this band are sound and agree with the manufacturer's table cell for cell where the dimensions match. Queen and King are recorded here as the publisher prints them and are NOT offered as choices on the page: three publishers print three different bricks under the name Queen, so a roster keyed to the name would be keyed to nothing.

Brick per square foot for 24 manufacturer sizes, with the vertical coursing each figure is built on

Brick per square foot for 24 manufacturer sizes, with the vertical coursing each figure is built on: 6.75
Applies to: a single wythe of stretchers in stack or running bond, on the nominal coursing printed beside each row

The same count as the association's 675 per 100 sq ft, printed per square foot by a manufacturer for 24 of its own catalog sizes. Read it as a second PUBLISHER of these figures rather than as an independent confirmation of them: the estimating section of this same document cites the association's Technical Note 10 as its reference, and brick per square foot is fixed by the face height, the length and the coursing, so agreement is arithmetic rather than corroboration. What the manufacturer independently publishes is which sizes it actually makes, their specified dimensions and their vertical coursing.

Glen-Gery — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick

Brick per square foot for 24 manufacturer sizes, with the vertical coursing each figure is built on — Extruded Brick Product Profile, printed page 5, TABLE 2 "Brick and Mortar Quantities", sub-caption "Nominal 3/8 Inch Mortar Joints", columns "Vertical Coursing in courses per inch" and "Units per square foot". Effective from January 2019. The header of every page reads "Revised 1/2019" — a month and a year, no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

These values are actual quantities and must be increased for waste and any possible construction requirements which may necessitate additional quantities.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 2 Brick and Mortar Quantities

Nominal 3/8 Inch Mortar Joints

Brick Size	Vertical Coursing in courses per inch	Units per square foot
Queen	5 Courses per 16"	5.63
Lightweight Modular	3 Courses per 8"	6.75
Lightweight Engineer Modular	5 Courses per 16"	5.63
Modular	3 Courses per 8"	6.75
Engineer Modular	5 Courses per 16"	5.63
Econo	1 Course per 4"	4.50
8-Square	1 Course per 8"	2.25
Standard	3 Courses per 8"	6.55
Engineer Standard	5 Courses per 16"	5.39
King Narrow-Bed	5 Courses per 16"	4.55
Engineer King	5 Courses per 16"	4.55
King	5 Courses per 16"	4.55
Roman	4 Courses per 8"	6.00
Norman	3 Courses per 8"	4.50
Utility	1 Course per 4"	3.00
Double Utility	1 Course per 8"	1.50
Kingston	5 Courses per 16"	3.75
Viking	4 Courses per 8"	4.50
Saxon	3 Courses per 8"	3.38
Titan	1 Course per 4"	2.25
Double Titan	1 Course per 8"	1.13
Regent*	1 Course per 4"	3.00
Titan Plus*	1 Course per 4"	2.25
Double Titan Plus*	2 Courses per 16"	1.13

1 These values are actual quantities and must be increased for waste and any possible construction requirements which may necessitate additional quantities.

*Manufactured to meet ASTM C652 H40V

Queen; Lightweight Modular; Lightweight Engineer Modular; Engineer Modular; Econo; 8-Square; Standard; Engineer Standard; King Narrow-Bed; Engineer King; King; Roman; Norman; Utility; Double Utility; Kingston; Viking; Saxon; Titan; Double Titan; Regent*; Titan Plus*; Double Titan Plus*: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The caption’s footnote marker (a superscript 1) is given as the first figure of the footnote. The table’s mortar columns (cubic foot per 100 square foot, and quantity of mortar per 1000 units) and its first column of sizes in inches are not transcribed.

The two mortar columns of this table are not carried. The Standard row prints 4.12 cubic feet per 100 sq ft, which is cell-for-cell the Econo row's figure and cannot be right for a brick that needs more mortar than an Econo, and the per-1000 cell beside it is correctly derived from that bad figure — so both are unusable while the Standard brick COUNT, 6.55, is confirmed three times inside the same document. Kingston, Saxon, Titan, Viking, Regent, 8-Square, Double Titan and Titan Plus are this manufacturer's own catalog names with no counterpart in the association's roster and are not offered as industry sizes anywhere on this page. The manufacturer's live size page carries some of these figures too, but it is built by client-side script and serves placeholders rather than numbers to anything that does not run it, so this PDF is the citable form.

Brick per square foot for a modular brick — a manufacturer's literal-joint convention

Brick per square foot for a modular brick — a manufacturer's literal-joint convention: 6.86
Size: 3-5/8 in thick x 2-1/4 in high x 7-5/8 in long, actual, on a printed vertical coursing of 2-5/8 in

The alternative convention, and the reason this page asks the question at all. The maker prints the coursing, 2-5/8 in, and prints the count, 6.86; it does not print a joint thickness anywhere in the 94-page document. The 2-5/8 in course is the brick's own 2-1/4 in height plus a 3/8 in bed joint, which is where the name of this convention comes from, but that arithmetic is this site's reading of the maker's coursing and not a sentence the maker wrote. Against the association's 675 per 100 sq ft the gap is 1.6 percent and it runs one way: the literal-joint figure is the higher of the two.

Acme Brick Company — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick

Brick per square foot for a modular brick — a manufacturer's literal-joint convention — Pocket Guide to Brick Construction, printed page 10 (PDF page 11 — the document opens on an unnumbered cover), section heading "COMMON BRICK SIZES", the first two boxed tables on that page — row "Modular" in the upper one and row "Economy Modular (Closure)" in the one below it — last column "Actual Units/SF" in each. Effective from 2026. Every page footer reads "Copyright 2026 Acme Brick Company" and the cover reads "1891 - 2026"; no month or day is printed. The file name carries an earlier date stamp and must not be read as the edition date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The 2026 edition, printed page 10. The path is a date-stamped upload folder, so the next edition is likely to land at a different address.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: COMMON BRICK SIZES

Unit Name	Actual Size (inches): Thk x H x L	Vertical Coursing	Actual Units/SF
Modular	3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 7-5/8	2-5/8" 67 mm	6.86
Economy Modular (Closure)	3-5/8 x 3-5/8 x 7-5/8	4" 100 mm	4.5

Transcriber’s note: The two rows come from the first two boxed tables under the heading, one row each. The thickness, height and length are printed in three cells; they are written here as one size, with a hyphen in the mixed fractions. The equivalent millimeters, the modular metric size and its equivalent inches are not transcribed.

Three further rows of this size table are printed but not carried, because they do not reproduce from their own printed coursing: the Queen row prints a 3.2 in course beside 6.0 units per square foot, which needs a 3.0 in course; the Engineer row prints a 3.2 in course beside 5.76, which needs 3.125; and the Estate row's inches column disagrees with the millimeter column printed next to it. The Modular and Economy Modular rows above are each self-consistent with their own printed coursing, which is why they are the two carried. This figure is a convention rather than an industry value and must never be presented as the manufacturer contradicting the association.

Brick per square foot for a modular brick, stated on a 3/8 in joint — a second manufacturer

Brick per square foot for a modular brick, stated on a 3/8 in joint — a second manufacturer

6.86

The same convention from a second manufacturer, and the evidence that one publisher is currently serving both figures: this brochure prints 6.86 for a modular brick while the same manufacturer's own 2019 product profile prints 6.75 for the same dimensions. Neither document mentions the other, and this one states the joint out loud where the pocket guide does not.

Glen-Gery — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick

Brick per square foot for a modular brick, stated on a 3/8 in joint — a second manufacturer — Brick Sizes brochure, page 1, panel headed "MODULARbrick" — the headline line and the body paragraph beginning "It takes 6.86 brick". Effective from May 2022. The dateline reads "© 2022 Glen-Gery Corporation · 5/22" — a month and a year. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The figure and the sentence quoted are both on page 1; the dateline is in the page-2 footer, so a reader checking the edition has to turn the page.

It takes 6.86 brick to cover each square foot of wall area when designing with a modular size unit. Using a typical 3/8 in mortar joint, mortar will account for approximately 20% of the wall with a modular size brick, as the brick size increases, the percentage of mortar is reduced.

The Handmade Oversize panel of this same brochure is not carried at all: its headline prints 5.19 brick per square foot and its body text says 5.9 for the same brick, forty lines apart, so the document is not reliable on that size. The figure carried above is printed twice on page 1 — once in the panel headline and once in the body sentence quoted — which is what earns it.
Brick per square foot for a utility-size brick, at a stated 3/8 in joint

Brick per square foot for a utility-size brick, at a stated 3/8 in joint

3

Size

11-5/8 in long x 3-5/8 in high x 3-5/8 in thick

The one size on this page where a manufacturer states the joint thickness in the same sentence as the count. It matters because it is also a size where the two conventions coincide: the literal 3/8 in joint and the nominal 4 in course both give 3.0, so a reader who switches conventions here sees the same number and can see why.

Acme Brick Company — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick

Brick per square foot for a utility-size brick, at a stated 3/8 in joint — Utility Size Brick product page, body copy — the sentence giving the dimensions and the units per square foot. The page prints no publication or revision date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Product page body copy, in the opening paragraph; the sentence carries the dimensions and the figure together and appears once on the page.

At 11 5/8″ x 3 5/8″ x 3 5/8″, they lay up at 3.0 units per square foot with a standard 3/8″ mortar joint.

This is the manufacturer's marketing product page rather than a tabulated data sheet, and it is recorded as a manufacturer specification because the closed list of source types this site uses has no nearer member. The same manufacturer's pages for its modular and queen sizes publish dimensions and no coverage figure at all, which is why this one page is cited rather than the family of them.
Specify brick by dimension, not by name — and the modular size roster the brick calculator's options come from

The rule

Order and specify brick by its specified dimensions — width, then height, then length — rather than by a trade name

The reason every size on this page prints its dimensions beside its name. It is not a style preference: the same trade name means three different bricks at three different publishers, and the association says so itself in the footnotes to this same table.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

Specify brick by dimension, not by name — and the modular size roster the brick calculator's options come from — Technical Note 10, printed page 4 of 11, first body paragraph above TABLE 1 "Modular Brick Sizes" (sentences 2 to 4), with the table's own four footnotes. Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The use of specified dimensions when ordering and specifying brick is strongly recommended, since a brick name can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and a non-modular brick will not have nominal dimensions. To avoid confusion, specify brick using the stretcher position with width first, followed by height, then length. In other words, a modular brick would be specified as 3⅝ in. × 2¼ in. × 7⅝ in. (92 mm × 57 mm × 194 mm).

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 1 Modular Brick Sizes

1. Some manufacturers may use a brick designation different from that shown.
2. No brick designation is provided due to inadequate consensus among manufacturers.
3. Common joint sizes used with length and width dimensions. Actual bed joint thicknesses vary based on vertical coursing and actual brick height.
4. Specified dimensions may vary within this range from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Transcriber’s note: Only the table’s footnotes are transcribed; its rows are not. Tables 1 and 2 print the same four footnotes.

Footnote 3 is the mechanical explanation of the whole 6.75-against-6.86 split, in the publisher's own words: the 3/8 in figure is the joint used with the LENGTH and WIDTH, while the bed joint is whatever the vertical coursing requires. The specified trio quoted above is the 3/8 in joint variant of a two-variant row; at a 1/2 in joint the same table prints 3-1/2 x 2-1/4 x 7-1/2. TABLE 1 publishes 18 modular size rows, 12 of them named and 6 printed with an em dash under footnote 2.

Correction factors for bond patterns that carry headers, and the publisher's own worked example

The rule: For bond patterns that incorporate headers, add the published correction factor to the number of brick; the factor is a net increase and does not include breakage

The factors are applied AFTER the wall-area count and BEFORE any breakage figure, which is the order the publisher prescribes in the same paragraph. Footnote 2 restricts them to brick whose length is twice its depth and two and a half to three times its height, which is the modular proportion — so a size outside that is refused here rather than quietly factored. Read the footnote markers before relying on that gate: in the publisher's own typography the superscript 1 sits on the Brick Correction Factor column header and the superscript 2 sits on the Mortar Correction Factor header beside it, so the proportion rule is marked against the MORTAR column. Its own sentence opens "Correction factors" and names neither column. This page applies it to the brick factors as well, which is the reading that refuses rather than the one that answers, and it is this page's reading rather than a statement the publisher made.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

Correction factors for bond patterns that carry headers, and the publisher's own worked example

— Technical Note 10: TABLE 6 "Estimate Correction Factors for Bond Patterns" is on printed page 11 of 11, and the "Bond Pattern" lead-in and the worked example are one page earlier, on printed page 10. This entry cites both pages, because the sentence and the numbers it licenses are not printed together. Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Bond Pattern. The values in Table 4 are based on running or stack bond patterns. For patterns that incorporate headers, the correction factors in Table 6 can be applied. The factor is a net increase for the number of brick and the mortar quantity, not including waste. For definitions of the patterns cited, refer to Technical Note 30.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 6 Estimate Correction Factors for Bond Patterns

Bond	Brick Correction Factor¹
Common Bond with full headers every fifth course only	1/5
Common Bond with full headers every sixth course only	1/6
Common Bond with full headers every seventh course only	1/7
English Bond (full headers every second course)	1/2
Flemish Bond (alternate full headers and stretchers every course)	1/3
Cross Bond with Flemish headers every sixth course	1/18
Flemish Cross Bond (Flemish headers every second course)	1/6
Double-stretcher, garden wall bond	1/5
Triple-stretcher, garden wall bond	1/7

1. The net increase for brick units may be less than that given when multiple headers can be made from a single brick.

2. Correction factors are applicable only to brick with lengths equal to twice the depth and 2½ to three times the height.

The worked example, printed page 10: For example, for a standard-size brick laid with a ⅜ in. (9.5 mm) joint thickness in a common bond with full headers every fifth course, the following estimates would apply: • Number of brick per 100 sq ft (9.30 m²) of brickwork: 655 + (1⁄5 × 655) = 786 brick • Cubic feet (0.028 m³) of mortar per 1000 brick: 14.5 + (1⁄15 × 14.5) = 15.5

Transcriber’s note: The superscripts on the two column headers are the footnote markers as the publisher sets them: a 6 pt 1 on the brick column and a 6 pt 2 on the mortar column, against 9 pt headers. So the proportions rule of footnote 2 is marked against the mortar column, while the footnote’s own sentence opens “Correction factors” and names neither column. The table’s other factor column, headed Mortar Correction Factor², is not transcribed. The factor rows are written with a plain slash where the publisher sets a stacked fraction (½ and ⅓ included); the quoted example keeps the publisher’s own fraction slash. Both bullets of that example are quoted, including the mortar one, although the mortar factors are not carried.

The mortar correction factor column of this table is not carried, because this page answers mortar in bags rather than in volume. WHERE FOOTNOTE 2 IS PRINTED, which decides how much of the eligibility rule on this page is the publisher's: the superscript 1 is set on the Brick Correction Factor column header and the superscript 2 on the Mortar Correction Factor header, so the proportions rule is marked against the column this page does not use. The footnote's own sentence begins "Correction factors" and names neither column, which is why this page reads it as covering both — the reading that withholds a factor rather than the one that grants it. It is worth saying what that placement costs the argument. This node used to record that the worked example and footnote 2 do not sit comfortably together, because the example applies a factor to a standard-size brick whose 8 in length is 2.2 times its 3-5/8 in depth and 3.6 times its 2-1/4 in height, outside the proportions the footnote states. If footnote 2 governs only the mortar column, there is no inconsistency there at all and the publisher was simply applying a brick factor the footnote never restricted. The eligibility gate on this page therefore rests on a reading, not on a contradiction: a factor is offered where the footnote's proportions are met, and additionally for the standard size on the strength of the publisher having printed the calculation itself; for every other size the page refuses and says which of the two conditions is missing. Footnote 1 is the reason the result is described on screen as the published increase rather than as the number of brick that will be cut: a mason who makes two headers from one brick uses fewer.

Breakage added to the net brick count, as a percentage

As a fraction

0.05 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The association's "at least 5 percent", as a share of the net brick: 0.05.

As a percentage

5 — in the quote: “at least 5 percent is added to the net brick quantities”

The only breakage figure any publisher in this research states, and the publisher's own wording is a floor rather than a target: at least 5 percent, added after the correction factors and not before them, with more where the job or the reader's experience says so. It is attributable to exactly one publisher and must not be read as an industry consensus — the two manufacturers on this page say only that their quantities must be increased, without printing a percentage.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

Breakage added to the net brick count, as a percentage — Technical Note 10, printed page 11 of 11, bold lead-in "Brick Breakage and Waste.", directly below the footnotes to TABLE 6. Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Brick Breakage and Waste. In the estimating procedure, determine the net quantities of all brick, including all correction factors above, before adding any allowances for waste. Allowances for waste and breakage vary, but as a general rule, at least 5 percent is added to the net brick quantities delivered to the jobsite. Particular job conditions or experience may warrant using a higher percentage for waste.

Neither manufacturer publishes a percentage. Glen-Gery's table footnote says its values "must be increased for waste and any possible construction requirements which may necessitate additional quantities" and stops there; the Acme pocket guide contains no breakage or waste percentage anywhere in 94 pages. The same publisher separately states 15 to 25 percent for mortar, which is recorded beside this figure and is deliberately not applied to anything on this page.
The mortar figure the brick calculator does not use, and the reason it does not

The rule

Add 15 to 25 percent to the net mortar quantities, after the correction factors

Published, recorded, and NOT applied by this page. The association adds it to its own net mortar quantities — the cubic feet of mortar inside a finished wall in its Table 4, which it says are based on theoretical dimensions and do not include waste. This page answers mortar in bags, from a bag maker's count of how many brick one bag lays, and no publisher says how a percentage written for the one base carries over to the other. Nor does the yield table this page reads say whether its count already includes any waste: it says only that its estimates are subject to job site waste. No publisher this page could find prints a percentage to add to a bag count of pre-blended mortar, so the mortar allowance here is an unpublished one: it starts at zero, says so on the page, and is set by hand.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

The mortar figure the brick calculator does not use, and the reason it does not — Technical Note 10, printed page 11 of 11, bold lead-in "Mortar Waste.", the paragraph immediately after "Brick Breakage and Waste." Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Mortar Waste. In the estimating procedure, determine the net quantities of all materials, including all correction factors above, before adding any allowances for waste. Allowances for waste vary, but as a general rule, add 15 to 25 percent to the net mortar quantities. Particular job conditions, or experience, may dictate different factors.

Recorded as a range rather than a point value because the publisher prints a range. On printed page 9 the same publisher writes of a masons' rule of thumb — "eight bags of masonry cement will lay 1000 modular brick" — that it "is a very rough estimate and includes an unspecified amount of waste". That sentence is about bags of masonry cement, an ingredient that is mixed on site into mortar, not about a pre-blended mix maker's printed yield, so it says nothing about whether the bag figure this page uses includes waste.
Brick one 80 lb bag of a pre-blended mortar mix will lay, and the brick the maker counts

Brick one 80 lb bag of a pre-blended mortar mix will lay, and the brick the maker counts

37

Bag (pounds)

80

How many brick one bag lays, from the maker of the bag — CITED HERE AND NOT USED, and the reason is the brick it counts. The sentence quoted below says "standard bricks" and gives no dimensions, but the same maker does define the term: its Mortar Mix usage chart prints this same 37 per 80 lb bag against a column headed "Standard Brick / 8" X 2" X 4"", and its own mortar calculator asks for the number of 8 inch by 2 inch by 4 inch bricks and divides by 37. That is not the brick the trade association designates Standard, which is specified 3-5/8 by 2-1/4 by 8 in — a different height and a different width — and 8 by 2 by 4 is no size on this page's roster at all. An earlier version of this file mapped the maker's word onto the association's designation and used the figure for that brick; the maker's own documents refuse that mapping, so the figure now drives nothing and the mortar line is withheld on every size here. Two limits stand whichever brick it is read against: the maker writes "up to", which is a ceiling and not an average, and the sheet states no joint thickness against this figure, so it could not be scaled to a reader's joint even for the brick it was printed for.

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick
Brick one 80 lb bag of a pre-blended mortar mix will lay, and the brick the maker counts
- The yield sentence — Mason Mix No. 1136 data sheet, page 1, under YIELD
- The same maker's own definition of a standard brick, 8 by 2 by 4 in — Mortar Mix data sheet, Table 1
— Product data sheet for Mason Mix No. 1136, page 1, left column, section heading "YIELD"; and, for the brick that figure counts, "Table 1: Mortar Mix Usage Chart" in the same maker's Mortar Mix data sheet. Effective from November 2020. The Mason Mix sheet's page-2 footer prints "Revised November 2020" and no day, above a "© 2020 Quikrete International, Inc." line and the maker's own instruction to refer to quikrete.com for the most current technical data. The usage-chart sheet cited with it prints no revision date at all, so this date is the Mason Mix sheet's. An earlier version of this file said no revision date had been read off the sheet, which was a research miss rather than a property of the document. Retrieved September 14, 2026.
On the Mason Mix sheet: page 1, left column, under the heading YIELD — the fourth heading down, immediately below SIZES; the sheet opens on that page. On the Mortar Mix sheet: page 1, right-hand column, "Table 1: Mortar Mix Usage Chart", whose second brick column is headed "Standard Brick / 8" X 2" X 4"" and whose 80-lb row reads 12 block and 37 brick.

Each 80 lb (36.2 kg) bag of QUIKRETE® Mason Mix will lay up to 37 standard bricks or 13 standard (8 in by 8 in by 16 in [200 mm by 200 mm by 405 mm]) blocks.

WHY THIS FIGURE IS CITED AND NOT USED. The maker's word "standard" in the sentence quoted above is defined in its own literature, and it is not the association's designation: the Mortar Mix usage chart linked above prints the identical 37 per 80 lb bag against a column headed "Standard Brick / 8" X 2" X 4" (200 mm X 50 mm X 100 mm)", and the maker's mortar calculator at quikrete.com/calculator asks for the number of "8 inch x 2 inch x 4 inch bricks" and divides that count by this same 37. The association's Standard is specified 3-5/8 x 2-1/4 x 8 in, so the two bricks differ in height and in width, and 8 x 2 x 4 matches no size this page offers. The maker does not say whether its 8 x 2 x 4 is a nominal size or a specified one, and the two readings do not even agree on which way an error would run, so the mapping is not one that can be corrected by arithmetic here — it is dropped. The same 37 also appears on the maker's Mortar Mix No. 1102 sheet, a different product, which is a further sign that it is a line-wide figure rather than a measurement of this one. The same sheet's application section calls for a full bed of mortar roughly 1/2 in to 3/4 in thick. That is the closest thing on the sheet to a joint thickness, and it is printed as a laying instruction rather than against the yield figure, which is why the yield is recorded above as stating no joint: it is a thicker bed than the 3/8 in the coverage tables assume, and part of why a bag figure and an in-wall volume figure do not reconcile. The block half of the quoted sentence is outside this page's scope and is quoted only because the sentence is one sentence.

Brick one 80 lb bag lays, by brick designation — a second maker's yield table

Brick one 80 lb bag lays, by brick designation — a second maker's yield table: 35
Bag (pounds): 80 — in the quote: “PER 80 LB. BAG”
Name for the material, in this publisher’s words: mortar mix
Mortar type the count is printed for: Type N

The band heading of the yield table is ‘MORTAR MIX - BRICK TYPE N’. The line names that mix and that type because this count is published for them, and credits TCC Materials as the table’s publisher, not as the mix’s maker: the table names no brand, and TCC sells several makers’ mixes. Which mortar type a wall needs is not decided by the brick calculator. Until October 2026 the line did not name the type; it returns as the type the count is published for, said so wherever the line is printed.

A second maker, printing the same kind of figure keyed to the brick. The modular row is published as a range, 35 to 40 brick per bag, and this page orders from the LOW end so that a wall does not stop for want of mortar; the high end is printed beside the answer so the reader can see the whole range rather than one end of it. No joint thickness is stated on this sheet either.

TCC Materials — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick

Brick one 80 lb bag lays, by brick designation — a second maker's yield table — Yield table, single page, second band, headed "MORTAR MIX - BRICK TYPE N", column group "PER 80 LB. BAG". The table prints no revision date on its face, so none is claimed here. The edition cited is the one the publisher itself serves: its product-literature index lists exactly one yield table, titled "TCC Materials Yield Table", and that link is the file named for 2025; the PDF's own creation metadata reads 2025-06-24. An upload named for 2020 still resolves at its old path but is reached from no live page on the publisher's site, and it carries a tagline the publisher has retired. The brick band is identical in the two editions. An earlier version of this file cited the 2020 upload and told readers that the file the publisher serves is named for 2020, which was false on the day it was written. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A single-page table; the brick band is the second band down, headed with the product name, and the reader lands on it without scrolling.

All estimates are subject to mason/finisher practices, job site waste and style of units. TCC Materials assumes no liability in their accuracy or reliability.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: MORTAR MIX - BRICK TYPE N

UNIT DESIGNATION	NOMINAL SIZE OF CMUS. (W X H X L) (INCHES)	PER 80 LB. BAG: NUMBER OF UNITS
Modular	4 x 2-2/3 x 8	35-40
Queen	2-7/8 x 2-13/15 x 7-5/8	33
King	2-7/8 x 2-5/8 x 9-5/8	30
Utility	4 x 4 x 12	25

Queen; King: Their printed widths match no size the brick calculator offers, and joining them on the trade name alone is not done.

Transcriber’s note: The size column’s header reads “NOMINAL SIZE OF CMUS.”, carried over from the block band that comes first in the same table; the rows are brick. Its superscript fractions are written with a hyphen (2-2/3). The mortar (cu. ft.) column and the two bulk-bag columns are left out.

Two of these four rows are used on this page and two are not. The modular and utility rows are used because their printed nominal sizes are exactly the association's modular and utility sizes, so the join is dimensional. The queen and king rows are not used: their printed widths match no size in the roster this page offers, and joining them on the trade name alone is the error the association's own footnote warns about. The queen row's printed height, 2-13/15, is not a dimension that exists in this trade — every masonry source uses 2-13/16 — and is reproduced above as printed. The 2020 and 2025 editions of this table extract byte-identically: every row above, the queen typo and the no-liability footer carry over unchanged, which is why moving the citation from the delisted 2020 upload to the 2025 edition the publisher serves moved no number. The check that caught the stale citation is worth repeating rather than re-deriving: a 200 on a file path is not evidence of currency, because a publisher's old uploads keep resolving. The question is whether the publisher's own resource index still links that exact file.

A manufacturer stating that the published quantities are for one wythe

The rule

The published brick and mortar quantities are for a single wythe of brickwork, laid as stretchers in stack or running bond, and exclude waste

The sentence that licenses the single-wythe basis of this whole page, and the only place in this research where a publisher states the assumption out loud. The association never states a wythe assumption for its own table at all; what it publishes instead is the wall-area method, whose net wall area is one wythe of face by construction.

Glen-Gery — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Brick

A manufacturer stating that the published quantities are for one wythe — Extruded Brick Product Profile, printed page 7 (last page), section heading "Estimating:" — a three-column band across the top of the page. The single-wythe and no-waste sentences are in the left and center columns; the joint sentence and the reference are in the right column. Effective from January 2019. The header of every page reads "Revised 1/2019" — a month and a year, no day. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The figures are based on the units being placed in the wall as stretchers in stack or running bond. The quantities are provided for a single wythe of brickwork. Additional information regarding mortar or grout for collar joint or grouted applications can be found in the referenced BIA Technical Notes. The values provided are estimates of the quantities in the finished wall and do not account for waste.

The publisher's own spelling and spacing are reproduced. The same section ends "The values are based on a nominal three-eight inch mortar joint. Reference: BIA Technical Notes on Brick Construction 10,"Dimensioning and Estimating Brick Masonry."" — that reference line is why the agreement between this manufacturer's counts and the association's is recorded here as one lineage rather than as two independent publishers.
The one published multi-wythe figure — mortar in the collar joint between two wythes

The rule

For multi-wythe construction where the vertical joint between wythes is designed to be mortared solid, the published quantity is the mortar inside that collar joint

The only figure any publisher in this research prints for a wall more than one wythe thick, and it is a mortar volume rather than a brick count. Nobody publishes a brick count for a second wythe: doubling the brick would be this site's arithmetic standing in for a published figure, and whether a second wythe is bonded with headers or tied is a design question with a structural answer. So this page refuses a multi-wythe wall and points at the table that does exist.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

The one published multi-wythe figure — mortar in the collar joint between two wythes — Technical Note 10, printed page 10 of 11, bold lead-in "Collar Joints.", TABLE 5 "Mortar Quantities in Collar Joints". Effective from February 2009. Page 1 prints "February 2009" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Collar Joints. For multi-wythe construction, where the vertical joint between wythes is designed to be mortared solid, the values in Table 5 can be used to estimate the quantity of mortar within the collar joint.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 5 Mortar Quantities in Collar Joints

Cubic Feet of Mortar per 100 sq ft (m² per 10 m²) of Wall

¼-in. (6.4 mm) joint ⅜-in. (9.5 mm) joint ½-in. (12.7 mm) joint ¾-in. (19.1 mm) joint

2.08 (0.064) 3.13 (0.095) 4.17 (0.13) 6.25 (0.19)

Every row: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The metric figure printed in brackets after each volume is kept in the cell and not checked here.

Transcribed for the reader who needs it, and not carried into any calculation on this page: it is a mortar volume, and this page answers mortar in bags. Note that the published collar-joint range runs wider than the joint sizes published for bed and head joints.
What the ordinary residential brick wall actually is

The rule

Anchored brick veneer on a wood-stud backing is a single exterior wythe, tied back to the frame and carried by the foundation

Recorded as the reason one wythe is the default rather than a guess: the commonest brick wall on an American house is one wythe of veneer. It drives no arithmetic.

Brick Industry Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Brick

What the ordinary residential brick wall actually is — Technical Note 28, page 2, first paragraph of the section beside Figure 1 "Brick Veneer/Wood Stud Wall". Effective from 2012. The title block carries a 2012 copyright; no month or day is printed. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Page 2, the first paragraph of the section beside Figure 1, headed for the brick veneer and wood stud wall; the document opens two pages earlier.

Anchored brick veneer with wood stud backing typically consists of a nominal 3 or 4 in. (76 or 102 mm) thick exterior brick wythe attached to a wood frame with corrosion-resistant metal anchors and a prescribed air space between the veneer and the backing system, as shown in Figure 1.

Whether a particular veneer's ties, air space and flashing are right is a code question with its own technical note and its own adopted local rule, and this page does not answer it.

¼-in. (6.4 mm) joint	⅜-in. (9.5 mm) joint	½-in. (12.7 mm) joint	¾-in. (19.1 mm) joint
2.08 (0.064)	3.13 (0.095)	4.17 (0.13)	6.25 (0.19)

Fence post

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Fence

What one bag of the fast-setting mix makes, 50 lb bag

Product

QUIKRETE Fast-Setting Concrete Mix

Bag (pounds)

50 — in the quote: “Each 50 lb (22.6 kg) bag”

What one bag yields (cubic feet)

0.375 — in the quote: “approximately 0.375 cu ft” — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note

The maker prints "approximately" on every line of this block and that hedge belongs to the figure: it is a nominal yield, not a measured one. Product-specific — it is the yield of this mix at this bag size and must not be carried to another product.

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

What one bag of the fast-setting mix makes, 50 lb bag — Product data sheet, page 1 of 2, left column, heading YIELD, immediately below SIZES — first bullet. Partial quote: the block runs to five bullets and the fifth is a worked post-setting example, which has its own entry. — read with the SIZES heading above it Effective from November 2025. The page-2 footer prints "Revised November 2025" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

QUIKRETE® Fast-Setting Concrete Mix is available in the following bag sizes: • 50 lb (22.6 kg) • 60 lb (27.2 kg) […] Each 50 lb (22.6 kg) bag yields approximately 0.375 cu ft (10.6 L)

Two of the four bag sizes on this sheet are marked "(Canada only)" in the SIZES block directly above the yields, so this US page offers only the 50 lb and 60 lb bags from it. The URL is unversioned and the maker overwrites it in place on revision, so the retrieved date and a human re-read are what guard this figure, not the link check.
What one bag of the fast-setting mix makes, 60 lb bag

Product

QUIKRETE Fast-Setting Concrete Mix

Bag (pounds)

60 — in the quote: “Each 60 lb (27.2 kg) bag”

What one bag yields (cubic feet)

0.45 — in the quote: “approximately 0.45 cu ft”

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

What one bag of the fast-setting mix makes, 60 lb bag — Product data sheet, page 1 of 2, left column, heading YIELD — second bullet of five. — read with the SIZES heading above it Effective from November 2025. The page-2 footer prints "Revised November 2025" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

QUIKRETE® Fast-Setting Concrete Mix is available in the following bag sizes: • 50 lb (22.6 kg) • 60 lb (27.2 kg) […] Each 60 lb (27.2 kg) bag yields approximately 0.45 cu ft (12.7 L)
The maker's own worked example for one post hole

The rule

Two 50 lb bags set a 3 in square post in a 9 in diameter hole 30 in deep

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Estimating chart (approximate)

Used by: Fence

The maker's own worked example for one post hole — Product data sheet, page 1 of 2, left column, heading YIELD — fifth and final bullet of the block. Effective from November 2025. The page-2 footer prints "Revised November 2025" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Two 50 lb (22.6 kg) bags of QUIKRETE® Fast-Setting Concrete Mix will set a 3 in (75 mm) square post in a 9 in (225 mm) diameter hole 30 in (0.75 m) deep.

Same data sheet, APPLICATION, 'Method for Setting Posts': Pour dry mix into the hole until it is approximately 3 in to 4 in (75 mm to 100 mm) from the top of the hole.
Same paragraph: Fill the upper 3 in to 4 in (75 mm to 100 mm) of the hole with sod or with the soil that was removed.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. QUIKRETE’s data sheet says “Two 50 lb (22.6 kg) bags of QUIKRETE® Fast-Setting Concrete Mix will set a 3 in (75 mm) square post in a 9 in (225 mm) diameter hole 30 in (0.75 m) deep.” Each 50 lb bag yields approximately 0.375 cu ft, so two bags make about 0.75 cu ft. The same sheet’s method stops the mix approximately 3 to 4 inches short of the top of the hole and fills the rest with sod or soil; even so, that hole less the post takes 0.82 to 0.85 cu ft of mix, more than two bags yield, and the sheet does not say why. The fence calculator counts these bags by the yield printed for one bag, the figure that gives more bags.

Recorded because it is a published cross-check on this page's own arithmetic that does NOT reconcile, and the honest thing is to show it rather than to average it away. It is not used as a target: a 3 in square post is not a size this page offers, so the case cannot be driven here at all.
What one bag of the ordinary mix makes, 80 lb bag

Product

QUIKRETE Concrete Mix

Bag (pounds)

80 — in the quote: “An 80 lb (36.2 kg) bag”

What one bag yields (cubic feet)

0.6 — in the quote: “approximately 0.60 ft3”

A different product from the fast-setting mix above, and the one a reader setting a whole run of posts in a day is most likely to be carrying: the maker's own uses list for it includes pipe and post footings. The hedge "approximately" is the maker's.

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

What one bag of the ordinary mix makes, 80 lb bag — Product data sheet, page 1 of 2, heading YIELD — the 80 lb line of five; the PRODUCT USE list on the same page includes "Pipe and post footings". — read with the title block and the SIZES heading above it Effective from October 2022. The sheet prints "Revised October 2022" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

CONCRETE MIX PRODUCT NO. 1101-40, -50, -60, -80, -90 […] QUIKRETE® Concrete Mix is available in the following bag sizes: […] An 80 lb (36.2 kg) bag yields approximately 0.60 ft3 (17 L)

All five sizes on this sheet work out at the same 0.0075 cu ft per pound, so the maker plainly measured one density and scaled it — but the scaling is the maker's own and is printed in the maker's own document, which is what makes it a citation rather than our arithmetic. The 90 lb bag is marked regional and is not offered here.
What one bag of the second maker's fast-setting mix makes, 50 lb bag

Product

Sakrete Fast Setting Concrete Mix

Bag (pounds)

50

What one bag yields (cubic feet)

0.38

Until October 2026 this name also carried ‘50 lb bag’, which the line already prints as the bag’s size.
A second maker, and the divisor this page's published cross-check runs on. Do not use the metric restatement printed beside it as a divisor: the sheet rounds it to one significant figure, which is 7.1 percent below the figure it is rounding.

Sakrete (SAKRETE of North America LLC) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

What one bag of the second maker's fast-setting mix makes, 50 lb bag — Technical datasheet, page 1 of 2, left column, "Yield/Water/Coverage:" — the Bag Size / Yield / Water row, plus the coverage sentence beneath it. Effective from May 2018. The page-2 footer prints "Rev. 05/18" and a 2018 copyright line, so month is the most the document states. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Sakrete® Fast Setting Concrete Mix is a preblended fast setting mixture of special cementitious materials, sand and coarse aggregate. […] To determine coverage: Multiply Length (feet) x Width (feet) x Thickness (inches) and divide by 12. Then divide by .38 to determine the numbers of bags needed. See Calculator on Sakrete.com for assistance. Yield and water are approximate.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Yield/Water/Coverage:

Bag Size Yield Water see the note

50 lb (22.6 kg) 0.38 ft3 (.01 m3) 2.5 to 3 qts (2.4 - 2.9 L) see the note

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. The sheet rounds its metric figures, and it says “Yield and water are approximate.” Its .01 m3 is 0.38 ft3, which is 0.0108 m3, rounded to the hundredth. Its liters for the water do not all convert: 2.5 quarts is 2.37 liters, printed 2.4, but 3 quarts is 2.84 liters, printed 2.9. No ConcreteTally calculator uses the water figures or the metric yield.

The quoted sentence is the maker instructing a reader to divide a volume by this figure, which is why dividing by it here is the publisher's own method rather than this page's invention. The row beside it is transcribed from a three-column table, not quoted.
Hole width the maker's published post-setting bag table assumes (inches)

Hole width the maker's published post-setting bag table assumes (inches)

10 — in the quote: “Based on Average 10” Diameter Hole”

Bags for one hole 12 in deep

1.25

Bags for one hole 18 in deep

2

Bags for one hole 24 in deep

2.5

Bags for one hole 30 in deep

3

The maker's own bag count for its own mix, at its own 10 inch hole. Worked from the same geometry — the hole, less the dressed post standing in it, over the bag yield — the rows come out at 1.21 / 1.82 / 2.42 / 3.03 bags; on three of the four the table asks for more, and where it does, the order takes the table. It is read only for this bag at a 10 inch hole.

Sakrete (SAKRETE of North America LLC) — Estimating chart (approximate)

Used by: Fence

Hole width the maker's published post-setting bag table assumes (inches) — Technical datasheet, page 1 of 2, left column, under the printed heading "Post Setting - Based on Average 10" Diameter Hole:", laid out as two rows of two cells. Effective from May 2018. The page-2 footer prints "Rev. 05/18" and a 2018 copyright line, so month is the most the document states. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Post Setting - Based on Average 10” Diameter Hole:

12” (305 mm) deep 1.25 bags
18” (457 mm) deep 2 bags
24” (610 mm) deep 2.5 bags
30” (762 mm) deep 3 bags

Transcriber’s note: The four rows are printed as two rows of two cells, with no column headings; they are given one hole depth to a row.

Transcribed row by row from a two-by-two cell block, not quoted. The bag weight is not printed inside this table; it comes from the Yield/Water/Coverage table higher in the same left column, where 50 lb is the only bag size the document lists. Two further things the table does not say, both recorded rather than resolved: it does not state what post it deducts, and it deducts nothing for the base course that the same document's own Posts and Poles step requires in the bottom of the hole. So the table and the instructions beside it are two different bases in one document, and this page does not silently combine them.
QUIKRETE's own method for setting a fence post with its 80 lb Concrete Mix

Hole depth (share of the whole post)

0.3333333333333333 — in the quote: “Hole depth should be 1/3 the overall post height”

Mix under the post, in the bottom of the hole (inches)

6 — in the quote: “Place 6 in (150 mm) of dry concrete mix in the bottom of the hole”

Read for this bag only. Set to the maker's method, a 6 ft fence takes a 99 in post in a 33 in hole, set 27 in deep on 6 in of mix, with the mix finished at the surface; the hole is a third of the whole post, which here is less than half the height that shows because the post stands on the mix.

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

QUIKRETE's own method for setting a fence post with its 80 lb Concrete Mix — Product data sheet, page 2, "Method for Setting Fence Posts", sentences 1 to 6 Effective from October 2022. The sheet prints "Revised October 2022" and no day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Start by digging the post hole about 3 times the diameter of the post. Hole depth should be 1/3 the overall post height. Place 6 in (150 mm) of dry concrete mix in the bottom of the hole. Position the post, checking that it is level and plumb. Mix QUIKRETE Concrete Mix with water prior to placement into the hole. When standing water has evaporated from the concrete, smooth the surface.
Post spacing, embedment and footing width for a wood fence up to six feet — one state code's prescriptive minimums

Longest (feet)

4

Least (inches)

24 — in the quote: “embedded 2 feet (610 mm)”

Width (inches)

10 — in the quote: “10 inches (254 mm) in diameter”

Applies to

wood fences up to six feet, built to the prescriptive minimums of the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions, which apply in Miami-Dade and Broward counties only

One clause, three figures, kept together because the publisher states them in a single sentence and they are a package: four feet between posts, two feet of post in the ground, and a ten-inch footing. The tightest spacing any publisher on this page states, and the reason it is tight is wind — this is a 175 mph design-wind provision, not a national figure. Applying it outside those two counties would have a reader buy roughly twice the posts the job needs. Note also that two feet of the eight-foot post this clause specifies is a quarter of its length, where both bagged-mix makers publish a third.

City of Miramar, Florida — Building, Planning & Zoning Department — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Post spacing, embedment and footing width for a wood fence up to six feet — one state code's prescriptive minimums — Single-page handout, the block headed "FBC 2017 Section 2328: HIGH VELOCITY HURRICANE ZONES: WOOD FENCES", clauses 2328.2 and 2328.3 reproduced in full. The form's own stamp reads "Wood Fence Rev 012/2017", which is not a date that can be read without guessing at the month; the code edition it reproduces is the 2017 Florida Building Code. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

2328.2 Fences not exceeding 6 feet (1829 mm) in height, shall be constructed to meet the following minimum requirements from nominal 4 X 4 X 8 posts No. 2 grade or better spaced 4 feet (1219mm) on center, and embedded 2 feet (610 mm) into a concrete footing 10 inches (254 mm) in diameter and 2 feet (610 mm) deep.

Arranged by ConcreteTally from the publisher’s paragraphs; the words in each row are theirs:

up to 6 ft 4 ft on center
up to 5 ft 5 ft on center
up to 4 ft 6 ft on center

up to 5 ft; up to 4 ft: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Arranged from clauses 2328.2 and 2328.3 as recorded in August 2026; the heading recorded then was “FBC 2017 Section 2328: HIGH VELOCITY HURRICANE ZONES: WOOD FENCES”. The document could not be fetched again on October 11, 2026 (HTTP 403), so these rows were not re-read.

Reproduced independently by at least two other municipalities in the same state — the City of North Miami Beach and the Town of Davie both publish the same clauses with the same figures — which is what shows this is the code text rather than one city's house rule. Two things worth reading twice: the spacing loosens as the fence gets SHORTER, and the post in this clause is eight feet long buried two feet, which is a quarter of its length rather than the third both bagged-mix makers publish.
Widest post spacing on one city's standard fence detail — 8 ft

Longest (feet)

8

Applies to

all fence types except chain link, on one city's own standard permit detail; the same sheet set allows ten feet between chain-link posts

City of Fort Myers, Florida — Planning Division — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Widest post spacing on one city's standard fence detail — 8 ft — Standard Detail F-3 (PDF page 3 of 6), title block "STANDARD FENCE DETAIL (ALL TYPES - EXCEPT CHAIN LINK)" — the dimension callout. The detail sheets carry no publication or revision date of their own. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

DISTANCE BETWEEN POSTS (Maximum 8 feet)

This is the same state as the four-foot figure above, and it is double it. The two are not the same legal instrument — one is a prescriptive-minimum section of the building code, the other is a fill-in permit detail issued by a planning division — which is exactly why this page reports both and arbitrates neither.
Widest post spacing on one city's prescriptive plan set for tall fences — 8 ft

Longest (feet)

8

Applies to

fences over six feet and up to ten feet, in one Oregon city, on its own prescriptive permit plan set

City of Scappoose, Oregon — Community Development Center — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Widest post spacing on one city's prescriptive plan set for tall fences — 8 ft — "DETAILS FOR FENCES OVER 6 FEET AND UP TO 10 FEET", page 4 of 5 — the standing note printed under the heading of TABLE 1. The handout carries no publication or revision date on the page cited. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

All posts are spaced a maximum of 8'-0" o.c.

A second publisher at eight feet, in a different state and a different climate, which is what makes eight feet defensible as a choice rather than as one city's preference. Read the title, though: this plan set is for fences OVER six feet. The commonest fence in America is a six-foot privacy fence, and it sits outside this table — the city requires no permit below seven feet. Quietly applying the table's first row to a six-foot fence would be misciting it.
Line-post spacing an extension service states for farm fencing — 10 to 12 ft

Shortest (feet)

10

Longest (feet)

12

Applies to

line posts of a farm fence — the circular's own words are "most fences", and every fence it describes is a wire fence

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension — University extension service

Used by: Fence

Line-post spacing an extension service states for farm fencing — 10 to 12 ft — Fences for the Farm, Circular 774 — section "Fence Post Setting". Effective from March 12, 2024. The publication line reads "Published with Full Review on March 12, 2024". Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is the first line under the section heading "Fence Post Setting".

Space line posts about 10 to 12 ft apart for most fences.

Offered because it is the widest spacing any reachable publisher states, and because a reader who has been told "posts go ten feet apart" deserves to see where that comes from. It comes from wire fencing. This circular gives no board-fence spacing at all — that was checked — and a privacy fence with ten-foot bays sags. The same section is also the source of the two-foot minimum depth recorded further down this file.
How deep and how wide one maker says to dig, and where the mix stops

The rule

Hole depth one third of the overall post height; hole diameter about three times the post diameter; the mix stops three to four inches below the top of the hole and that top is filled with soil or sod

The one misreading worth guarding against on this whole page: one third of the POST, not one third of the fence. A six-foot fence on this rule needs a nine-foot post buried three feet, not a six-foot post buried two. The same maker states it the other way round on its 60 lb sheet — the buried depth is half the height that shows above ground — and the two phrasings are the same rule, because if a third is below ground then two thirds are above it and half of that is a third of the whole.

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

How deep and how wide one maker says to dig, and where the mix stops — Product data sheet, PAGE 2 of 2, APPLICATION, "Method for Setting Posts" — sentences 1, 2 and 4 of an eleven-sentence paragraph for the geometry, and sentence 9 for the soil cap. The paragraph ends "Wait 4 hours before post is subjected to any strain." Effective from November 2025. The page-2 footer prints "Revised November 2025" and no day. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Start by digging the post hole about 3 times the diameter of the post. Hole depth should be 1/3 the overall post height. Place post into hole and temporarily stand straight. Pour dry mix into the hole until it is approximately 3 in to 4 in (75 mm to 100 mm) from the top of the hole. … Fill the upper 3 in to 4 in (75 mm to 100 mm) of the hole with sod or with the soil that was removed.

This is a maker's installation instruction, not a code requirement and not a standard, and the difference matters twice over. It carries no frost provision, so where the ground freezes the depth that governs comes from the local adopted table and not from here. And the three-times-the-width half of it is silent on whether "the diameter of the post" means the nominal size or the dressed one — three times four inches is a twelve-inch hole, three times the dressed three and a half is ten and a half, and that is a thirty percent difference in what a hole swallows. The maker's own worked example uses three times the real width. This page does not compute a hole from this rule at all: it offers the hole widths that named publishers actually print, so the ambiguity never reaches a quantity. The ellipsis hides four sentences of wetting instructions, including a per-bag water rate and a thirty-inch limit on how deep one lift may be filled, which are the parts that make the soil cap specific to this product's dry-pour method.
The same digging rule from a second maker, with a stone base in the bottom of the hole

The rule

Hole depth one third of the length of the post or pole; hole three times the diameter of the pole or post width; four to six inches of compacted stone in the bottom as a base

A second maker, unconnected to the first, stating both halves of the same digging rule — which is what lets this page describe a third of the post and three times its width as trade practice instead of one company's house style. Read the order it puts things in: the base course goes INSIDE that depth, not under it, so the part of the hole that gets mix is the depth less the base. The same document's own bag table deducts none of it.

Sakrete (SAKRETE of North America LLC) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Fence

The same digging rule from a second maker, with a stone base in the bottom of the hole — Technical datasheet, page 1 of 2, RIGHT column, section "Posts and Poles:", numbered step 1. Effective from May 2018. The page-2 footer prints "Rev. 05/18" and a 2018 copyright line, so month is the most the document states. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

1. Dig hole to required depth and diameter (depth should be 1/3 the length of the post or pole and hole should be 3 times the diameter of the pole or post width). Place 4" to 6" (102 mm to 152 mm) of gravel as a base and compact.

Same two ambiguities as the sheet above — nominal or dressed width, and no frost provision — and one more that is this document arguing with itself: step 1 puts four to six inches of stone in the bottom of the hole, and the post-setting bag table on the same page bills the whole labeled depth as mix. That is why this page asks for the depth of MIX rather than the depth of the hole, and says so beside the box.
Shallowest an extension service says to set a wooden line post (inches)

Least (inches)

24

An extension service's floor, and it says "preferably deeper" in the same breath. This is the figure the page compares an entered depth against, because it is the only broadly stated minimum that is not tied to one jurisdiction's wind or one maker's product.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension — University extension service

Used by: Fence

Shallowest an extension service says to set a wooden line post (inches) — Fences for the Farm, Circular 774 — section "Fence Post Setting", the wooden-post depth sentence. Effective from March 12, 2024. The publication line reads "Published with Full Review on March 12, 2024". Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is under the section heading "Fence Post Setting", a few lines below the spacing sentence.

Wooden line posts should be set at least 2 ft deep, preferably deeper.

Farm fencing, and the circular's spacing figures do not travel to a privacy fence — but a minimum depth for a wooden post in the ground travels further than a spacing does, which is why this one figure is carried and that one is not. A second extension service, writing about horse fencing, puts a typical line post at thirty-six inches and corner and gate posts nearer forty-eight and about a quarter larger across; that is recorded here in words rather than as a figure, because this page counts a straight run and does not size a corner.
Footing diameter a county recommends for a wood fence post (inches)

Footing diameter a county recommends for a wood fence post (inches)

12

The widest-published default for an ordinary residential post, from a county that publishes the hole while explicitly declining to publish the design. It is also the width this page's worked example uses.

County of San Diego — Planning & Development Services, Building Division — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Footing diameter a county recommends for a wood fence post (inches) — Form PDS 070, page 1 of 2, section WOOD FENCES — the first bullet and its sub-bullets. Effective from January 1, 2023. The form's own stamp reads "REV: 01/01/2023", a full date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

This form does not address the design of wood fences and supporting wood posts. The following options are recommendations only for wood fence construction: Set posts/pipes in 12-inch diameter concrete footings per the following o Extending at least 24 inches into undisturbed natural ground or properly compacted fill o Footings placed over 3 inches of loose gravel o Wood posts extending through concrete footings to gravel below

The first sentence is the most useful thing in this file. A county building division, asked exactly the question this page is about, writes that its form does not address the design of a wood fence and downgrades everything after it to recommendations. That is the strongest first-party evidence anywhere in this research that a calculator which printed a spacing of its own choosing would be asserting a design nobody published. Note also the three inches of base course under the footing, which is a third published figure for that course and disagrees with the four-to-six inches on the second maker's sheet.

Bag Size	Yield	Water see the note
50 lb (22.6 kg)	0.38 ft3 (.01 m3)	2.5 to 3 qts (2.4 - 2.9 L) see the note

up to 6 ft	4 ft on center
up to 5 ft	5 ft on center
up to 4 ft	6 ft on center

Footing diameters one city offers for a fence over six feet, with the depth each one buys (inches)

Least (inches): 12 — in the quote: “12" diameter”
Most (inches): 18 — in the quote: “18" diameter”

One publisher, three interchangeable footings for the same fence, and the trade-off is visible: the wider the hole, the shallower it is allowed to be. This is the only reachable first-party source found that prints post size, rail count, spacing and footing geometry as one consistent set.

City of Scappoose, Oregon — Community Development Center — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Footing diameters one city offers for a fence over six feet, with the depth each one buys (inches) — "DETAILS FOR FENCES OVER 6 FEET AND UP TO 10 FEET", page 4 of 5, TABLE 1 "FENCE POST, FOOTING SIZE AND DEPTH", column 4. The handout carries no publication or revision date on the page cited. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 1 FENCE POST, FOOTING SIZE AND DEPTH

All posts are spaced a maximum of 8’-0” o.c. Posts must be embedded to within twelve inches of the bottom of the footing.

1.) If you have a fence height that is:	Then 2.) you need this many/size fence rails:	And 3.) the post must have a minimum nominal size of dimension (w x d):	And 4.) the footings supporting the posts will need a minimum depth (feet) and diameter (inches) of:
Over 6 feet to 8 feet high	(3) 2x6	4x4	4’-0” deep x12" diameter Or 3’-9” deep x16" diameter Or 3’-6” deep x18" diameter
Over 8 feet to 10 feet high	(4) 2x6	4x6 (the six-inch dimension must be perpendicular to the fence face)	5’-0” deep x12" diameter Or 4’-9” deep x16" diameter Or 4’-6” deep x18" diameter

Transcriber’s note: The three footing choices in each row are printed one under another; they are given here in one cell.

Transcribed row by row from the table, not quoted, and the qualifier in the header travels with it: column 3 asks for a minimum NOMINAL size, so a four-by-four here is the dressed three and a half inches this page computes with. The handout sets conditions around the table: the depths are for native ground, and where a post sits in fill the required depth is the table’s depth PLUS the depth of the fill; fences built to it "are not designed to support any other structure or retain any earth or rock"; its details "cannot be used for fences on ground that slopes (perpendicular to the fence) greater than 2 horizontal for every 1 vertical"; and designs that deviate "will require a specific plan submission and may require engineering". This page counts a straight run on level ground and refuses the rest by saying so; those limits are its own.

Fewest horizontal rails one municipality requires on a wood fence up to six feet

Fewest horizontal rails one municipality requires on a wood fence up to six feet

3 — in the quote: “a minimum of 3 horizontal rails”

The rule

Three horizontal rails of nominal 2x4 for a wood fence over four feet and not exceeding six; two rails at four feet or less

Rail board this publisher names

2 x 4

Tallest fence this board is given for (feet)

6 — in the quote: “Wood fences not exceeding six (6) feet in height”

One municipality's permitting minimum inside a hurricane zone, not a national requirement — and not, on checking, a figure the code section the handout cites actually contains. The identical wording appears on the fence handouts of several other municipalities in the same state, so it is a shared template rather than one city's finding. Above six feet the handout prescribes nothing and asks for plans from an architect or an engineer.
The handout’s words are ‘a minimum of 3 horizontal rails of nominal 2 x 4 material’, under ‘Wood fences not exceeding six (6) feet in height’.

City of Hallandale Beach, Florida — Building Division — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Fewest horizontal rails one municipality requires on a wood fence up to six feet — "INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS FOR WOOD / CHAIN LINK FENCES", page 1 of 2, numbered item 3 under "Wood fences not exceeding six (6) feet in height may be constructed to meet the following minimum requirements:". The handout carries no printed publication or revision date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The document opens on the page carrying the figure; it is numbered item 3 of the bulleted list, a little under halfway down page 1 of 2.

Wood fences not exceeding six (6) feet in height may be constructed to meet the following minimum requirements: […] 3. Horizontal framing shall consist of a minimum of 3 horizontal rails of nominal 2 x 4 material and shall be fastened according to § 2324.3 of the Florida building code; fences 4' or less will only require 2 horizontal rails.

Carried as a named jurisdictional figure, not as the trade's answer, and the scope has to travel with it: wood only, six feet or less, and inside the two-county High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. The handout's own post-spacing figures are printed inside an image with no text behind them, so a reader cannot see them by searching the page — which is why this document is cited for the rail count and for nothing else. The count is corroborated in a different state and climate by the Oregon plan set recorded below, which is what makes three rails a defensible choice rather than a local curiosity.

How many rails one city's prescriptive plan set requires, by fence height

How many rails one city's prescriptive plan set requires, by fence height: 3 — in the quote: “a minimum of 3 equally spaced horizontal 2x6 fence rails”
The rule: Three equally spaced horizontal 2x6 rails for a fence of six to eight feet, four for eight to ten; laid with the six-inch dimension vertical
Rail board this publisher names: 2x6
Given for fences taller than (feet): 6 — in the quote: “FENCES OVER 6 FEET”
Tallest fence this board is given for (feet): 10 — in the quote: “UP TO 10 FEET”

A second publisher at three rails, in another state, at a taller fence, and with a different board: 2x6 laid on edge rather than 2x4. The COUNT travels between the two publishers; the board size does not, which is why the size stays your choice and this page counts rails rather than specifying them.

Table 1 gives (3) 2x6 for ‘Over 6 feet to 8 feet high’ and (4) 2x6 for ‘Over 8 feet to 10 feet high’, under the title ‘DETAILS FOR FENCES OVER 6 FEET AND UP TO 10 FEET’; the prose with it says ‘fences of 6 to 8 feet’. The table and the title are read here, so a 6 ft fence is the other handout’s.

City of Scappoose, Oregon — Community Development Center — Government publication

Used by: Fence

How many rails one city's prescriptive plan set requires, by fence height — "DETAILS FOR FENCES OVER 6 FEET AND UP TO 10 FEET", page 4 of 5: the prose paragraph headed "POST, RAILS, AND FOOTING SIZES" and TABLE 1 "FENCE POST, FOOTING SIZE AND DEPTH" that follows it, read with the title at the head of every page. The handout carries no publication or revision date on the page cited. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

DETAILS FOR FENCES OVER 6 FEET AND UP TO 10 FEET […] Posts shall be minimum 4x4 for fences of 6 to 8 feet in height, and minimum 4x6 for fences over 8 feet to10 feet in height. There shall be a minimum of 3 equally spaced horizontal 2x6 fence rails for fences of 6 to 8 feet, and 4 equally spaced horizontal 2x6 fence rails for fences of 8 to10 feet in height. The rails shall be placed with the 6-inch dimension vertical.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: TABLE 1 FENCE POST, FOOTING SIZE AND DEPTH

1.) If you have a fence height that is:	Then 2.) you need this many/size fence rails:	And 3.) the post must have a minimum nominal size of dimension (w x d):
Over 6 feet to 8 feet high	(3) 2x6	4x4
Over 8 feet to 10 feet high	(4) 2x6	4x6 (the six-inch dimension must be perpendicular to the fence face)

Transcriber’s note: Two of the table’s four columns are transcribed. The fourth, the footing depth and diameter (three choices on each row), is left out, as are the two lines printed between the title and the table.

The publisher's own typing of "to10" is preserved. This is the sentence behind both post sizes this page offers, four-by-four and four-by-six, and behind the four-rail option: each of those is a figure somebody printed for a fence of a stated height, rather than a size this page invented.

What a post sold as a nominal 4x4 actually measures, surfaced and dry

Thickness (inches)

3-1/2 (3.5)

Width (inches)

3-1/2 (3.5)

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Used by: Fence

What a post sold as a nominal 4x4 actually measures, surfaced and dry — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, Table 3 "Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers", Dimension block — the nominal 4 in thickness and nominal 4 in width rows, printed page 16 (PDF page 16). Clause 5.2, printed page 13, is what makes the table binding. Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation; the document cited is that edition. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

5.2 Dressed sizes-- Dressed sizes of lumber shall equal or exceed the minimum sizes shown in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. Sizes in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 pertain to those items as measured at time of manufacture. Lumber will change in dimension (shrink or expand) in response to its equilibrium moisture content [see 6.2.3.1 and 6.2.5.1].

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3. Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers.

Item Nominal: Inch Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch Minimum Dressed: Green: inch

Dimension, thickness 4 3-1/2 3-9/16
Dimension, width 4 3-1/2 3-9/16

Transcriber’s note: The table prints thicknesses and widths as two halves of each block, in millimeters and in inches; only the inch figures of the rows this entry reads are transcribed, one row for each half.

The standard, written and published by NIST for the Department of Commerce; the copy linked here is hosted by the American Lumber Standard Committee, which maintains it, and is the standard's own text rather than a summary. A four-by-four sits in the standard's Dimension block, not in Timbers, which begins at nominal five inches. The stored figure is the DRY column and it is a minimum at time of manufacture, not a measurement of the piece in the fence — the quoted clause says so itself. This page uses the real three and a half inches rather than the nominal four for one reason: a hole swallows the difference, and the second maker's published post-setting table only reconciles when the post is taken at its dressed size.
What a post sold as a nominal 4x6 actually measures, surfaced and dry

Thickness (inches)

3-1/2 (3.5)

Width (inches)

5-1/2 (5.5)

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Used by: Fence

What a post sold as a nominal 4x6 actually measures, surfaced and dry — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, Table 3, Dimension block — the nominal 4 in thickness row read with the nominal 6 in width row, printed page 16 (PDF page 16). Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation; the document cited is that edition. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3. Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers.

Item Nominal: Inch Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch Minimum Dressed: Green: inch

Dimension, thickness 4 3-1/2 3-9/16
Dimension, width 6 5-1/2 5-5/8

Transcriber’s note: The table prints thicknesses and widths as two halves of each block, in millimeters and in inches; only the inch figures of the rows this entry reads are transcribed, one row for each half.

Both cells are literal rows of the standard's own table, read out of the same block as the four-by-four. This is the post size the Oregon plan set prescribes for a fence over eight feet, and it is offered here for a reader whose building department asks for it. A nominal six-by-six is NOT offered: the standard files it under Timbers and prints the rule as "1/2 off" rather than a finished figure, so a five-and-a-half-inch six-by-six is a subtraction of ours rather than a cell of theirs.
What a fence board sold as a nominal 1x4 actually measures across, surfaced and dry

Width (inches)

3-1/2 (3.5)

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Used by: Fence

What a fence board sold as a nominal 1x4 actually measures across, surfaced and dry — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, Table 3, BOARDS block — the nominal 4 in width row, printed page 16 (PDF page 16). Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation; the document cited is that edition. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3. Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers.

Item Nominal: Inch Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch Minimum Dressed: Green: inch

Boards, width 4 3-1/2 3-9/16
Boards, thickness 1 3/4 25/32

Boards, thickness: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The table prints thicknesses and widths as two halves of each block, in millimeters and in inches; only the inch figures of the rows this entry reads are transcribed, one row for each half.

A fence board is a BOARD in the standard's own classification — less than nominal two inches thick — which is a different block of the same table from the posts and the rails. The dry figure is the one stored, and the green column carries the standard's own exception: for redwood, western red cedar and northern white cedar, clause 6.2.5 sets different green widths, and those three species are exactly what fence boards are usually made of. So an unseasoned cedar board can be wider than the figure here, which means fewer of them across a run, and the page says so beside the count rather than pretending the dry column is the only column.
What a fence board sold as a nominal 1x6 actually measures across, surfaced and dry

Width (inches)

5-1/2 (5.5)

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Used by: Fence

What a fence board sold as a nominal 1x6 actually measures across, surfaced and dry — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, Table 3, BOARDS block — the nominal 6 in width row, printed page 16 (PDF page 16). Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation; the document cited is that edition. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3. Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers.

Item Nominal: Inch Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch Minimum Dressed: Green: inch

Boards, width 6 5-1/2 5-5/8

Transcriber’s note: The table prints thicknesses and widths as two halves of each block, in millimeters and in inches; only the inch figures of the rows this entry reads are transcribed, one row for each half.

The commonest privacy-fence board. Same exception as the narrower one: the standard's own footnote to this table exempts redwood, western red cedar and northern white cedar from the green column, and clause 6.2.5 sets a different green width for them — five and nine sixteenths rather than five and five eighths for a nominal six. Over a hundred feet that difference is worth about two boards.
The one published rule for how far apart fence boards go

The rule

Where a uniform 50 percent void is required, the gap between boards must equal the board width

The only published rule found anywhere in this research that fixes the spacing between fence boards, and its scope is narrow: the city requires that 50 percent void of a picket fence in a front yard or on a corner lot that does not exceed four feet above average ground level. Every other picket case in that city's guidelines is 75 percent, for which the city publishes no gap rule at all. Everything outside that one case is a design choice, and this page treats it as one.

City of Fort Myers, Florida — Planning Division — Government publication

Used by: Fence

The one published rule for how far apart fence boards go — Standard Detail F-6 (PDF page 6 of 6), callout and its asterisk footnote on "EXAMPLE: PICKET FENCE DETAIL (Elevation View)" — the detail itself is drawn at 42 inches maximum. The detail sheets carry no publication or revision date of their own. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The Gap Width MUST Equal the Board Width* *Per City Code – Picket Fence must have a uniform void of 50% when viewed perpendicular.

The authority behind the figure is the city's own Land Use Regulations, section 118.3.8, which the sheet set cites on page 1 and again in the F-4 header. The asterisk on this sheet states the 50 percent void without the four-foot front-yard qualifier that the guidelines sheet attaches to it, so the sheet set disagrees with itself and the sheet carrying the code citation is the narrower one. Read at the same basis on both sides: a real board sold as a 1x4 is three and a half inches wide, so a three-and-a-half-inch gap is exactly 50 percent void, while taking the nominal four inches as the gap gives 53 percent and breaches the requirement it was meant to satisfy.

Item	Nominal: Inch	Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch	Minimum Dressed: Green: inch
Dimension, thickness	4	3-1/2	3-9/16
Dimension, width	4	3-1/2	3-9/16

Item	Nominal: Inch	Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch	Minimum Dressed: Green: inch
Dimension, thickness	4	3-1/2	3-9/16
Dimension, width	6	5-1/2	5-5/8

Item	Nominal: Inch	Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch	Minimum Dressed: Green: inch
Boards, width	4	3-1/2	3-9/16
Boards, thickness	1	3/4	25/32

Item	Nominal: Inch	Minimum Dressed: Dry: inch	Minimum Dressed: Green: inch
Boards, width	6	5-1/2	5-5/8

Void a city requires of a picket fence, by yard and by height (percent)

Void a city requires of a picket fence, by yard and by height (percent): 75

The general case in that city is 75 percent, and 50 percent is the narrow exception — the opposite of how it is easy to read the detail sheet. The city publishes no gap rule for the 75 percent case, so the spacing that satisfies it is arithmetic of ours and is not offered here as anyone's published figure.

City of Fort Myers, Florida — Planning Division — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Void a city requires of a picket fence, by yard and by height (percent) — Standard Detail F-4 (PDF page 4 of 6), "PLANNING DIVISION GUIDELINES (Land Use Regulations – City Code 118.3.8)" — the front yard / corner lot and rear, side and waterfront bullets. The detail sheets carry no publication or revision date of their own. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Picket Fence, which does not exceed 4 feet in height, from the average ground level must have a uniform void of 50% when viewed perpendicular to the fence. Picket, which does not exceed, 6 feet in height from the average ground level must have a uniform void of 75% when viewed perpendicular to the fence.

Arranged by ConcreteTally from the publisher’s paragraphs; the words in each row are theirs:

PLANNING DIVISION GUIDELINES (Land Use Regulations – City Code 118.3.8)

Front Yard / Corner Lots	Picket Fence, which does not exceed 4 feet in height, from the average ground level must have a uniform void of 50% when viewed perpendicular to the fence.
Front Yard / Corner Lots	Picket, which does not exceed, 6 feet in height from the average ground level must have a uniform void of 75% when viewed perpendicular to the fence.
Rear and Side Yard	Picket Fence cannot exceed 6 feet in height, from the average ground level, and must have a uniform void of 75% when viewed perpendicular to the fence.
Waterfront Property	Picket Fence cannot exceed 6 feet in height, from the average ground level, and must have a uniform void of 75% when viewed perpendicular to the fence.

Front Yard / Corner Lots: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Rear and Side Yard; Waterfront Property: The same 75 percent as the row this entry reads.

Transcriber’s note: The guidelines are bullets under three yard headings; each row is one bullet about picket fences, under its heading. The other bullets (wire, solid and ornamental fences) are not transcribed.

The publisher's own stray comma in the second sentence is preserved. Recorded to show that a void fraction is a regulated or chosen quantity and never a constant — it changes with the yard and with the height inside a single city — which is the finding rather than either number.

Maximum openings and minimum height a federal agency publishes for a pool barrier (inches)

Most (inches)

4 — in the quote: “Openings in the barrier should not allow passage of a 4-inch diameter sphere”

Where a fence is doing duty as a pool barrier these stop being design choices and become limits with a child's life behind them: no opening may pass a four-inch sphere, the gap between uprights must not exceed one and three quarter inches where the horizontals are less than forty-five inches apart, the bottom clearance is capped at four inches, and the barrier must stand at least forty-eight inches above the ground. That is why this page refuses to count a pool fence at all rather than answering a material question with a safety question outstanding.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Government publication

Used by: Fence

Maximum openings and minimum height a federal agency publishes for a pool barrier (inches) — Safety Barrier Guidelines for Residential Pools (CPSC Pub. 362), the numbered list under "Outdoor Swimming Pools", printed pages 15-16 (PDF pages 17-18), guidelines 1, 2, 4 and 7. No publication or revision date is printed on the pages cited. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

1. The top of the barrier should be at least 48 inches above the surface measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool (figure 1). 2. The maximum vertical clearance between the surface and the bottom of the barrier should be 4 inches measured on the side of the barrier which faces away from the swimming pool. In the case of a non-solid surface, grass or pebbles, the distance should be reduced to 2 inches, and 1 inch for removable mesh fences (figures 1 and 10). 4. Openings in the barrier should not allow passage of a 4-inch diameter sphere (figure 11). 7. Spacing between vertical members should not exceed 1¾ inches in width. Where there are decorative cutouts, spacing within the cutouts should not exceed 1¾ inches in width (figure 4).

Federal guidance, and the agency itself says to consult the local building department or code authority — the adopted local code is the legal instrument and can be stricter. One state's code, for instance, caps the spacing between uprights at four inches where the horizontal members are forty-five inches apart or more and at one and three quarter inches within decorative cutouts, which is law where it is adopted while this document is advice everywhere. Both are recorded so the page never implies a voluntary guideline is the legal test.

Garden soil

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Topsoil

University of Maryland Extension minimum soil depths for a raised bed on a hard surface

Least (inches)

8

Pepper, tomato and squash — shallowest (inches)

12

Pepper, tomato and squash — deepest (inches)

24

The 8 inch figure is the publisher's minimum for leafy greens, beans and cucumbers; the 12 to 24 inch figure is for pepper, tomato and squash. Both are stated for a bed standing on a HARD SURFACE - a patio or a driveway - where the soil in the frame is all the soil the roots will ever have. A bed sitting on open ground is a different case the same publisher treats separately, because roots can go on down into what is underneath.

University of Maryland Extension — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

University of Maryland Extension minimum soil depths for a raised bed on a hard surface — 'Soil to Fill Raised Beds', the scenario covering a raised bed placed on a hard surface such as a patio or driveway Effective from November 6, 2024. The page shows 'Last Updated: November 6, 2024'. Its original authorship is credited to Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist, dated Spring 2019, and reviewed by Neith Little, Extension Agent, Urban Agriculture; the 2024 date is used here because it is the one attached to the text as it currently stands. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

Raised bed gardens placed on hard surfaces are fine if they are a minimum of 8 inches deep for leafy greens, beans, and cucumbers, and 12-24 inches deep for pepper, tomato, and squash.
University of Maryland Extension minimum depth of mix for a new raised bed over poor or compacted ground

Least (inches)

8

The depth of compost-and-topsoil (or compost-and-soilless) mix that Maryland asks to have spread on top of the existing soil when a raised bed is built over poor or compacted ground. Maryland gives no minimum depth of mix for its other on-ground situations (converting a lawn, or a bed added to an existing garden).

University of Maryland Extension — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

University of Maryland Extension minimum depth of mix for a new raised bed over poor or compacted ground — 'Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds', section 'Converting areas with minimal vegetation and poor or compacted soil', bullet 'Amend the soil' Effective from March 26, 2026. The page shows 'Updated: March 26, 2026'; its credit reads 'Author: Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist (retired), Home/Community Food Gardening, Spring 2019. Revised March 2026.' Retrieved October 10, 2026.

A minimum of 8 inches of a compost-topsoil or soilless media-compost mixture should be spread on top of existing soil.
Iowa State University Extension soil depth for establishing a new lawn

Least (inches)

6 — in the quote: “At least 6 inches of good soil”

Worked into the top — shallowest (inches)

4 — in the quote: “Incorporate the additions into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.”

Worked into the top — deepest (inches)

6 — in the quote: “6 inches of soil.”

Six inches is the depth of GOOD SOIL the publisher says a lawn needs to establish, which is not the same as six inches of bought topsoil spread on top: where there is already reasonable ground, the same passage has amendments worked into the top four to six inches rather than buried under a new layer. This calculator computes the volume for the depth entered and does not decide which of those two jobs is being done.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

Iowa State University Extension soil depth for establishing a new lawn — Yard and Garden FAQ, 'How do I establish a new lawn from seed?', soil preparation paragraph Effective from 2024. No publication or review date is printed on this FAQ page. The year recorded here is the year the page was retrieved and verified, and the precision is deliberately set to 'year' so the page never prints a month or a day the publisher did not. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

At least 6 inches of good soil are needed to establish a lawn. If necessary, bring in additional topsoil or organic matter. Be sure the topsoil or organic matter is weed-free. Incorporate the additions into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.
Penn State Extension compost topdressing depth for established turf

Nominal thickness (inches)

0.25

A quarter of an inch of COMPOST, on an established lawn. That is what this figure measures, and it is why a topdressing on this calculator is ordered as compost. No publisher on this page gives a depth for topdressing with topsoil. Against the six inches of good soil a new lawn needs, it is a job about twenty-four times smaller, and a reader who enters six inches for a topdressing has almost certainly answered the wrong question; the calculator says so rather than quietly ordering twenty-four times too much.

Penn State Extension, The Pennsylvania State University — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

Penn State Extension compost topdressing depth for established turf — 'Using Composts to Improve Turf Performance', section on surface applications to established turf, by Peter Landschoot Effective from 1997. The page prints 'January 1, 1997'. A first-of-January date on an extension page is characteristically a system default rather than a real day, so this table records the YEAR only and the page prints 1997 without a month or a day it cannot stand behind. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

When applying compost as a topdressing, it is important to apply a thin layer (about ¼ inch)
University of Maryland Extension compost-to-topsoil ratio for filling a new raised bed on the ground

Parts compost, as the ratio is published

1 — in the quote: “or 1:1 ratio of compost:topsoil”

Parts topsoil, as the ratio is published

1 — in the quote: “1 ratio of compost:topsoil”

The publisher writes a RATIO, not a percentage, and this node stores the ratio's own two numbers so that the share of compost is arithmetic the calculator does in the open rather than a figure invented here. The ratio is for FILLING A NEW raised bed on the ground. Maryland's newest page (March 2026) gives it for a bed built over poor or compacted ground with little growing on it, and in the same bullet asks for at least eight inches of the mix on top of the existing soil (recorded as its own entry: Maryland's minimum depth of mix for a new raised bed over poor or compacted ground). An older Maryland page, 'Building Raised Beds for Vegetable Gardening' (updated November 7, 2023), gives the same ratio for filling raised beds in general. It is not a ratio for topping up a bed, and it is not Maryland's recipe for a bed on a patio or driveway (recorded as its own entry: Maryland's fill for a raised bed on a hard surface). The same sentence offers 1:2 as well, stored separately below, and the choice between them is the reader's.

University of Maryland Extension — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

University of Maryland Extension compost-to-topsoil ratio for filling a new raised bed on the ground — 'Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds', section 'Converting areas with minimal vegetation and poor or compacted soil', bullet 'Amend the soil' Effective from March 26, 2026. The page shows 'Updated: March 26, 2026'; its credit reads 'Author: Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist (retired), Home/Community Food Gardening, Spring 2019. Revised March 2026.' Retrieved October 10, 2026.

Add a mixture of compost and purchased topsoil, in a 1:2 or 1:1 ratio of compost:topsoil, to the top of the bed.
University of Maryland Extension compost-to-topsoil ratio for filling a new raised bed on the ground, the lighter option

Parts compost, as the ratio is published

1 — in the quote: “in a 1:2 or 1:1 ratio of compost:topsoil”

Parts topsoil, as the ratio is published

2 — in the quote: “2 or 1:1 ratio of compost:topsoil”

The lighter of the two ratios in the same published sentence, and for the same job: filling a new raised bed on the ground, which Maryland's newest page gives for a bed built over poor or compacted ground.

University of Maryland Extension — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

University of Maryland Extension compost-to-topsoil ratio for filling a new raised bed on the ground, the lighter option — 'Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds', section 'Converting areas with minimal vegetation and poor or compacted soil', bullet 'Amend the soil' Effective from March 26, 2026. The page shows 'Updated: March 26, 2026'; its credit reads 'Author: Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist (retired), Home/Community Food Gardening, Spring 2019. Revised March 2026.' Retrieved October 10, 2026.

Add a mixture of compost and purchased topsoil, in a 1:2 or 1:1 ratio of compost:topsoil, to the top of the bed.
University of Maryland Extension fill for a raised bed on a hard surface

Parts compost, as the ratio is published

1 — in the quote: “Fill the bed with compost and a soilless growing mix in a 1:1 ratio.”

Parts soilless growing mix, as the recipe is published

1 — in the quote: “1 ratio.”

Most topsoil the recipe allows (% of the mix by volume)

20 — in the quote: “Topsoil can be added (up to 20% by volume)”

Shallowest bed the recipe allows topsoil in (inches)

16 — in the quote: “for beds that are at least 16 inches deep”

Maryland's fill for a raised bed standing on a hard surface - a patio or a driveway - and not the compost-to-topsoil ratio above: equal parts compost and soilless growing mix. Topsoil is optional, only in a bed at least sixteen inches deep, and then no more than a fifth of the mix by volume; a bed under 16 inches gets no topsoil in this recipe. Maryland's March 2026 page, 'Growing Vegetables in Raised Beds', repeats it in the words 'up to 20% of the mix by volume'.

University of Maryland Extension — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

University of Maryland Extension fill for a raised bed on a hard surface — 'Soil to Fill Raised Beds', Scenario 4 - 'If your raised bed is on a non-permeable (a hard surface like a driveway) surface', second item Effective from November 6, 2024. The page shows 'Updated: November 6, 2024'. Its original authorship is credited to Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist, dated Spring 2019, and reviewed by Neith Little, Extension Agent, Urban Agriculture; the 2024 date is used here because it is the one attached to the text as it currently stands. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

Fill the bed with compost and a soilless growing mix in a 1:1 ratio. Topsoil can be added (up to 20% by volume) for beds that are at least 16 inches deep.
Iowa State University Extension soil mix for a raised bed

Compost share of the mix (%)

30 — in the quote: “~30% compost”

Topsoil share of the mix (%)

70 — in the quote: “~70% topsoil”

A second land-grant university, publishing a different answer to the same question, and the calculator offers both rather than picking one. Maryland's heavier ratio puts half the bed's volume in compost; Iowa State's puts under a third. That is a real disagreement between two extension services about how much compost belongs in a new raised bed built on the ground — Maryland gives its ratios for a bed over poor or compacted ground, Iowa State for a bed whose sod has been removed and whose soil has been worked up — not measurement noise, and averaging the two would produce a figure neither of them publishes. The same Iowa State passage also offers equal parts topsoil, organic matter and coarse sand - a three-way mix this calculator does not model, because a third bulk material with no published depth or density of its own would be three guesses wearing one answer.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

Iowa State University Extension soil mix for a raised bed — Yard and Garden FAQ, 'What would be a good soil mix for a raised bed?' Effective from April 20, 2026. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

An excellent soil mix can be prepared by mixing equal parts topsoil, organic matter (well-rotted manure, compost, or peat), and coarse sand. Another option is ~70% topsoil and ~30% compost.
University of Illinois Extension on raised-bed soil settling, which it describes without quantifying

A quantity is published

false

This node exists to record an ABSENCE, and it is load-bearing. Soil in a raised bed settles; an extension service says so in the sentence quoted here. No extension service, government agency or trade association found by this project publishes how much. Figures of ten to twenty-five percent circulate on gardening sites with no primary source behind any of them. The engineering literature does publish swell and shrink factors for excavated soil, and they are a different phenomenon - what native ground does when it is dug up and re-compacted in road construction, not what loose organic fill does sitting undisturbed in a frame over a winter. Borrowing one would be citing the wrong thing dressed as the right one.

University of Illinois Extension — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

University of Illinois Extension on raised-bed soil settling, which it describes without quantifying — News release 'Refreshing raised bed soil generates exceptional results', by Chris Enroth, on why raised bed soils lose volume Effective from April 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

Settling soil is simply a fact of raised bed gardening.
Oregon State University Extension bulk density of screened compost at 50 percent moisture

Weight of one cubic yard (pounds)

1,000 — in the quote: “will have a bulk density of about 1,000 lb/cu yd”

Moisture content the figure assumes (%)

50 — in the quote: “screened composts that contain 50 percent moisture”

Stored for the reader, never computed from. It is the best-sourced weight figure on this page - a land-grant university's own rule of thumb for screened compost - and it still does not let this calculator answer in tons: in a blended order the other part has no comparable figure, and even where the order is all compost - a topdressing - the same publication puts compost anywhere from 800 to more than 1,600 lb a cubic yard depending on how wet it is (recorded as its own entry), which is too wide a spread to convert a delivery by. Note also that the publisher's measurement is neither loose-poured nor compacted: its standard test fills a five-gallon bucket in thirds and drops the bucket ten times from a foot after each third. That is a settled measurement by a defined protocol, and it is not directly comparable with the loose-versus-compacted figures a highway agency prints.

Oregon State University Extension Service — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

Oregon State University Extension bulk density of screened compost at 50 percent moisture — EM 9217 'Interpreting Compost Analyses', section 'Moisture and bulk density', PDF page 2 Effective from October 2018. The publication carries October 2018 on its face; no day of month is printed. Authors: Dan M. Sullivan, Andy I. Bary, Robert O. Miller and Linda J. Brewer. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

As a rule of thumb, screened composts that contain 50 percent moisture will have a bulk density of about 1,000 lb/cu yd. Very wet composts can have a bulk density of over 1,500 lb/cu yd.
Oregon State University Extension as-is bulk density range for compost

Weight of one cubic yard, lightest (pounds)

800 — in the quote: “bulk density can range from 800 to more than 1,600 lb/cu yd”

Weight of one cubic yard, heaviest (pounds)

1,600 — in the quote: “more than 1,600 lb/cu yd”

The full published spread, which is the honest reason no single compost weight is used to convert anything here: the heavy end is twice the light end, and which end a delivery lands on depends on how wet it was when it was loaded.

Oregon State University Extension Service — University extension service

Used by: Topsoil

Oregon State University Extension as-is bulk density range for compost — EM 9217 'Interpreting Compost Analyses', glossary entry for as-is bulk density, PDF page 10 Effective from October 2018. The publication carries October 2018 on its face; no day of month is printed. Same Oregon State University publication as the screened-compost weight entry, cited at a second page because the two statements are made in different places and a reader checking one should not have to hunt for the other. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

Depending on moisture content, particle size, and compaction, bulk density can range from 800 to more than 1,600 lb/cu yd.
Los Angeles County Public Works volume-to-weight conversion figures for soil

Weight of one cubic yard, dry (pounds)

2,025

Weight of one cubic yard, wet (pounds)

2,106

EXCAVATED SOIL, not screened topsoil, and the distinction is the whole reason this node is stored rather than used. It comes from a county public-works conversion table whose purpose is estimating landfill tonnage from a truckload, so its 'Soil' line is dug ground - the material that comes OUT of a site, which is denser and stonier than the screened, amended product a garden center delivers. Quoted here so a reader who has been given a weight by a hauler has something published to compare it against, and warned about so nobody mistakes it for a garden-soil figure.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Environmental Programs Division — Government publication

Used by: Topsoil

Los Angeles County Public Works volume-to-weight conversion figures for soil — Conversion Table, soil rows, page 1. The document states that its conversion factors are those used by the California Integrated Waste Management Board Effective from 2020. The PDF carries no publication date on its face. The year recorded is the year of retrieval and the precision is set to 'year' so no month or day is printed that the publisher did not. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Conversion Table

Note: 1 ton = 2,000 lbs

Material Type Volume Amount Equal Approximate Weight

Soil, Dry 1 cubic yard = 2,025 lbs
Soil, Wet 1 cubic yard = 2,106 lbs

Transcriber’s note: Transcribed as rows rather than quoted as a sentence: the figures live in a table and the publisher writes no prose around them. Only the two soil rows of the conversion table are transcribed.
California Integrated Waste Management Board conversion factor for loose soil or sandy loam (archived; agency dissolved 2010)

Weight of one cubic yard (pounds)

2,392

Condition this applies to

loose

The closest thing to a published weight for garden-type soil that this project could find, and it comes with three warnings, all of which are why it is stored and never computed from. First, the agency that published it - the California Integrated Waste Management Board - no longer exists; it was folded into CalRecycle in 2010, and the page survives only in a web archive, which is what the link goes to. Second, the table is a waste-diversion conversion chart for estimating hauled tonnage, not a horticultural or geotechnical reference. Third, the agency attributed the figure to a third-party research institute rather than measuring it, so it is a citation of a citation. It says 'loose' and says nothing about moisture, which for soil is the variable that moves the number most.

California Integrated Waste Management Board (dissolved into CalRecycle in 2010); figure attributed by the agency to the Tellus Institute — Government publication

Used by: Topsoil

California Integrated Waste Management Board conversion factor for loose soil or sandy loam (archived; agency dissolved 2010) — Diversion Study Guide, Appendix I 'Conversion Factors: Construction and Demolition', row 'Soil/sandy loam, loose'. The 'Study' column names the Tellus Institute as the underlying source Effective from December 7, 2009. The page footer shows 'Last updated: December 07, 2009', which is an automatic template timestamp; a comment in the page source puts the last structural edit at 18 October 2007. Both are recorded here rather than one being chosen. The link is to a web archive snapshot because the publishing agency and its domain no longer exist. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Material/Item Size/Amount Study LB.

Soil/sandy loam, loose 1 cubic yard Tellus 2,392

Transcriber’s note: One row of the archived page’s appendix, recorded in August 2026 under its heading “Appendix I, Conversion Factors: Construction and Demolition”. The archive answered HTTP 429 on October 11, 2026, so the row was not re-read.
Scotts Premium Topsoil bag size

Cubic feet

0.75 — in the quote: “One 0.75 cu. ft. bag”

Product

Scotts Premium Topsoil

Area one bag covers, as the maker prints it (square feet)

4 — in the quote: “covers 4 sq. ft.”

Layer that coverage is for (inches)

2 — in the quote: “a 2-inch layer”

Soil one bag places at that coverage (cubic feet)

0.6666666666666666 — worked out by ConcreteTally: 4 square feet a bag at a 2-inch layer, both printed in the same sentence: 0.67 cu ft of soil in place. — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note

One named product's bag size, and nothing more than that. Bagged soil is sold in at least four sizes and the number is printed on every bag. A second brand's two-cubic-foot bag was checked and left out: its product page refuses automated requests, and this site does not cite a page it cannot re-verify on every deploy.
Scotts’ coverage line for this bag. Spread 2 inches deep, the bag’s 0.75 cu ft would cover 4.5 sq ft, so the line works out to 0.67 cu ft of spread soil a bag; the topsoil calculator counts these bags by it, the larger count.
The soil one bag places at the maker’s own coverage, 4 sq ft at a 2-inch layer: ConcreteTally’s arithmetic on the two figures Scotts prints in one sentence, kept unrounded because the bag count is divided by it. The maker prints the 2-inch coverage only; the topsoil calculator takes the same 0.67 cu ft a bag at any depth, which is its reading.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Topsoil

Scotts Premium Topsoil bag size — Product page for Scotts Premium Topsoil, 'Overview', fifth bullet Effective from 2026. The product page prints no publication or revision date. The year recorded is the year of retrieval, at 'year' precision, so the page never shows a day the publisher did not print. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

One 0.75 cu. ft. bag of Scotts® Premium Topsoil Lawn & Garden Soil Conditioner covers 4 sq. ft. when applied in a 2-inch layer

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. Scotts’ product page gives two figures for this bag that do not agree. It sells the bag as 0.75 cu ft, and it says one bag “covers 4 sq. ft. when applied in a 2-inch layer”. Spread 2 inches deep, 0.75 cu ft would cover 4.5 sq ft; 4 sq ft at 2 inches is 0.67 cu ft. The page does not say why. It sells the bag for layers of 1 to 3 inches and states that coverage at 2 inches, inside that range. The topsoil calculator counts these bags by the coverage line, at 0.67 cu ft of spread soil a bag whatever the depth, the figure that gives more bags (about one more for every eight), so the count never falls short of Scotts’ own coverage. Its bag line therefore prints no total in cubic feet: the count times the 0.75 cu ft each bag is sold as is more than the bags spread.

Same page, Overview: To use as lawn soil, spread 1-2 inches of topsoil onto your lawn area, mix into the top 1-2 inches of native soil and level, seed, then water thoroughly
Same page, Overview: To use as gardening soil for existing gardens, apply 1-2 inches of topsoil, spread and gently mix into native soil; For new gardens, apply 2-3 inches of topsoil, mix into top 6-8 inches of native soil and level and water thoroughly

This is the pack size published for one named TOPSOIL product. The same page says 'This product is for in-ground use only.' and 'Not for use in container gardening', and sells it to mix into native soil; it says nothing about raised beds. This site takes those words as a reason to count in this bag only on the new-lawn and garden-bed jobs; for either raised-bed job, bag mode gives the topsoil as a volume. Compost is not counted in this bag; when buying in bags, compost and soilless mix are answered as a volume. The bag’s volume, its maker’s name and its maker’s coverage are read from this node - nothing about the material in it.

Material Type	Volume Amount	Equal	Approximate Weight
Soil, Dry	1 cubic yard	=	2,025 lbs
Soil, Wet	1 cubic yard	=	2,106 lbs

Material/Item	Size/Amount	Study	LB.
Soil/sandy loam, loose	1 cubic yard	Tellus	2,392

Grass seed

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Grass seed

Purdue University Extension and University of Illinois Extension seeding rates for lawns

Kentucky bluegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 1.5
Kentucky bluegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 2.0
Tall fescue — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 6.0
Tall fescue — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 9.0 — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note
Kentucky bluegrass — the grass as this publisher names it: Kentucky bluegrass
Tall fescue — the grass as this publisher names it: tall fescue

A joint publication of two universities, which is unusual and worth knowing: the rate is one recommendation carrying two institutions rather than two agreeing. It prints no rate for perennial ryegrass or fine fescue on their own, only inside blends, and does not say why.

Purdue University Extension and University of Illinois Extension — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

Purdue University Extension and University of Illinois Extension seeding rates for lawns — AY-3-W 'Establishing Turfgrass Areas From Seed', page 2, Table 2 'Recommended seeding rates for lawns in Indiana and Illinois' Effective from May 2006. The publication is marked as revised 5/2006; no day of month is printed. Authors: Reicher, Bigelow and Patton (Purdue), Voigt (Illinois). It is the second oldest of the four rate tables used here - Rutgers’ fact sheet, dated February 2004, is older - and it is recorded as dated rather than quietly refreshed. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 2. Recommended seeding rates for lawns in Indiana and Illinois.

Seed Blend or Mixture	Seeding rate lbs./1000 ft2	lbs./acre
100% Kentucky bluegrass	1.5-2.0	65-87
85-90% Kentucky bluegrass + 10-15% perennial rye	3.0-4.0	130-175
50-70% Kentucky bluegrass + 30-50% fine fescue	4.0-5.0	175-220
100% tall fescue	6.0-9.0	261-348 see the note

85-90% Kentucky bluegrass + 10-15% perennial rye; 50-70% Kentucky bluegrass + 30-50% fine fescue: Purdue and Illinois print perennial ryegrass and fine fescue only inside these two Kentucky bluegrass blends and print no rate for either grass on its own; the publication does not say why. The grass seed calculator does not offer blends, so it reads neither row.

Transcriber’s note: Transcribed as rows, not quoted as a sentence: the rates live in a table and the publisher writes no prose figure for them. The printed “fi” ligature in “fine fescue” is written as two letters.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. Purdue and Illinois print their tall fescue rate twice in the same row of their table, and the two columns do not agree at the heavy end. The per-1,000-square-foot column says 6.0-9.0; the per-acre column says 261-348. An acre is 43,560 square feet, so 6.0 pounds per 1,000 square feet is 261 pounds per acre, as printed, but 9.0 would be 392, and 348 pounds per acre is 8.0 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Both columns are transcribed as the publication prints them, and the publication does not say which is right. ConcreteTally takes Purdue and Illinois’ heavy end as 9, from the per-1,000-square-foot column: it is in the unit the grass seed calculator works in, and it is the heavier of the two, so it cannot leave a lawn short of seed. Read from the per-acre column instead, Purdue and Illinois’ rate would be 8, one-ninth less seed.

Penn State Extension suggested seed mixtures and seeding rates for Pennsylvania lawns

Kentucky bluegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 2
Kentucky bluegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 3
Tall fescue — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 6
Tall fescue — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 8
Perennial ryegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 4
Perennial ryegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 5
Fine fescue — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 4
Fine fescue — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 5
Tall fescue — the grass as this publisher names it: turf-type tall fescue
Kentucky bluegrass — the grass as this publisher names it: Kentucky bluegrass
Perennial ryegrass — the grass as this publisher names it: perennial ryegrass
Fine fescue — the grass as this publisher names it: fine fescues

The most recently updated of the four tables, and the only one of them that also prints an overseeding figure - for perennial ryegrass alone, stored separately. Its tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass rates are its rows for sunny, well-drained sites. It prints fine fescue on its own only for partly and fully shaded areas, at 4 to 5 pounds in both, and that is the rate stored here; the grass seed calculator does not ask about shade, because sun and shade are a judgment about a reader’s own garden rather than a number it can be given.

Penn State Extension, The Pennsylvania State University — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

Penn State Extension suggested seed mixtures and seeding rates for Pennsylvania lawns — 'Lawn Establishment', Table 1 'Some suggested seed mixtures for home lawns, parks, grounds, and commercial properties in Pennsylvania': the single-species rows for sunny, well-drained soils, and the fine fescue row for partially shaded areas Effective from September 19, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 1. Some suggested seed mixtures for home lawns, parks, grounds, and commercial properties in Pennsylvania.

Species	Seed Rate (lb/1000 sq ft)	% by weight in Seed Mixture
Sunny areas and well-drained soils:
Turf-type tall fescue	6-8	100
Kentucky bluegrass	2-3	100
Perennial ryegrass	4-5	100
Kentucky bluegrass + perennial ryegrass	2-3	80-90 10-20
Kentucky bluegrass + fine fescues + perennial ryegrass	3-4	40-60 20-40 10
Partially-shaded areas:
Fines fescues + Kentucky bluegrass + perennial ryegrass	4	40-50 40-50 10
Turf type tall fescue	6-8	100
Fine fescues	4-5	100
Fully-shaded areas:
Fine fescues	4-5	100
Rough bluegrass	2-3	100
Overseeding or renovation of lawns:
Perennial ryegrass	4-6	100

Kentucky bluegrass + perennial ryegrass; Kentucky bluegrass + fine fescues + perennial ryegrass; Fines fescues + Kentucky bluegrass + perennial ryegrass: Mixtures; the grass seed calculator does not offer them.

Turf type tall fescue: The same 6 to 8 pounds as the sunny tall fescue row this entry reads; the grass seed calculator does not ask about shade.

Fine fescues: The same 4 to 5 pounds as the partially shaded fine fescue row this entry reads.

Rough bluegrass: Not offered on the grass seed calculator: rough bluegrass.

Perennial ryegrass: Read by Penn State’s separate overseeding entry.

Transcriber’s note: Every row of the table is transcribed, under its printed group heading. “Fines fescues” is the publisher’s spelling.

Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension seeding rates by species

Kentucky bluegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 2
Kentucky bluegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 2
Tall fescue — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 4
Tall fescue — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 6
Perennial ryegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 4
Perennial ryegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 6
Fine fescue — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 4
Fine fescue — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft): 6
Kentucky bluegrass — the grass as this publisher names it: Kentucky Bluegrass
Tall fescue — the grass as this publisher names it: tall fescues
Fine fescue — the grass as this publisher names it: fine fescues
Perennial ryegrass — the grass as this publisher names it: perennial ryegrass

The bluegrass figure is published as a single approximate number rather than a range, so both ends of it are the same number here and the page shows one figure rather than pretending to a spread the publisher did not print. This is also the lightest tall fescue recommendation of the four, at 4 to 6 against Purdue and Illinois' 6 to 9 - the widest single disagreement in this table, although Purdue and Illinois' own per-acre column puts their top at 8 (their entry explains).

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension seeding rates by species — Fact sheet FS584 'Seeding Your Lawn', the per-species subsections for Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescues, fine fescues and perennial ryegrass Effective from February 2004. Dated February 2004 on the fact sheet; no day is printed. The site footer carries a current copyright year, which is a site-wide automatic notice and not a revision date for this text, so it is not used here. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Arranged by ConcreteTally from the publisher’s paragraphs; the words in each row are theirs:

Kentucky Bluegrasses	Seeding rate is approximately 2 pounds per 1000 square feet.
Tall Fescues	Seeding rates are 4 to 6 pounds per 1000 square feet.
Fine Fescues	Seeding rates are 4 to 6 pounds per 1000 square feet.
Perennial Ryegrass	Seeding rates are 4 to 6 pounds per 1000 square feet.

Note: Due to less favorable growing conditions in spring plantings, increased seeding rates are suggested over fall seedings for all types of turfgrass.

Transcriber’s note: Recorded as a transcription rather than a quotation because the identical sentence - 'seeding rates are 4 to 6 pounds per 1000 square feet' - appears under three different species, so quoting it alone would not say which species it belonged to.

NC State Extension planting dates and seeding rates for cool- and warm-season lawn grasses

Kentucky bluegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

1.5 — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note

Kentucky bluegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

2

Tall fescue — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

6

Tall fescue — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

6

Bermudagrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

1

Bermudagrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

2

Zoysiagrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

1

Zoysiagrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

2

Kentucky bluegrass — the grass as this publisher names it

Kentucky bluegrass

Tall fescue — the grass as this publisher names it

tall fescue

Bermudagrass — the grass as this publisher names it

bermudagrass

Zoysiagrass — the grass as this publisher names it

zoysiagrass

The only one of the four that publishes rates for warm-season grasses, which is why bermudagrass and zoysiagrass are offered on this calculator under NC State's name and under nobody else's. Its tall fescue figure is a flat 6 rather than a range. It is also the source of the overseeding rule stored separately, and it says explicitly that perennial ryegrass is never seeded alone in North Carolina - so this calculator does not offer that combination.

NC State Extension, North Carolina State University — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

NC State Extension planting dates and seeding rates for cool- and warm-season lawn grasses — 'Carolina Lawns: A Guide to Maintaining Quality Turf in the Landscape' (AG-69), the cool-season and warm-season grass sections and Tables 2a, 2b and 2c Effective from July 2, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 2a. Planting dates and rates for cool- and warm-season grasses in the North Carolina mountains.

Lawn Grass Planting Rate per 1,000 Square Feet: Seed (pounds)

Kentucky bluegrass 1.5 to 2 see the note
Tall fescue 6

From the Kentucky bluegrass paragraph: Seeding rates range from 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 sq ft. see the note
From the tall fescue paragraph: Use a seeding rate of 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet (sq ft).
From the bermudagrass paragraph: Bermudagrass should be seeded at 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 sq ft.
From the fine fescue paragraph: Seed fine fescue at 1.5 pounds per 1,000 sq ft when mixed with either tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.
From the perennial ryegrass paragraph: In North Carolina it is never seeded alone but always mixed with other grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass.

Transcriber’s note: Of each of Tables 2a, 2b and 2c only the single-grass rows and the Seed (pounds) column are transcribed. Left out: the mixture rows (Kentucky bluegrass with fine fescue, tall fescue or perennial ryegrass), the Optimum Planting Date column, the two sprig columns with their notes a and b, and Bermudagrass (hybrid) and St. Augustinegrass, which print no seed figure. The note marked * belongs to the planting-date column; it is reproduced complete under Table 2c.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. NC State prints two rates for Kentucky bluegrass in the same publication. Its planting table for the North Carolina mountains gives 1.5 to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet; its paragraph on the grass says “Seeding rates range from 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 sq ft.” The heavier ends agree. ConcreteTally takes the lighter end of NC State’s new-lawn rate as the table’s 1.5, because the paragraph’s 1 would put that end a third lower than anything NC State’s own table allows.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 2b. Planting dates and rates for cool- and warm-season grasses in the North Carolina piedmont.

Lawn Grass Planting Rate per 1,000 Square Feet: Seed (pounds)

Bermudagrass 1 to 2
Bahiagrass 5
Centipedegrass 0.25 to 0.50
Tall fescue 6
Zoysiagrass 1 to 2

Bahiagrass; Centipedegrass: Not offered on the grass seed calculator: bahiagrass and centipedegrass. NC State prints a seed rate for both, and the rate, in pounds per 1,000 square feet, can be applied by hand.
Tall fescue: The same 6 pounds as the mountains row this entry reads.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 2c. Planting dates and rates for cool- and warm-season grasses in the North Carolina coastal plain.

Lawn Grass Planting Rate per 1,000 Square Feet: Seed (pounds)

Bermudagrass 1 to 2
Bahiagrass 5
Centipedegrass 0.25 to 0.50
Tall fescue 6
Zoysiagrass 1 to 2

* Seeding beyond these dates increases the chance of failure. Sod consisting of cool-season grasses can be installed any time the ground is not frozen. Warm-season grasses can be installed as long as soil temperature exceeds 55°F.

Every row: The coastal plain table prints the same seed rates as the piedmont table for every grass here, so the grass seed calculator reads the piedmont and mountains rows; the tables differ in planting dates, which are not transcribed.
NC State Extension rule for reducing the seeding rate when seeding into existing grass

Smallest published reduction when seeding into grass (%)

25 — in the quote: “a 25 to 50 percent lower seeding rate”

Largest published reduction when seeding into grass (%)

50 — in the quote: “50 percent lower seeding rate”

This is a RULE, not a table, and the difference matters enough that this calculator prints it. Only one of the four extension services prints a per-species overseeding rate, Penn State for perennial ryegrass, which is stored separately and used instead of this rule where it applies. For every other grass, what is published is NC State’s rule: use the seeding rates suggested for new establishment unless seeding into existing vegetation, when “a 25 to 50 percent lower seeding rate may be appropriate.” So an overseeding answer here is the chosen publisher’s own new-lawn rate with NC State’s reduction applied to it, and the page says both halves out loud. The smaller reduction is used for the order because running short of seed leaves bare ground that weeds reach first; the larger one is given as the lighter figure.

NC State Extension, North Carolina State University — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

NC State Extension rule for reducing the seeding rate when seeding into existing grass — 'Carolina Lawns' (AG-69), the paragraph on seeding rates immediately following the establishment tables Effective from July 2, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

Use the seeding rates as suggested for new establishment unless seeding into existing vegetation. In that case, a 25 to 50 percent lower seeding rate may be appropriate.
Penn State Extension overseeding and renovation rate for perennial ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass — lightest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

4

Perennial ryegrass — heaviest (lb per 1,000 sq ft)

6

The only published per-species overseeding rate found in any of the four documents, and it covers one species. Where the reader has chosen Penn State and perennial ryegrass, this figure is used directly instead of applying NC State's reduction rule to Penn State's new-lawn rate - a published number beats a rule applied to another number. Note what it implies: at 4 to 6 pounds it is HEAVIER than Penn State's own new-lawn ryegrass rate of 4 to 5, so the usual assumption that overseeding always takes less seed is not universal even within one publisher's own table.

Penn State Extension, The Pennsylvania State University — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

Penn State Extension overseeding and renovation rate for perennial ryegrass — 'Lawn Establishment', Table 1, the row headed 'Overseeding or renovation of lawns' Effective from September 19, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 1. Some suggested seed mixtures for home lawns, parks, grounds, and commercial properties in Pennsylvania.

Species Seed Rate (lb/1000 sq ft) % by weight in Seed Mixture

Overseeding or renovation of lawns:
Perennial ryegrass 4-6 100

Transcriber’s note: Only the overseeding group of Table 1 is transcribed in this entry; the whole table is transcribed under Penn State’s seeding-rate entry.
Iowa State University Extension on competition from established turf when overseeding

Wording used

Mow the lawn frequently to reduce the competition from the established turfgrass.

Quoted because it names the mechanism a seeding rate cannot express. Overseeding is not simply new seeding with less seed: the grass already there is competing with every seedling for light and water, which is why the published instruction is about mowing rather than about quantity. A calculator can give a weight and cannot give this, so it prints it.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

Iowa State University Extension on competition from established turf when overseeding — 'Overseeding a Lawn', Yard and Garden how-to guide, preparation section Effective from August 2024. The page shows 'Last reviewed: August 2024'; no day is printed. Retrieved September 5, 2026.

Mow the lawn frequently to reduce the competition from the established turfgrass.
Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade Mix bag size and coverage claim

Bag (pounds)

5.6 — in the quote: “one 5.6 lb. bag”

Bag covers, new lawn (square feet, the maker’s claim)

745 — in the quote: “will cover 745 sq. ft.”

Bag covers, overseeding (square feet, the maker’s claim)

2,240 — in the quote: “will cover 2,240 sq. ft.”

What the bag contains, as the maker lists it

Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, creeping red fescue, and chewings fescue, and hard fescue

The same page says ‘We’ve blended our best seeds with lawn food and a soil improver’ and prints ‘Fertilizer Analysis: 4-0-0 NPK’, so a 5.6 lb bag is not 5.6 lb of seed, and none of it is tall fescue. This is why the grass seed calculator counts no bag.
The bag’s weight and its coverage are stored as the maker prints them. The bag holds a blend of grasses with lawn food and a soil improver, so its weight over its coverage is not a seeding rate, and the grass seed calculator neither counts this bag nor compares it with any university’s rate.

The Scotts Company LLC (Scotts Miracle-Gro) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Grass seed

Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade Mix bag size and coverage claim — Product page for the 5.6 lb size, the 'how much do I need' question and the coverage specification block, the opening description and the 'Product Information' block Effective from 2026. The product page carries no publication or revision date. The year recorded is the year of retrieval, at year precision, so no month or day is shown that the publisher did not print. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

If you are renovating or seeding a new lawn, one 5.6 lb. bag will cover 745 sq. ft. If you are overseeding an existing lawn, a 5.6 lb. bag will cover 2,240 sq. ft. […] We've blended our best seeds with lawn food and a soil improver […] Fertilizer Analysis: 4-0-0 NPK Grass Type(s): Contains Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, creeping red fescue, and chewings fescue, and hard fescue
Penn State — how much of a bag counts against a seeding rate: pure live seed

What the rate counts

pure live seed

Pure seed in its worked example (%)

92 — in the quote: “92 percent pure seed”

Germination in its worked example (%)

80 — in the quote: “80 percent germination”

The two figures of Penn State’s own worked example of pure live seed. The grass seed calculator starts its two seed-label boxes at them, and names them as still the sample until a label’s own figures are entered.
Penn State’s own rule for its own rates: a pound in its table is a pound of pure live seed. The seed label’s pure-seed percentage for the grass times its germination percentage, divided by 100, is the percent pure live seed, and a bag counts as that percentage of its weight. The grass seed calculator applies it to Penn State’s rates only.

Penn State Extension, The Pennsylvania State University — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

Penn State — how much of a bag counts against a seeding rate: pure live seed — 'Lawn Establishment', section 'Seed Labels and Quality' — the list of what a label shows and the paragraphs on seed purity and pure live seed Effective from September 19, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

All species and cultivars of turfgrasses in the container must be listed on the seed label. The percent by weight of seed for each species and cultivar is also provided and is referred to as seed purity. […] However, be aware that in order to achieve the same quality of turf as with 'good seed' of high germination and purity, more seed is required. The amount of seed required to compensate for poor purity and germination can be determined by calculating percent pure live seed (PLS). Pure live seed indicates the amount of seed in the container that is capable of developing into seedlings. To calculate PLS, the percentage of pure seed of a cultivar is multiplied by the percent germination, and the product is divided by 100. For example, 92 percent pure seed of the cultivar x 80 percent germination / 100 = 74 percent PLS. To determine how much seed to plant, divide 100 by the percentage PLS (74 percent in this case). Thus, in this example, 100/74 = 1.35. Thus, 1.35 pounds of seed with a purity of 92 percent and a germination of 80 percent would be needed for each pound specified in the desired seed mixture.
NC State — a seed coating calls for a higher seeding rate

What a seed coating does to the rate

higher seeding rate

NC State Extension, North Carolina State University — University extension service

Used by: Grass seed

NC State — a seed coating calls for a higher seeding rate — 'Carolina Lawns' (AG-69), the bermudagrass paragraph under the warm-season grasses Effective from July 2, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Bermudagrass should be seeded at 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 sq ft. Many seed coatings will require a higher seeding rate to account for the added weight.
Federal seed testing rule — a coating is counted with the inert matter

How a seed coating is counted

inert matter

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service — Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 201 (Federal Seed Act regulations), via the eCFR — Government publication

Used by: Grass seed

Federal seed testing rule — a coating is counted with the inert matter — 7 CFR 201.51b 'Purity procedures for coated seed', paragraphs (b) and (f) Effective from December 14, 1994. The section’s own source note reads '[59 FR 64499, Dec. 14, 1994]'. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

(b) Any loose coating material shall be sieved, weighed, and included with the inert matter component. […] The percentage of coating material shall be included with the inert matter percentage. Calculate percentages of all components based on the original weight of the working sample (see paragraph (a) of this section).

About the link: This address always serves the current text of 7 CFR 201.51b, so what it shows changes whenever the section is amended. The paragraphs quoted here were read on October 11, 2026, when the page said 'up to date as of 10/08/2026'.

Lawn Grass	Planting Rate per 1,000 Square Feet: Seed (pounds)
Kentucky bluegrass	1.5 to 2 see the note
Tall fescue	6

Lawn Grass	Planting Rate per 1,000 Square Feet: Seed (pounds)
Bermudagrass	1 to 2
Bahiagrass	5
Centipedegrass	0.25 to 0.50
Tall fescue	6
Zoysiagrass	1 to 2

Lawn Grass	Planting Rate per 1,000 Square Feet: Seed (pounds)
Bermudagrass	1 to 2
Bahiagrass	5
Centipedegrass	0.25 to 0.50
Tall fescue	6
Zoysiagrass	1 to 2

Species	Seed Rate (lb/1000 sq ft)	% by weight in Seed Mixture
Overseeding or renovation of lawns:
Perennial ryegrass	4-6	100

Lumber framing

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Rafters , Fence

Standard lumber lengths — multiples of one foot or two feet

Permitted length step (feet)

1

Permitted length step, the other one (feet)

2

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Used by: Rafters , Fence

Standard lumber lengths — multiples of one foot or two feet — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, clause 5.3.1 "Standard" under 5.3 Lengths, printed page 13 (PDF page 13) Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation; the document cited is that edition. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

5.3.1 Standard-- Standard lengths of lumber shall be in multiples of 0.3048 m (1 foot) or 0.6096 m (2 feet) as specified in the certified grading rules.

Read what this does NOT say. It permits one-foot multiples as well as two-foot multiples, and it defers the actual list to each species' certified grading rules. So a closed set of even lengths is not a standard — it is what most yards happen to carry. This calculator steps its ladder in two feet because that rounds a board up, never down.

Where this copy comes from: The standard is written and published by NIST for the Department of Commerce; the copy linked here is hosted by the American Lumber Standard Committee, which administers the standard. It is the standard's own text, not a summary of it.
A board is never shorter than the length it is sold as

Never shorter than its nominal length

true

Most a board may exceed its nominal length (inches)

3

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Used by: Rafters , Fence

A board is never shorter than the length it is sold as — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, clause 5.3.2 "Trimmed", printed page 13 (PDF page 13) Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

5.3.2 Trimmed-- Unless otherwise stated in the contract of purchase, lumber shall be trimmed for the removal of spur and splintered ends, and if 2 inches or less in nominal thickness (except lath), shall be double-end-trimmed to a length that is not less than the nominal length and that is not more than 76 mm (3 inches) in excess of nominal length.

This is why a rafter of exactly 14 ft 0 in fits a 14 ft board: the standard guarantees the board is at least its nominal length. It also caps the bonus at three inches, which is why this calculator does NOT assume a second piece can be harvested from the over-length.

Where this copy comes from: Hosted by the American Lumber Standard Committee, which administers the standard. It is the standard's own text.
Lengths one sawmill manufactures its green Douglas fir dimension lumber in — 8 to 20 ft

Shortest (feet)

8

Longest (feet)

20

Applies to

green (unseasoned) Douglas fir dimension lumber and timbers, 2x4 through 4x12, from one named mill

South Coast Lumber Co. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Rafters , Fence

Lengths one sawmill manufactures its green Douglas fir dimension lumber in — 8 to 20 ft — Green Doug Fir Timbers, Dimension & Studs — mill capability paragraph A mill's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own. The sentence quoted is in the mill-capability paragraph above the Green Doug Fir dimension product table.

Our state-of-the-art sawmill manufactures lumber products in sizes from 2″X4″ through 2″X12″, 3″X4″ through 3″X12″ and 4″X4″ through 4″X12″. All dimensions are manufactured in 8′ to 20′ lengths.

This is ONE mill's range for ONE product line — green Douglas fir. The same mill's page lists precut studs separately at other lengths. It is offered as a named range a reader can recognize, not as the trade's answer.
Length range a grading agency states dimension lumber is available in — 6 to 24 ft

Shortest (feet)

6

Longest (feet)

24

Southern Pine Inspection Bureau — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters , Fence

Length range a grading agency states dimension lumber is available in — 6 to 24 ft — Nominal Vs Actual Lumber Sizes — the paragraph on lumber lengths The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the range is stated in the article's discussion of how lumber is sold.

The length of dimension lumber can range from 6 to 24 feet

The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau is a grading agency, but this figure comes from its blog rather than from a grading rule document, so it is recorded as an industry article rather than as a standard. It is a wider range than the single mill above, which is the point of offering both.
Lengths over 20 ft need their supply confirmed before you plan around them

Confirm supply above (feet)

20

American Wood Council — Trade association standard

Used by: Rafters , Fence

Lengths over 20 ft need their supply confirmed before you plan around them — Span Tables for Joists and Rafters, 2024 Edition — the standing footnote printed beneath every span table (PDF page 19 is Table R-1) Effective from 2024. The document is titled the 2024 Edition; it carries no month or day. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Spans are shown in feet-inches and are limited to 26' and less. Check sources of supply for availability of lumber in lengths greater than 20'.
What a nominal 2x board actually measures, surfaced and dry

Nominal 2 in thickness, dressed (inches)

1-1/2 (1.5)

Nominal 4 in width, dressed (inches)

3-1/2 (3.5)

Nominal 6 in width, dressed (inches)

5-1/2 (5.5)

Nominal 8 in width, dressed (inches)

7-1/4 (7.25)

Nominal 10 in width, dressed (inches)

9-1/4 (9.25)

Nominal 12 in width, dressed (inches)

11-1/4 (11.25)

American Wood Council — Trade association standard

Used by: Rafters

What a nominal 2x board actually measures, surfaced and dry — Span Tables for Joists and Rafters, 2024 Edition — Explanation of Tables, section 3 LUMBER SIZES (printed page 1, PDF page 7) Effective from 2024. The document is titled the 2024 Edition; it carries no month or day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Tabulated spans apply to surfaced (S4S) lumber having dimensions which conform to the American Softwood Lumber Standard, PS 20-20. These sizes are as follows:

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Nominal Size Actual Surfaced Dry Size

2 x 4 1-1/2 x 3-1/2
2 x 6 1-1/2 x 5-1/2
2 x 8 1-1/2 x 7-1/4
2 x 10 1-1/2 x 9-1/4
2 x 12 1-1/2 x 11-1/4

Transcriber’s note: The table prints no title of its own; it sits under the section heading LUMBER SIZES.

This calculator uses two numbers from this table. The THICKNESS, 1-1/2 in, is what a nominal 2x ridge board measures and therefore what gets deducted. The 2x12 WIDTH, 11-1/4 in, the deepest size listed, sets how much board is kept for the slant of two plumb cuts — the depth times the rise for every 12 of run, divided by 12 — because the calculator does not choose the size. The other widths are recorded because a reader choosing a rafter size needs to know a 2x8 is 7-1/4 in deep, not 8.
Minimum dressed sizes, as the standard itself sets them

Nominal 2 in thickness, dressed dry (inches)

1-1/2 (1.5)

Nominal 2 in thickness, dressed green (inches)

1-9/16 (1.5625)

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard — Government publication

Minimum dressed sizes, as the standard itself sets them — Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, Table 3 "Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers", Dimension block, printed page 16 (PDF page 16) Effective from 2020. PS 20-20 carries the year 2020 in its designation. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

5.2 Dressed sizes-- Dressed sizes of lumber shall equal or exceed the minimum sizes shown in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 3. Nominal and minimum-dressed sizes of boards, dimension, and timbers.

Dimension, thickness, nominal 2 inch: Minimum Dressed, Dry 1-1/2
Dimension, thickness, nominal 2 inch: Minimum Dressed, Green 1-9/16

Transcriber’s note: Only the dimension rows of nominal 2-inch thickness are transcribed, in inches; each is given the heading cells it is printed under.

The quoted sentence is clause 5.2, which is what makes the table binding; the two stored figures are read out of Table 3 itself and are transcribed below rather than presented as wording. The standard sets a MINIMUM, and a different one for green lumber: nominal 2 in dresses to 1-1/2 in dry and 1-9/16 in green. A green ridge board is therefore a sixteenth of an inch thicker than the default this calculator uses, which moves a rafter run by a thirty-second of an inch.

Where this copy comes from: Hosted by the American Lumber Standard Committee, which administers the standard.
The rafter spacings the published span tables are drawn for

12 in on center

12.0

16 in on center

16.0

19.2 in on center

19.2

24 in on center

24.0

American Wood Council — Trade association standard

Used by: Rafters

The rafter spacings the published span tables are drawn for — Span Tables for Joists and Rafters, 2024 Edition — the "Spacing (in)" column heading every rafter table (PDF page 19 is Table R-1) Effective from 2024. The document is titled the 2024 Edition; it carries no month or day. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

SPACING (in.)

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Spacing (in)

12.0
16.0
19.2
24.0

Transcriber’s note: The spacing column printed at the left of every rafter table; its four values, once.

The four spacings are the column headings of every rafter table in that document. They are transcribed rather than quoted because a column heading has no sentence to quote — the figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ours. This calculator offers only these four, and does not explain why 19.2 in exists: the value is published, the folklore is not.
Beyond 24 in on center the published tables stop applying

Widest spacing the tables cover (inches)

24

American Wood Council — Trade association standard

Beyond 24 in on center the published tables stop applying — Span Tables for Joists and Rafters, 2024 Edition — Explanation of Tables, section 1 SCOPE (printed page 1, PDF page 7) Effective from 2024. The document is titled the 2024 Edition; it carries no month or day. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

These span tables assume installation of at least three joists or rafters that are spaced not more than 24" on center.
A rafter's span is measured flat, not up the slope

American Wood Council — Trade association standard

Used by: Rafters

A rafter's span is measured flat, not up the slope — Span Tables for Joists and Rafters, 2024 Edition — Explanation of Tables, section 5 SPAN MEASUREMENT (printed page 1, PDF page 7) Effective from 2024. The document is titled the 2024 Edition; it carries no month or day. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Tabulated spans are the distance from face to face of supports. For sloping rafters the span is measured along the horizontal projection. The commentary provides further information on span measurements including a chart which converts horizontal distances to sloping distances, or vice versa.

This is the single most expensive misunderstanding this calculator can prevent. A reader who measures up the roof surface and enters that as the span gets a longer board than the job needs on every rafter, and nothing on the screen looks wrong.
What "6 in 12" means — inches of rise per twelve inches of level run

Run (inches)

12

InspectAPedia (Daniel Friedman) — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters

What "6 in 12" means — inches of rise per twelve inches of level run — Framing square rafter tables — definition of roof slope The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the definition is in the article's opening description of roof slope.

the slope of a roof or rafter is its angle off of dead flat or horizontal, expressed as the number of inches of rise or increase in height per foot or 12" of horizontal run or distance.
The older "quarter pitch" naming, and what it is in rise-per-12 terms

Quarter pitch — rise per 12 (inches)

6

One-third pitch — rise per 12 (inches)

8

One-sixth pitch — rise per 12 (inches)

4

Integrated Publishing (tpub.com), reproducing U.S. Army Engineer School subcourse EN5156 — Industry technical article

The older "quarter pitch" naming, and what it is in rise-per-12 terms — Rafter Tables On A Framing Square — the paragraph accompanying the framing-square rafter-table figures The reproduction carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the passage is in the section on reading rafter tables.

The figures show that a rafter with a run of 12 and a rise of 4 has 1/6 pitch. A 12 run, 6-inch rise has 1/4 pitch. A 12 run, 8-inch rise has 1/3 pitch.

Recorded so a reader who has been handed a drawing marked "1/4 pitch" can translate it. The calculator asks for rise per 12 and does not accept the fraction form, because the two are read out of the same drawing and mixing them silently halves or doubles the roof.

Where this copy comes from: This is a commercial site's reproduction of an Army Engineer School subcourse, not a government-hosted copy. It is recorded as an industry article for that reason, not as a government publication.
Published rafter length per foot of run at a 6 in 12 pitch — 13.42 in

Rafter length per foot of run (inches)

13.42 — in the quote: “A common rafter will be 13.42" long per foot of horizontal run”

Rise per 12 of run (inches)

6 — in the quote: “on a 6/12 slope roof”

InspectAPedia (Daniel Friedman) — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters

Published rafter length per foot of run at a 6 in 12 pitch — 13.42 in — Framing square rafter tables — common rafter length per foot of run The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the figure is stated in the walk-through of the framing square's rafter table.

A common rafter will be 13.42" long per foot of horizontal run on a 6/12 slope roof.

The exact value is 13.41640786…; the framing square, and this publisher, print it to two decimals. The calculator computes the exact figure and is checked against the printed one to the nearest hundredth of an inch.
Published rafter length per foot of run at a 16 in 12 pitch — exactly 20 in

Rafter length per foot of run (inches)

20 — in the quote: “appears the number 20.00 inches”

Rise per 12 of run (inches)

16 — in the quote: “a rise of 16 inches”

Integrated Publishing (tpub.com), reproducing U.S. Army Engineer School subcourse EN5156 — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters

Published rafter length per foot of run at a 16 in 12 pitch — exactly 20 in — Rafter Tables On A Framing Square — the worked reading of the first line of the framing-square rafter table The reproduction carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the figure is in the rafter-table reading example.

under the 16-inch mark appears the number 20.00 inches. This number equals the length of a rafter with a run of 12 inches and a rise of 16 inches.

A second publisher, and a case with no rounding in it at all: 12 and 16 are two sides of a 3-4-5 triangle scaled by four, so the rafter is exactly 20 inches per foot of run. A units bug cannot hide behind a tolerance here.

Where this copy comes from: A commercial site's reproduction of an Army Engineer School subcourse, not a government-hosted copy.
Deducting the ridge — take the whole ridge thickness off the building width, once

THISisCarpentry (article by Mike Sloggatt) — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters

Deducting the ridge — take the whole ridge thickness off the building width, once — Common rafter framing — working out the run Effective from November 9, 2012. The article carries its own publication date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the passage is in the worked example near the start of the article.

the first thing I do is deduct the full width of the ridge beam from the building width: in this example 6 ft. 3/4 in. – 1 ½ in. = 5 ft. 11 1/4 in.

Deduct ONCE. Taking the full ridge off the width and then also taking half of it off the run is a double deduction. It takes three quarters of an inch off the RUN of every rafter, and a rafter is its run carried up the slope - so the board itself comes out about 0.84 in short at the 6 in 12 of the worked example in this same file, and more on a steeper roof.
Each rafter is pushed out by half the ridge board's thickness

Half a nominal 2x, dressed (inches)

0.75

InspectAPedia (Daniel Friedman) — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters

Each rafter is pushed out by half the ridge board's thickness — Framing square rafter tables — subtract half of ridge board thickness The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the passage is under the heading about the bird's mouth cut.

if you are using a 2x as a ridge board and your 2x is thus 1 1/2" thick, your rafter is pushed out by half of that ridge board thickness or 3/4"

The same deduction as the entry above, stated per rafter instead of per building. Half of 1-1/2 in is 3/4 in, and half of the NOMINAL 2 in would be 1 in. Using the nominal figure therefore takes a quarter inch MORE off each rafter's run, so every rafter comes out a quarter inch SHORT of the ridge - not long. (Corrected 2026-09-14: this note said long, for the whole life of the file, while the green-lumber entry beside it described the same relationship the other way round.)
A published worked example — 6 ft 3/4 in wide, 6 in 12, 1-1/2 in ridge

Building width (inches)

72.75 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The article's building width, "6 ft. 3/4 in.": 72.75 in.

Ridge board thickness (inches)

1.5 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The ridge beam the article deducts, "1 ½ in.": 1.5 in.

Rise per 12 of run (inches)

6 — in the quote: “I enter the number 6 into the calculator”

Run (inches)

35.625

Rise (inches)

17.8125

Rafter line length (inches)

39.8125

THISisCarpentry (article by Mike Sloggatt) — Industry technical article

Used by: Rafters

A published worked example — 6 ft 3/4 in wide, 6 in 12, 1-1/2 in ridge — Common rafter framing — the worked example on the author's construction calculator Effective from November 9, 2012. The article carries its own publication date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the worked example runs through the first third of the article.

The building width, in this example, is 6 ft. 3/4 in., including the sheathing. […] I divide that by 2 to get the actual run of each rafter. The result on my Construction Master calculator is 2 ft. 11 5/8 in. […] I press the Rise key, and write that number down: 1 ft. 5 13/16 in. […] All I have to do is press the Diag key, and the calculator displays the measurement: 3 ft. 3 13/16 in.

The same article, the step before the width is halved: the first thing I do is deduct the full width of the ridge beam from the building width: in this example 6 ft. 3/4 in. – 1 ½ in. = 5 ft. 11 1/4 in.
The same article, the pitch it enters: I need one more element, and in this case I know the pitch of the roof, which is 6/12. So I enter the number 6 into the calculator, followed by the Inch key, and then press the Pitch key.

The author's calculator rounds to the nearest sixteenth of an inch, so its 3 ft 3-13/16 in is 39.8125 in against an exact 39.82996 in. The whole chain — deduct, halve, rise, diagonal — is checked against this example to within a thirty-second of an inch, which is the rounding the source itself introduced.

Nominal Size	Actual Surfaced Dry Size
2 x 4	1-1/2 x 3-1/2
2 x 6	1-1/2 x 5-1/2
2 x 8	1-1/2 x 7-1/4
2 x 10	1-1/2 x 9-1/4
2 x 12	1-1/2 x 11-1/4

Dimension, thickness, nominal 2 inch: Minimum Dressed, Dry	1-1/2
Dimension, thickness, nominal 2 inch: Minimum Dressed, Green	1-9/16

Spacing (in)
12.0
16.0
19.2
24.0

Paver base

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Paver base

Minimum compacted aggregate base thickness — patio and walkway vs residential driveway

Patio, walkway or other pedestrian area (inches)

4

Residential driveway (inches)

6

Condition this applies to

over well-drained soils, measured after compaction

Measured AFTER compaction, which is what makes these figures usable here: every tonnage on this page is worked out from a finished layer, not from what arrives on the truck. The same paragraph names the four things that actually decide the thickness - traffic, soil type, subgrade drainage and climate - and a calculator can see none of them.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Minimum compacted aggregate base thickness — patio and walkway vs residential driveway — Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, section 'SPREADING AND COMPACTING THE SUBBASE AND/OR BASE AGGREGATES', paragraph beginning 'The thickness of the base is determined by traffic', page 4 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The thickness of the base is determined by traffic, soil type, subgrade soil drainage and moisture, and climate. Sidewalks, patios and pedestrian areas should have a minimum base thickness (after compaction) of 4 in. (100 mm) over well-drained soils. Residential driveways on well-drained soils should be at least 6 in. (150 mm) thick. In colder climates, continually wet or weak soils will require that bases be thicker.
Published minimum aggregate base thickness range by application

Walks, thinnest published (inches)

4 — in the quote: “walks should be 4 to 6 in.”

Walks, thickest published (inches)

6 — in the quote: “6 in. (100 to 150 mm), driveways”

Driveways, thinnest published (inches)

6 — in the quote: “driveways 6 to 8 in.”

Driveways, thickest published (inches)

8 — in the quote: “8 in. (150 to 200 mm), and streets”

Streets, thinnest published (inches)

8 — in the quote: “streets 8 to 12 in.”

Streets, thickest published (inches)

12 — in the quote: “12 in. (200 to 300 mm)”

The same association's application guide, printing a range where the tech spec prints a floor. The floor is what this calculator warns against going under; the range is what it shows a reader deciding.

Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Published minimum aggregate base thickness range by application — Tech Spec 10 Application Guide, 'Aggregate Base' paragraph under the installation guidelines, page 3 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Minimum aggregate base thickness for walks should be 4 to 6 in. (100 to 150 mm), driveways 6 to 8 in. (150 to 200 mm), and streets 8 to 12 in. (200 to 300 mm).
Extra base thickness for cold climates, continually wet soil or weak soil (2020 edition)

Withdrawn by its publisher

true

Least (inches)

2

Most (inches)

4

WITHDRAWN BY ITS OWN PUBLISHER, and stored only so that the withdrawal is visible. The 2020 edition of this tech spec said a base in a cold climate or over continually wet or weak soil must be at least two to four inches thicker. The March 2022 edition replaced that sentence with "will require that bases be thicker" and prints no number at all. This calculator cannot read the figure - the flattener drops any node marked superseded before an engine sees it - and the page passes the current wording on instead: add depth, and get somebody who can see the ground to say how much.

Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Extra base thickness for cold climates, continually wet soil or weak soil (2020 edition) — ICPI Tech Spec 2, 'Spreading and Compacting the Subbase and/or Base Aggregates', paragraph beginning 'The thickness of the base is determined by traffic', PDF page 5 (bulletin page 4) Effective from February 1, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

In colder climates, continually wet or weak soils will require that bases be at least 2 to 4 in. (50 to 100 mm) thicker.
What the aggregate base material must be

What to use

the same aggregate base used locally under asphalt pavement

Standard to use where there is no local one

ASTM D2940

Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

What the aggregate base material must be — Tech Spec 10 Application Guide, 'Aggregate Base' paragraph, first two sentences, page 3 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Aggregate base materials should conform to that used under asphalt. If no local, state, or provincial standards exist, then the requirements for aggregate base in ASTM D2940 are recommended.
What the stone base is: dense-graded aggregate to ASTM D2940, where no local base specification exists

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

dense-graded aggregate

Standard

ASTM D2940

The stone the paver base calculator names on its purchase line, in the association’s words, with the grading standard printed with it on the card and the printed sheet. The association’s first choice is the aggregate base a city, state or province already specifies under asphalt; it gives the D2940 grading for where there is none. The tonnage on the page is worked at Wisconsin DOT’s in-place figure for its own dense-graded base; treating that figure as close enough for this stone is ConcreteTally’s judgment, which the line says.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base
What the stone base is: dense-graded aggregate to ASTM D2940, where no local base specification exists
- The paragraph — page 4
- Table 4 and its title — page 3
— Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, “Spreading and compacting the subbase and/or base aggregates”, first two sentences (page 4), and the title of Table 4 they point to (page 3) Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
Specifications typically used by cities, states, or provinces for aggregate base materials under flexible asphalt pavements are adequate for interlocking concrete pavements. If no specifications are available use the recommended grading for the aggregate base shown in Table 4. […] Table 4. Grading Reqirements for Dense Graded Aggregate per ASTM D2940

The quotation runs from page 4 back to the title of the table it names, on page 3; the bracketed ellipsis marks the jump. “Reqirements” is the publisher’s spelling. A doubled space in the PDF’s text layer (“used by”) is transcribed as one.
How far the compacted base runs past edging staked into it

Distance past the spikes, in compacted base thicknesses

1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The association says the distance "shall be equal to the thickness of the base": one base thickness, a ratio of 1.

Most (inches)

10

Measured from

the spikes of an edge restraint staked into the base

Applies to

edge restraints of any material staked into the aggregate base with spikes

The association measures this distance from the SPIKES that hold the edging, not from the paving. Its edge-restraint tech note (PAV-TEC-003-22) allows the spikes of aluminum and steel edging to sit "below the pavers or on the outside of the restraints", so how far the spikes sit from the paving depends on the edging and is that edging maker's figure, which this table does not carry. The calculator counts the strip from the paving edge, so the strip actually dug may be somewhat wider or narrower than the one counted. The association's application guide (PAV-TEC-010-22, the same text as the ICPI Tech Spec 10 this table already cites) says the distance "should equal the base thickness" for commercial applications; for residential projects it says only that the distance "should be consistent, not be greater than 10 in." The tech note gives at least the thickness of the base as a rule of thumb, with no ceiling. The association also publishes two current guide specifications for pavers on an aggregate base, both revised August 21, 2025: the one this calculator counts from (PAV-GSP-011), which stops the distance at ten inches, and a version of it that adds LEED submittals (PAV-GSP-012), which prints the same rule with no ten-inch cap, as did the association's 2013 guide specification (PAV-TEC-009-13). Above ten inches, then, the association's own documents disagree. For a base of ten inches or less the base thickness fits every one of them; for a deeper base this calculator counts the capped figure from PAV-GSP-011, which is less stone than the uncapped documents would call for.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base
How far the compacted base runs past edging staked into it
- The guide specification itself, PAV-GSP-011-25, as the Word document the association publishes
- The association's page for PAV-GSP-011-25, which links that document as "Download US Version"
— Guide Spec PAV-GSP-011-25 'Pavers on an Aggregate Base', Section 32 14 13, Part 3 Execution, 3.03 Preparation, C. Edge Restraint Preparation, note and subparagraphs 2-3 Effective from August 21, 2025. The document prints "Revised 08-21-2025" in its page footer, and the association's page for it says "Revised 2025". The November 3, 2021 edition printed the same words. Retrieved October 10, 2026.
A Word document has no page a link can open at. The quoted text is in Part 3 Execution, under 3.03 Preparation, C. Edge Restraint Preparation: the note and subparagraphs 2 and 3. Searching the document for "to the spikes" finds it.

Note: Retain the following two subparagraphs if specifying edge restraints that are staked into the base with spikes. 2. Mount directly to finished base. Do not install on bedding sand. 3. The minimum distance from the outside edge of the base to the spikes shall be equal to the thickness of the base to a maximum of 10 in. (250 mm).
Rule of thumb for how far the base runs past spiked edging

The rule

at least the thickness of the base, beyond the spikes

A rule of thumb with no ceiling, from the association's edge-restraint tech note. The calculator counts the guide specification's figure in the entry above, which stops at ten inches; this entry is cited only by the note that says so when the base is deeper than ten inches, and nothing computes from it. The association's LEED version of that guide specification (PAV-GSP-012) sets no ceiling either; the note on the entry above sets out where the documents differ.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Rule of thumb for how far the base runs past spiked edging — Tech Note PAV-TEC-003-22 'Edge Restraints for Interlocking Concrete Pavements', DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS, second paragraph, page 1 Effective from March 2022. The tech note prints 'Revised March 2022' and no day. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

Some edge restraints require spiking to a flexible aggregate base. The rule of thumb is the base should extend beyond the restraint at least the same dimension as the thickness of the base material. For example, a 6 in. (150 mm) thick base should extend at least 6 in. (150 mm) beyond the spikes in the restraints. This contributes stability to the restraint especially in soils subject to heaving.

Bedding course thickness and its construction tolerance

Nominal thickness (inches): 1
Construction tolerance (inches): 3/8 (0.375)
How it is checked on site: measured with a ruler

A nominal inch, with three-eighths of an inch of construction tolerance either way, checked with a ruler on site. Read the scope carefully: the table this tolerance comes from is headed "Recommended Installation Properties for Bedding Sands in Vehicular Applications", while the nominal inch itself is stated generally, for any paver installation, in the same tech spec's bedding paragraph quoted elsewhere in this table. A patio is not a vehicular application, so the tolerance is offered as the tightest published figure rather than as a requirement for one.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Bedding course thickness and its construction tolerance — Tech Note PAV-TEC-017-22, Table 4 'Recommended Installation Properties for Bedding Sands in Vehicular Applications', row 'Bedding Layer Thickness', page 6 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 4. Recommended Installation Properties for Bedding Sands in Vehicular Applications

Primary Properties	Test	Recommended Maximum or Minimum	Construction Tolerance	Frequency of Field Test see the note
Gradation	ASTM C33 and CSA A23.1 (FA1)	See Table 1	Not Applicable	Provided by aggregate supplier every 25,000 sf (2,500 m2) see the note
Bedding Layer Thickness	Check with ruler	Nominal 1 in. (25 mm)	± 3/8 in. (10 mm)	By contractor every 5,000 to 10,000 sf (500 to 1000 m2) see the note
Hardness	Test with Swiss army pocket knife blade	No broken particles	Not Applicable	By contractor every 25,000 sf (2,500 m2) see the note

Gradation; Hardness: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Only the Primary Properties half of the table is transcribed; the Secondary Properties rows printed after it are not.

Screeded bedding sand thickness before the pavers are compacted

Least (inches)

1

Most (inches)

1.5 — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note

State the material is in

uncompacted, screeded, before the pavers are compacted

The thickness to screed to BEFORE the plate compactor goes over the pavers. It is the state the bedding sand is in when it is delivered and spread, which is the state the order has to be worked out in - nothing on this page reduces the bedding sand order for the compaction that follows.

Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Screeded bedding sand thickness before the pavers are compacted — Tech Spec 10 Application Guide, 'Bedding Sand' paragraph, page 4 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The sand should be screeded to 1 to 1½ in. (25 to 40 mm) uncompacted, consistent thickness. Do not use the sand to fill depressions in the base. These eventually will be reflected in the surface of the finished pavement. Fill any depressions with base material and compact.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. ICPI prints its screeded bedding range as “1 to 1½ in. (25 to 40 mm)”, and the two upper figures do not convert: 1½ in. is 38.1 mm, and 40 mm is 1.57 in. ConcreteTally takes the inch figures, 1 to 1.5 inches; the paver base calculator warns when the bedding entered is outside that range, so a bed screeded to 40 mm is warned about.
Why a thicker bedding course is wrong

The rule

A thicker bedding course must not be used to level an uneven base.

What happens if it is ignored

The unevenness reflects through to the finished paver surface over time.

Nominal thickness, screeded loose before compaction (inches)

1 — in the quote: “uncompacted nominal 1 in.”

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Why a thicker bedding course is wrong — Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, section 'PLACING AND SCREEDING THE BEDDING SAND', first paragraph, page 7 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Bedding sand should be spread and screeded to an uncompacted nominal 1 in. (25 mm) thickness. Frozen or saturated sand should not be installed. If there is an uneven base (due to inconsistent compaction or improper grading), the bedding sand should not be used to compensate for it. Over time, unevenness in the bedding sand will reflect through to the surface. Uneven areas on the base surface must be made even prior to placing the bedding sand.
What bedding sand must be, and what it must never be

Standard

ASTM C33

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

concrete sand

What must never be used

masonry sand, limestone screenings, stone dust, waste screenings

The prohibition matters more than the standard does at a builders' merchant, where several of the banned materials are cheaper, look right, and are sold a few yards away from the correct one. This calculator counts a quantity; the counter will hand you whatever you ask for.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

What bedding sand must be, and what it must never be — Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, section 'PLACING AND SCREEDING THE BEDDING SAND', opening sentences, page 7 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Bedding sand under concrete pavers should conform to ASTM C33 or CSA A23.1. This material is often called concrete sand. Masonry sand for mortar should never be used for bedding, nor should limestone screenings or stone dust.

Bedding sand grading — ASTM C33 as tightened for pavers

Standard: ASTM C33
Most that may pass the No. 200 sieve (%): 1

The table’s own column heading. Its footnote adds that the association recommends further limits on the No. 200 sieve for bedding sand, which is the column’s last row.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Bedding sand grading — ASTM C33 as tightened for pavers — Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, Table 5 'Grading Requirements for Bedding Sand' and its note, page 6 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Table 5. Grading Requirements for Bedding Sand

Gradation for Bedding Sand

ASTM C33: Sieve Size	ASTM C33: Percent Passing
3/8 in.(9.5 mm)	100
No. 4 (4.75 mm)	95 to 100
No. 8 (2.36 mm)	80 to 100
No. 16 (1.18 mm)	50 to 85
No. 30 (0.6 mm)	25 to 60
No. 50 (0.3 mm)	5 to 30
No. 100 (0.15 mm)	0 to 10
No. 200 (0.075 mm)	0 to 1

Note: Bedding sands should conform to ASTM C33 or CSA A23.1 FA1 gradations for concrete sand. For ASTM C33, CMHA recommends the additional limitations on the No. 200 (0.075 mm) sieve as shown. For CSA A23.1 FA1, CMHA recommends reducing the maximum passing the 80 μm sieve from 3% to 1%.

3/8 in.(9.5 mm); No. 4 (4.75 mm); No. 8 (2.36 mm); No. 16 (1.18 mm); No. 30 (0.6 mm); No. 50 (0.3 mm); No. 100 (0.15 mm): Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Only the ASTM C33 column is transcribed; the CSA A23.1 FA1 column printed beside it is not.

QUIKRETE All-Purpose Sand — weight and volume printed on one 50 lb bag

Weight of one bag (pounds)

50

What one bag yields (cubic feet)

0.5 — in the quote: “Contains approx. 1/2 cu. ft. (14.2 L) of sand by volume”

Product

QUIKRETE All-Purpose Sand

Standard

ASTM C-33

The two figures QUIKRETE prints on the front of a fifty-pound bag of its All-Purpose Sand, which is the bag this calculator counts. The same panel says what is in the bag meets ASTM C33, the standard the association names for bedding sand in the entry above, and that is why this bag and not another is the one counted; QUIKRETE lists underlayment for brick pavers among the product's uses. The bag does not print the association's tighter limit on the finest particles in the grading entry above, so that limit is not claimed for it. The count is for this fifty-pound bag only: another size, or another maker's bag, holds what its own bag says. Dividing the weight by the volume gives 100 pounds per cubic foot, but that division is this site's arithmetic and no publisher prints it, so nothing here computes from it.

The Quikrete Companies, LLC — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Paver base
QUIKRETE All-Purpose Sand — weight and volume printed on one 50 lb bag
- The bag itself — QUIKRETE's package photograph of its 50 lb All-Purpose Sand bag, No. 1152
- The QUIKRETE product page that links that photograph and lists the 50 lb bag as sold
— QUIKRETE package photograph of the 50 lb All-Purpose Sand bag (No. 1152), front panel: the description and list of uses at lower left, the two lines beneath them, and the net weight at lower right Neither the bag in the photograph nor the product page prints a publication or revision date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 10, 2026.
The photograph opens on the front of the bag. The ASTM line and the volume line are the two lines at lower left, under the list of uses; the weight follows "NET WT." at lower right. On the product page the photograph is the button "Package Photography - 50lb".

QUIKRETE® All-Purpose Sand is a washed, properly graded, coarse sand with multiple uses: • As an underlayment for brick pavers and flagstone […] Meets ASTM C-33 specifications Contains approx. 1/2 cu. ft. (14.2 L) of sand by volume […] NET WT. 50 LB (22.7 kg)
Joint width between pavers

Least (inches)

0.0625

Most (inches)

0.1875

Between a sixteenth and three-sixteenths of an inch, usually held by spacer bars molded into the pavers themselves. This calculator does NOT count the jointing sand that goes into these joints: the coverage a bag gives depends on the paver's shape and thickness far more than on its face size, so the only published figures are each manufacturer's for its own products and they differ between shapes by more than a factor of ten. A single number would be wrong for almost every reader, and this table carries none — ask the maker of the paver being laid.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Paver base

Joint width between pavers — Tech Note PAV-TEC-002-22, section 'PLACING THE CONCRETE PAVERS', joint-width paragraph, page 7 Effective from March 1, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Joint widths between the pavers should be consistent and be between 1/16 and 3/16 in. (2 and 5 mm). Most pavers are made with spacer bars on their sides. These maintain a minimum joint width, allowing the sand to enter between each unit.

Pool chemicals

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 26, 2026.

Cubic feet to US gallons conversion

Cubic feet to US gallons

7.48051948051948 — worked out by ConcreteTally: 1,728 cubic inches in a cubic foot over 231 in a US gallon: 7.4805 gallons a cubic foot; the document prints 7.48.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Model Aquatic Health Code, 2024 (5th edition) — Model code annex (not a requirement)

Cubic feet to US gallons conversion — MAHC Annex 4.7.1.10.2 'Calculated' - 'Example Calculation', turnover time ('3,000 ft3 x 7.48 gal/ft3') - PDF page 72 The annex is the 2024 (5th edition) document; CDC's listing page dates it 16 December 2024, revised 4 February 2025 (the PDF itself prints only '5th Edition, December 2024'). The conversion is not edition-specific in any case: it is the exact 1728/231 ratio, which the site derives in its units module and stores here at full precision rather than at the 7.48 the document prints. Until 2026-10-26 this node cited the section page cmahc.org/mahc_sections/619 (4th edition, 2023), which returned HTTP 404 after CMAHC rebuilt its site; it now cites the code document CDC publishes, read 2026-10-26 (CDC 5th-Ed-MAHC-Annex-508.pdf, MD5 f612924555a8ba681f2ec501487dbd21). Retrieved October 26, 2026.

3,000 ft3 x 7.48 gal/ft3

The source prints the trade-rounded 7.48. The value stored here is the exact statutory ratio 1728 cubic inches per cubic foot / 231 cubic inches per US gallon = 7.48051948..., which is the same number the site's units module derives; a test asserts the two are identical so they cannot drift apart. The rounded 7.5 some consumer calculators use is not stored anywhere on this site.
Water weight constant in the operator dose formula

Weight of water used in the chlorine dose formula

8.34 — in the quote: “8.34 lbs/gal”

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water — Drinking Water Operator Certification Training, Module 25: Hypochlorite — Government publication

Water weight constant in the operator dose formula — Unit 3, 'Chlorine Dosage/Feed Rate Calculation' — printed page 3-14 (PDF page 38) Effective from 2022. The cover prints only 'Revised 2022'. No month or day is published, so the stored date is rounded down to the start of that year and the page prints the year alone. Retrieved September 14, 2026.

Feed Rate, lbs/day = Flow (MGD) x Dosage (mg/L) x 8.34 lbs/gal

8.34 lb per US gallon is the rounded value the water-treatment trade uses, and this publisher prints it with its unit inside the dose formula itself; three pages earlier the same document spells out that 'this conversion proves that the density of water = 8.34 lbs/gallon'. Water's true weight moves slightly with temperature, which is why the trade fixed on one rounded figure instead of a per-degree table. The dose relationship is: pounds of available chlorine = pool gallons x 8.34 x (ppm rise / 1,000,000), then pounds of product = pounds of available chlorine / the product's available-chlorine fraction. Until 2026-09-14 this constant was cited to a worked example in a Portland State professor's personal web directory, typed 'extension_service', which printed to readers as 'University extension service'. Portland State runs no Cooperative Extension, and a file in one person's directory is not an institutional publication either. The figure was never in doubt; who was said to have published it was.
Minimum free available chlorine - pools not using cyanuric acid

Minimum free chlorine, pool without cyanuric acid

1

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Model Aquatic Health Code, 2024 (5th edition) — Model code (voluntary)

Minimum free available chlorine - pools not using cyanuric acid — MAHC Code 5.7.3.1.1.2.1 'Not Using Cyanuric Acid' - PDF page 140 The 2024 code (5th edition) prints 'Posted on 12/16/2024' on its title page and no separate effective date for this section; the MAHC is a voluntary model that applies where a jurisdiction adopts it. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

AQUATIC VENUES not using CYA shall maintain a minimum DPD-FC concentration of 1.0 ppm (mg/L).

Read from the code document itself, not restated from a summary. The 2024 edition names the reading DPD-FC (free chlorine measured by the DPD test) where the 2023 edition said FAC; the figure is unchanged. Until 2026-10-26 this node cited the section page cmahc.org/mahc_sections/1723 (4th edition, 2023), which returned HTTP 404 after CMAHC rebuilt its site; it now cites the code document CDC publishes, read 2026-10-26 (CDC 5th-Ed-MAHC-Code-508.pdf, MD5 d273704bd8e6b5910e89cc8448bb72f6).
Minimum free available chlorine - pools using cyanuric acid

Minimum free chlorine, pool using cyanuric acid

2

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Model Aquatic Health Code, 2024 (5th edition) — Model code (voluntary)

Minimum free available chlorine - pools using cyanuric acid — MAHC Code 5.7.3.1.1.2.2 'Using Cyanuric Acid' - PDF page 140 The 2024 code (5th edition) prints 'Posted on 12/16/2024' on its title page and no separate effective date for this section; the MAHC is a voluntary model that applies where a jurisdiction adopts it. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

AQUATIC VENUES using CYA shall maintain a minimum DPD-FC concentration of 2.0 ppm (mg/L).

This is the figure consumer pool calculators most often get wrong: cyanuric acid does not change the reading, it raises the minimum the reading has to clear. The code's answer is a higher target, not a corrected 'true chlorine' number. Until 2026-10-26 this node cited the section page cmahc.org/mahc_sections/1724 (4th edition, 2023), which returned HTTP 404 after CMAHC rebuilt its site; it now cites the code document CDC publishes, read 2026-10-26 (CDC 5th-Ed-MAHC-Code-508.pdf, MD5 d273704bd8e6b5910e89cc8448bb72f6).
Minimum free available chlorine - spas

Minimum free chlorine, spas

3

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Model Aquatic Health Code, 2024 (5th edition) — Model code (voluntary)

Minimum free available chlorine - spas — MAHC Code 5.7.3.1.1.2.3 'Spas' - PDF page 140 The 2024 code (5th edition) prints 'Posted on 12/16/2024' on its title page and no separate effective date for this section; the MAHC is a voluntary model that applies where a jurisdiction adopts it. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

SPAS shall maintain a minimum DPD-FC concentration of 3.0 ppm (mg/L).

Carried so the calculator can say plainly that it is a pool tool and a spa has a higher minimum. The calculator does not dose spas. Until 2026-10-26 this node cited the section page cmahc.org/mahc_sections/1725 (4th edition, 2023), which returned HTTP 404 after CMAHC rebuilt its site; it now cites the code document CDC publishes, read 2026-10-26 (CDC 5th-Ed-MAHC-Code-508.pdf, MD5 d273704bd8e6b5910e89cc8448bb72f6).
Imminent health hazard - chlorine above the maximum level while bathers are present

Free chlorine above which the code treats a pool with swimmers in as an imminent health hazard

10

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Model Aquatic Health Code, 2024 (5th edition) — Model code (voluntary)

Imminent health hazard - chlorine above the maximum level while bathers are present — MAHC Code 6.6.3.1 'Violations Requiring Immediate Correction or Closure', item 3 - PDF page 199 The 2024 code (5th edition) prints 'Posted on 12/16/2024' on its title page and no separate effective date for this section; the MAHC is a voluntary model that applies where a jurisdiction adopts it. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

Disinfectant residual concentrations that exceed maximum level while BATHERS are present (CHLORINE-DPD-FC above 10 ppm (mg/L), Bromine above 8.0 ppm (mg/L));

The calculator refuses to size a dose above this figure: it is the level at which the code lets the health authority order a pool with swimmers in corrected at once or closed (6.6.3.1 lists it among the imminent health hazards). Until 2026-10-26 this node quoted the 2023 (4th edition) code section 5.7.3.1.1.5 - 'Maximum FAC concentrations shall not exceed 10.0 PPM (MG/L) at any time the AQUATIC VENUE is open to bathers' - from cmahc.org/mahc_sections/1728, which now returns HTTP 404. In the 2024 code that section reads 'Maximum DPD-FC concentrations shall not exceed limits specified on the product label' (code PDF page 140), and the 10 ppm survives as this closure trigger. The 4 ppm above which no EPA-registered pool product is approved with swimmers in is the guidance.fc_max_bathers_present_pool node. Read 2026-10-26 (CDC 5th-Ed-MAHC-Code-508.pdf, MD5 d273704bd8e6b5910e89cc8448bb72f6).
EPA-approved pool product use with bathers present

Highest free chlorine EPA has approved for a pool product with swimmers in the water

4

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Model Aquatic Health Code, 2024 (5th edition) — Model code annex (not a requirement)

EPA-approved pool product use with bathers present — MAHC Annex 5.7.3.1.1.5 'Maximum DPD-FC Concentrations' - PDF page 150 The annex is the 2024 (5th edition) document; CDC's listing page dates it 16 December 2024, revised 4 February 2025 (the PDF itself prints only '5th Edition, December 2024'). It prints no separate effective date for this passage. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

EPA has not approved any POOL product use above 4 ppm (mg/L) DPD-FC or SPA product use above 5 ppm (mg/L) DPD-FC when BATHERS are present.

Added 2026-10-26 when the 2024 code was read: its section 5.7.3.1.1.5 caps free chlorine at the product label's limits, and the annex gives the ceiling no pool label exceeds - no EPA-registered pool product is approved above 4 ppm with swimmers in. The calculator still sizes a target up to 10 ppm (a closed pool can be shocked higher), and warns above this figure that swimmers stay out until a test reads no higher than the label's limit. A label can be stricter: EPA Reg. No. 42177-53, the label the 65% calcium hypochlorite's strength is read from, prohibits re-entry above 3.0 ppm (products.calhypo-65.label_reentry_max_ppm). Read 2026-10-26 (CDC 5th-Ed-MAHC-Annex-508.pdf, MD5 f612924555a8ba681f2ec501487dbd21).
Never mix pool chemicals - EPA-registered product label

Wording used

Never mix pool products together, and never mix one into anything but water. Mixing an oxidizer such as chlorine with ammonia, acids, detergents or organic matter releases chlorine gas. Add one product at a time.

United States Environmental Protection Agency - registered pesticide product label, EPA Reg. No. 8544-9 (GPS Industries) — Government publication

Never mix pool chemicals - EPA-registered product label — Sani-Clor Pool Sanitizer label, 'STRONG OXIDIZING AGENT' precautionary paragraph Effective from June 9, 1994. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

STRONG OXIDIZING AGENT: Mix only with water according to label directions. Mixing this product with chemicals (e.g. ammonia, acids, detergents, etc.) or organic matter (e.g. urine, feces, etc.) will release chlorine gas which is irritating to eyes, lungs and mucous membranes.
Label instructions are the legal requirement - EPA-registered product label

Wording used

This calculator produces an estimate. The product's own label is the legal instruction. Where this estimate and the label disagree, the label wins.

United States Environmental Protection Agency - registered pesticide product label, EPA Reg. No. 8544-9 (GPS Industries) — Government publication

Label instructions are the legal requirement - EPA-registered product label — Sani-Clor Pool Sanitizer label, 'Directions For Use' statement of federal law Effective from June 9, 1994. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.

Verified on this one label. The sentence is standard on EPA-registered sanitizer labels, but only this label was read, so this label is what is cited.
HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine - size

US gallons

1

HTH's page for this product calls the package a container ('Keep this product in its tightly closed container when not in use.') and never a jug, so the purchase noun is 'container'. Until 2026-10-10 this entry was named for a one-gallon jug and the calculator printed 'one-gallon jug'.

HTH Pools (Innovative Water Care) — Manufacturer or grower specification

HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine - size — HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine product page - 'Size' selector (one entry, '1 gal') Product pages carry no effective date; pack sizes are re-verified on the 180-day data clock. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

Size 1 gal

The size of this HTH product only; no other product on this calculator is counted in it. The calculator does not publish a dose for this product, because its chlorine per gallon is not sourced, so this size is listed here and printed nowhere else until it does.
Net contents must be shown on every pesticide label

Wording used

The only container size on record here is for another product, the HTH product this calculator gives no amount for, so this line gives the amount, not a count of containers. An EPA-registered label has to show its net contents, which is the figure to compare with this one.

A count is printed only from a size published for the very product a reader selects. Five of the six choices on this calculator are a strength grade or a generic product type - 12.5% liquid chlorine, 65% and 73% calcium hypochlorite, dichlor granules, trichlor tablets - not one maker's product, so no published size is theirs. Two labels this file reads strengths from do print a size: EPA Reg. No. 8544-9 prints 'Net: 1 Gallon' and EPA Reg. No. 42177-53 prints 'NET WEIGHT: 25 lbs (11.3 Kg.)'. Each is one maker's container in a 1994 or a 2003 filing, not a size of the grade, so neither is counted. Until 2026-10-10 these five choices were counted in sizes taken from two HTH product pages about different products: HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine (10%) and HTH Pool Care Shock Advanced (56.44% calcium hypochlorite, a 4-in-1 shock).

Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) - 40 CFR Part 156, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulation — Government publication

Net contents must be shown on every pesticide label — 40 CFR 156.10 'Labeling requirements', paragraph (a)(1), item (iii) eCFR prints current text ('up to date as of 10/07/2026') and calls itself 'authoritative but unofficial'. The section's source note lists its last amendment as 73 FR 75596, Dec. 12, 2008. No effective date is printed for the paragraph cited, so none is stored. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

Every pesticide product shall bear a label containing the information specified by the Act and the regulations in this part. The contents of a label must show clearly and prominently the following: … (iii) The net contents as prescribed in paragraph (d) of this section;

Paragraph (d)(2) puts a liquid's net contents in fluid ounces, pints, quarts and gallons, and (d)(3) a solid's in pounds and ounces. Paragraph (d)(1) makes the stated figure the average content unless the label states it as a minimum, so this page claims only that the label shows it, not that every container holds at least that much.

About the link: This address always serves the current text of 40 CFR 156.10, so what it shows changes whenever the section is amended. The paragraph quoted here was read on October 10, 2026, when the page said 'up to date as of 10/07/2026'.
HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine — sodium hypochlorite on the label

Sodium hypochlorite on the label (percent)

10 — in the quote: “Sodium Hypochlorite: 10%”

What the label calls the active ingredient

Sodium Hypochlorite

HTH Pools (Innovative Water Care) — Manufacturer or grower specification

HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine — sodium hypochlorite on the label — HTH Pool Care Liquid Chlorine product page — Ingredients Product pages carry no effective date; re-verified on the 180-day data clock. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Active Ingredient: Sodium Hypochlorite: 10% Other Ingredients: 90% Total: 100%

Liquid chlorine weakens with heat and age. A container that has sat through a summer can be weaker than its label says, which makes the real dose larger than the estimate.
Sani-Clor Pool Sanitizer — sodium hypochlorite on the EPA-registered label

Sodium hypochlorite on the label (percent)

12.5

What the label calls the active ingredient

sodium hypochlorite

United States Environmental Protection Agency - registered pesticide product label, EPA Reg. No. 8544-9 (GPS Industries) — Government publication

Sani-Clor Pool Sanitizer — sodium hypochlorite on the EPA-registered label — Sani-Clor Pool Sanitizer label, ingredient statement Effective from June 9, 1994. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from the product label; the lines are the label’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

ACTIVE INGREDIENT: SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE 12.5%
INERT INGREDIENTS: 87.5%

INERT INGREDIENTS:: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The label prints a row of spaced dots between each name and its percentage; they are left out. The scan's text layer reads 'iNGREDIENT'.
12.5% liquid chlorine strength, read off the label's own dose rate

Available chlorine per gallon of 12.5% liquid chlorine

1.0264615384615385 — worked out by ConcreteTally: 10,000 gal × 8.34 lb × 10 ppm ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.834 lb of available chlorine in 3 1/4 quarts, which is 0.8125 gal: 1.0265 lb a gallon.

United States Environmental Protection Agency - registered pesticide product label, EPA Reg. No. 8544-9 (GPS Industries) — Government publication

12.5% liquid chlorine strength, read off the label's own dose rate — Sani-Clor Pool Sanitizer label, 'Pool Startup/superchlorination' dosing direction Effective from June 9, 1994. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

add 3 1/4 quarts per 10,000 gallons of pool water (equal to 10 ppm available chlorine)

Derived, and the derivation is the whole point: 3 1/4 quarts is 0.8125 US gallons; 10,000 gallons raised 10 ppm needs 10,000 x 8.34 x 10 / 1,000,000 = 0.834 lb of available chlorine; 0.834 / 0.8125 = 1.02646 lb per gallon of product. Taking the figure from the label's own dose rate avoids inventing a solution density for this strength, which the fact base does not carry. This is one registered product’s dose. HTH’s page gives about half the rise for liquid chlorine of 10 to 12.5% (stored under its own entry), so the pool calculator says the dose is this label’s.
65% calcium hypochlorite label - re-entry limit

Highest free chlorine at which this label allows swimmers back in

3

United States Environmental Protection Agency — registered pesticide product label, EPA Reg. No. 42177-53 (Alliance Packaging) — Government publication

65% calcium hypochlorite label - re-entry limit — POOL CHLOR 65 label, directions for use, 'Regular maintenance' - the note at its foot (PDF page 3) Effective from September 29, 2003. The date EPA accepted this label, from the cover letter and from the document's own filename (042177-00053-20030929). The acceptance carries conditions, and they are worth naming because they bound what this date certifies: they require an updated first-aid statement, a hotline telephone number, and the deletion of one precautionary sentence. None of them touches the re-entry note this figure is read from: the sentence to delete is 'Only use utensils that are thoroughly clean dry', under the precautionary statements. Retrieved October 26, 2026.

NOTE: Re-entry into treated swimming pool is prohibited above levels of 3.0 ppm of chlorine.

The same registered label the 65% grade's strength is read from (PDF page 2). It is stricter than the 4 ppm ceiling in the MAHC annex, and the code (5.7.3.1.1.5) caps free chlorine at the label's limits, so for this product the calculator warns above 3.0 ppm. One registered label is not a guarantee about every bucket sold as '65% grade' - the label in hand is the one to follow. Added 2026-10-26.
65% calcium hypochlorite - available chlorine

Available chlorine in 65% calcium hypochlorite

65

What the label calls the active ingredient

Available Chlorine

United States Environmental Protection Agency — registered pesticide product label, EPA Reg. No. 42177-53 (Alliance Packaging) — Government publication

65% calcium hypochlorite - available chlorine — POOL CHLOR 65 stamped label, ingredient panel (PDF page 2) Effective from September 29, 2003. The date EPA accepted this label, from the cover letter and from the document's own filename (042177-00053-20030929). The acceptance carries conditions, and they are worth naming because they bound what this date certifies: they require an updated first-aid statement, a hotline telephone number, and the deletion of one precautionary sentence. None of them touches the ingredient panel this figure is read from. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from the product label; the lines are the label’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: POOL CHLOR 65

Disinfectant & Sanitizer for the Treatment of Swimming Pool Waters

Active Ingredient: Calcium Hypochlorite 67.0%
Inert Ingredients: 33.0%
Total: 100%
Available Chlorine: 65%

Active Ingredient: Calcium Hypochlorite; Inert Ingredients:; Total:: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Read off a 2003 scan whose text layer renders the second line as 'Inert Ingredlents'. It is transcribed as the printed label sets the word; the stray letter is an artifact of the scan, not the publisher’s spelling. The percentages either side of it are as they appear. The cover letter names the product 'Olympic Pool Chlor 65' while the stamped panel prints 'POOL CHLOR 65'. The dotted leaders between each name and its percentage are left out.

Read off one EPA-registered label — the same kind of document, and the same publisher, as the 12.5% liquid entry above. Note the two numbers on that one panel: the product is 67.0% calcium hypochlorite BY WEIGHT and 65% AVAILABLE CHLORINE, and it is the second that the dose arithmetic uses. Trade cal hypo is marketed on either convention, which is why the sibling 73%-trade entry carries 72.4%. One registered label is not a guarantee about every bucket sold as '65% grade' — check the label in hand. Until 2026-09-14 this strength was cited to a university training worksheet that named no product at all: its '65%' was the given of a homework problem about dosing a municipal water tank. That is the same mistake as the three strengths once typed as manufacturer specifications while coming from an educator's blog.
73% trade calcium hypochlorite - available chlorine

Available chlorine the amount assumes for calcium hypochlorite labeled 73% by weight

72.4 — in the quote: “72.4% available chlorine in 73% cal hypo”

Percentage the label prints

73 — in the quote: “available chlorine in 73% cal hypo”

What the label calls the active ingredient

calcium hypochlorite

Orenda Technologies — Industry technical article

73% trade calcium hypochlorite - available chlorine — 'Understanding Labeled Chlorine %' - article body Article carries no effective date; re-verified on the 180-day data clock. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

99.2% available chlorine in pure calcium hypochlorite. Then we multiply this by the weight percentage of the product, if the weight percentage is listed on the label. Of course, if the available chlorine percentage is listed on the label, the answer is already known. (0.992 x 0.68) = 0.674 = 67.4% available chlorine in 68% cal hypo. (0.992 x 0.73) = 0.724 =72.4% available chlorine in 73% cal hypo.

Only one publisher's figure for 73%-trade calcium hypochlorite is carried here: 72.4% for the grade generally. A second figure (70%, from a retailer for its own 73%-trade product) was removed on 2026-08-27 because its only supporting page returned HTTP 403 to every fetch and no verbatim quote of it had been stored — nothing survived the link, so no claim is made about it. The two figures were never averaged and would not be: an average is a number no publisher stands behind. This entry is an education company's technical article, not a manufacturer safety data sheet — check the label on the bucket in hand.
Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate - available chlorine

Available chlorine the amount assumes for dichlor labeled 99% sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate

54.8 — in the quote: “54.8% available chlorine in 99% sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate”

Percentage the label prints

99 — in the quote: “usually labeled as 99% sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate”

What the label calls the active ingredient

sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate

Orenda Technologies — Industry technical article

Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate - available chlorine — 'Understanding Labeled Chlorine %' - article body Article carries no effective date; re-verified on the 180-day data clock. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Like Trichlor, sodium dichlor is usually labeled as 99% sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate. […] Then we multiply this by the product percentage listed on the label, which is usually 99%: (0.554 x 0.99) = 0.548 = 54.8% available chlorine in 99% sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate.

The article works this figure out for the dihydrate at 99 percent purity. It also reports seeing products labeled 56 percent and says it does not know why, unless some anhydrous dichlor is in the mix. The strength printed on the bucket governs: a stronger product needs less than the pool chlorine calculator works out. An education-company article, not a manufacturer safety data sheet.
Trichloro-s-triazinetrione - available chlorine

Available chlorine the amount assumes for trichlor labeled 99% trichloro-s-triazinetrione

90.6 — in the quote: “90.6% available chlorine in 99% trichloro-s-triazinetrione”

Percentage the label prints

99 — in the quote: “labeled 99% Trichloro-s-triazinetrione”

What the label calls the active ingredient

trichloro-s-triazinetrione

Orenda Technologies — Industry technical article

Trichloro-s-triazinetrione - available chlorine — 'Understanding Labeled Chlorine %' - article body Article carries no effective date; re-verified on the 180-day data clock. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Most trichlor products are labeled 99% Trichloro-s-triazinetrione (by weight). Some retail versions are less concentrated, like 53.5% (by weight). […] 0.915 x 0.99 = 90.6% available chlorine in 99% trichloro-s-triazinetrione 0.915 x 0.535 = 48.9% available chlorine in 53.5% trichloro-s-triazinetrione

Tablets dissolve slowly in a feeder or floater, so the weight this calculator gives is the weight that eventually reaches the water, not a dose that lands at once. An education-company article, not a manufacturer safety data sheet.
HTH — about 1 gallon of 10–12.5% liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons for 5 to 7 ppm

Gallons of liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons of pool

1 — in the quote: “approximately 1 gallon per 10,000 gallons”

Free chlorine rise, low end (ppm)

5 — in the quote: “by roughly 5–7 ppm”

Free chlorine rise, high end (ppm)

7 — in the quote: “7 ppm”

Not used for any amount. The pool calculator doses 12.5% liquid chlorine from one registered label, 3 1/4 quarts per 10,000 gallons for 10 ppm; HTH’s page gives about half that rise for about the same gallon, and the calculator says so where it prints the amount.

HTH Pools (Innovative Water Care) — Manufacturer or grower specification

HTH — about 1 gallon of 10–12.5% liquid chlorine per 10,000 gallons for 5 to 7 ppm — Product page, FAQ 'How much liquid chlorine do I need to shock a pool?' Product pages carry no effective date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

To shock a pool using liquid chlorine that contains 10–12.5% sodium hypochlorite, use approximately 1 gallon per 10,000 gallons to raise free chlorine by roughly 5–7 ppm.

ACTIVE INGREDIENT: SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE	12.5%
INERT INGREDIENTS:	87.5%

Active Ingredient: Calcium Hypochlorite	67.0%
Inert Ingredients:	33.0%
Total:	100%
Available Chlorine:	65%

Retaining wall block

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published coverage, length and weight of one unit

Product

Diamond Pro Air Straight Face

The maker’s name as it prints it

Belgard

Square feet

1 — in the quote: “this 1 square foot block”

Length (inches)

18

Pounds

54 — in the quote: “Weighing only 54 lbs.”

The publisher's own words are "this 1 square foot block". That it is a square foot of WALL FACE rather than of ground is forced by the publisher's own shapes table on the same sheet: the unit is 8 in high by 18 in long, and 8 x 18 is 144 square inches exactly. No other pair of its three dimensions gives one square foot.

Belgard (Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published coverage, length and weight of one unit — Cut sheet, single page, right column — the FEATURES & BENEFITS bullet naming the weight and the square foot, read with the SHAPES & SIZES block, the title and the closing line of the left column. Effective from October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A single-page product cut sheet, so the document URL is the deepest anchor that exists; the figures are in the right-hand column under FEATURES & BENEFITS and SHAPES & SIZES.

DIAMOND PRO ® AIR STRAIGHT FACE […] Weighing only 54 lbs., this 1 square foot block maximizes installation and shipping efficiencies […] Check with your local Belgard Representative for product availability and color options.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: SHAPES & SIZES

8 X 18 8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER 8" x 18" x 9"
CAP 4" x 18" x 12"

CORNER; CAP: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The unit row is printed under the name “8 X 18”, the corner and the cap under their own names.

The sizes are transcribed from the sheet's SHAPES & SIZES block, not quoted, because they are printed as a table rather than as a sentence. The cut sheet is revision-stamped BEL24-202 Rev: 10/16/2024 and carries the line "(c) 2024 Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company". A newer regional sheet for the same unit exists on the publisher's consumer domain and answers 403 to an ordinary request, so it is not cited here: this commercial-domain sheet is the one a reader and this site's own link check can both open.

8 X 18	8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER	8" x 18" x 9"
CAP	4" x 18" x 12"

VERSA-LOK Standard — published face area, wide face width and weight of one unit

Product: Standard
The maker’s name as it prints it: VERSA-LOK
Square feet: 0.667
Length (inches): 16
Pounds: 82

The publisher prints this as "Face area", so the basis is stated rather than inferred: it is a square foot of wall face, and 1 divided by 0.667 is 1.5 units for every square foot of face. It is built on the WIDE face width of 16 in, which is the face that shows — the publisher's own curves bulletin has the narrow ends brought together at the back.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK Standard — published face area, wide face width and weight of one unit — Units section (id "units"), the "Standard Unit" specification table — rows Depth, Height, Face width (wide), Face width (narrow), Face area, Minimum radius, Maximum unreinforced height, Setback, Weight, and the page's opening paragraph. The product page carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Our original, most popular unit, the Standard unit is the backbone of VERSA-LOK retaining wall systems.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Standard Unit

Depth (in):	12
Height (in):	6
Face width (wide) (in):	16
Face width (narrow) (in):	14
Face area (sq. ft.):	0.667
Maximum unreinforced height(ft.) :	4
Setback:	3/4" per unit
Weight (lbs):	82

Depth (in):; Height (in):; Face width (narrow) (in):; Maximum unreinforced height(ft.) :; Setback:: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Each specification is printed in two rows, one in inches, square feet or pounds and one in millimeters, square meters or kilograms; only the inch, square-foot and pound rows of the specifications this entry reads are transcribed. The minimum radius, geogrid height and batter rows are not.

Transcribed row by row from the page's own specification table, not quoted; the table is in the served HTML and needs no scripting to read. A second table headed "Standard - Weathered" sits immediately below it with the same figures, so the anchor names the "Standard Unit" table specifically. The units are made under license rather than by the brand itself — the page's legal notice reads that products "are made worldwide under license from VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems" — so the units in a yard are cast by a local producer to this design.

Allan Block AB Classic — published coverage, length and weight of one unit

Product: AB Classic
The maker’s name as it prints it: Allan Block
Square feet: 1
Length (inches): 18
Pounds: 75

The publisher prints "1 sq ft. approx." in a column headed Coverage, and the word approx. is the publisher's. Allan Block licenses production rather than casting the units itself, and says in the same table that the real figures come from whoever made the block.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block AB Classic — published coverage, length and weight of one unit — PDF page 4 of 68, which prints the folio 2 — the "AB Collection" unit table, columns Name / Setback / Coverage / Weight / Approx. Dimensions, the AB Classic row. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Actual dimensions, weights and setbacks will vary by manufacturer. Check with your local Allan Block Dealer for exact specifications and color availability.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Name	Setback	Coverage	Weight	Approx. Dimensions
AB Stones	12°	1 sq ft. approx.	75 lbs	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Classic	6°	1 sq ft. approx.	75 lbs	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Jumbo Jr	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx.	35 lbs	8 in. H x 9.5 in. D x 9 in. L
AB Lite Stone	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx.	35 lbs	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Junior Lite	6°	0.25 sq ft. approx.	18 lbs	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 9 in. L

AB Stones; AB Jumbo Jr; AB Lite Stone; AB Junior Lite: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The AB Collection unit table, which prints no title of its own. Each row prints a second line in metric units (blocks per square meter, kilograms, and millimeters); those lines are not transcribed.

The page fragment is load-bearing and the obvious number is the wrong one. This document runs two ahead of its own printed folios, so the table on printed page 2 is PDF page 4 — and the neighboring pages carry the AB Aztec and AB Metro Classic tables, which print the same coverage and weight figures under different unit names. A reader sent to the printed number would land on a different product line and confirm the figure against it. The quoted sentence is the table's own sidebar and travels with every figure taken from it.

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published height of one course (inches)

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published height of one course (inches)

8

The height of one laid course, which is what turns a wall height into a number of courses. It is the first figure of the published unit size 8" x 18" x 11.5".

Belgard (Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published height of one course (inches) — Cut sheet, single page, right column, SHAPES & SIZES — the unit row, first figure of "8" x 18" x 11.5"". Effective from October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A single-page product cut sheet, so the document URL is the deepest anchor that exists; the size is in the right-hand SHAPES & SIZES block.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: SHAPES & SIZES

8 X 18 8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER 8" x 18" x 9"
CAP 4" x 18" x 12"

CORNER; CAP: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The unit row is printed under the name “8 X 18”, the corner and the cap under their own names.
VERSA-LOK Standard — published height of one course (inches)

VERSA-LOK Standard — published height of one course (inches)

6

Two inches shorter than the other two units on this page, which is why the same wall takes a different number of courses depending on which block is bought.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK Standard — published height of one course (inches) — Units section (id "units"), "Standard Unit" specification table — the Height (in) row. The product page carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Standard Unit

Height (in): 6
Height (mm): 152.4

Height (mm):: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Only the two height rows of the Standard Unit table are transcribed in this entry.

8 X 18	8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER	8" x 18" x 9"
CAP	4" x 18" x 12"

Height (in):	6
Height (mm):	152.4

Allan Block AB Classic — published height of one course (inches)

Allan Block AB Classic — published height of one course (inches): 8

The H figure of the published approximate dimensions, and the same course height the publisher's own estimating chart is built on — its rows read "1 course 8 in. (200 mm)", "2 course 16 in. (400 mm)" and so on.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block AB Classic — published height of one course (inches) — PDF page 4 of 68 (printed folio 2), "AB Collection" unit table, AB Classic row, the Approx. Dimensions column — the H figure of "8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L". Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Name	Setback	Coverage	Weight	Approx. Dimensions
AB Stones	12°	1 sq ft. approx.	75 lbs	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Classic	6°	1 sq ft. approx.	75 lbs	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Jumbo Jr	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx.	35 lbs	8 in. H x 9.5 in. D x 9 in. L
AB Lite Stone	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx.	35 lbs	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Junior Lite	6°	0.25 sq ft. approx.	18 lbs	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 9 in. L

AB Stones; AB Jumbo Jr; AB Lite Stone; AB Junior Lite: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

The column is headed "Approx. Dimensions" and the sidebar beside it says actual dimensions vary by manufacturer, so this is a nominal design figure rather than a measurement of the unit on a pallet.

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches)

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches)

11.5

Front to back through the wall. It is not a figure the block count uses; it decides how wide the leveling-pad trench has to be dug, because the published trench rule is a width measured outward from the block on both sides.

Belgard (Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches) — Cut sheet, single page, right column, SHAPES & SIZES — the unit row, third figure of "8" x 18" x 11.5"". Effective from October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A single-page product cut sheet, so the document URL is the deepest anchor that exists; the size is in the right-hand SHAPES & SIZES block.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: SHAPES & SIZES

8 X 18 8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER 8" x 18" x 9"
CAP 4" x 18" x 12"

CORNER; CAP: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The unit row is printed under the name “8 X 18”, the corner and the cap under their own names.
VERSA-LOK Standard — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches)

VERSA-LOK Standard — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches)

12

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK Standard — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches) — Units section (id "units"), "Standard Unit" specification table — the Depth (in) row. The product page carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Standard Unit

Depth (in): 12
Depth (mm): 304.8

Depth (mm):: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Only the two depth rows of the Standard Unit table are transcribed in this entry.

The publisher's own footnote to the maximum unreinforced height on the same page names "12-inch deep VERSA-LOK units", so the depth and that height belong to each other.

8 X 18	8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER	8" x 18" x 9"
CAP	4" x 18" x 12"

Allan Block AB Classic — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches)

Allan Block AB Classic — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches): 12

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block AB Classic — published front-to-back depth of one unit (inches) — PDF page 4 of 68 (printed folio 2), "AB Collection" unit table, AB Classic row, the Approx. Dimensions column — the D figure of "8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L". Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Name	Setback	Coverage	Weight	Approx. Dimensions
AB Stones	12°	1 sq ft. approx.	75 lbs	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Classic	6°	1 sq ft. approx.	75 lbs	8 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Jumbo Jr	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx.	35 lbs	8 in. H x 9.5 in. D x 9 in. L
AB Lite Stone	6°	0.5 sq ft. approx.	35 lbs	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 18 in. L
AB Junior Lite	6°	0.25 sq ft. approx.	18 lbs	4 in. H x 12 in. D x 9 in. L

AB Stones; AB Jumbo Jr; AB Lite Stone; AB Junior Lite: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — straight-face cap, published size

Length (inches)

18

Product

Diamond Pro Air Straight Face Cap

The dimension that runs along the wall, so it is the one a cap count divides by. The cap is the same 18 in long as the unit under it.

Belgard (Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — straight-face cap, published size — Product page, the product-item list — the 'Diamond Pro® Air - Straight Face Cap 4 x 18 x 12"' entry The product page carries no publication or revision date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Diamond Pro® Air - Straight Face Cap 4 x 18 x 12"

Transcribed from a list printed in that document:

Diamond Pro® Air - Straight Face Cap 4 x 18 x 12"

Transcriber’s note: The straight-face cap’s entry in the page’s list of items, as listed; its smooth-face and quarried-face caps are the next entries in the same list.

The product page lists three caps for this series, one for each face: ‘Diamond Pro® Air - Straight Face Cap 4 x 18 x 12"’, ‘Diamond Pro® Air - Smooth Face Cap 4 x 18 x 12"’ and ‘Diamond Pro® Air - Quarried Face Cap 4 x 18 x 12"’. The block counted by the retaining wall calculator is the straight face, so the cap named is the straight-face cap. (Until October 2026 this note said a series brochure has one cap serve all three blocks; no brochure was cited, and the product page lists three.)
VERSA-LOK A Cap — published face width and height

Length (inches)

14

The maker’s name as it prints it

VERSA-LOK

First cap style

A Cap

Second cap style

B Cap

The wide face of the A Cap, which is the face that shows on a straight wall, so it is the length a cap covers along the run. The publisher's own prose on the same page gives the caps as "3-5/8" tall by 14" wide (at the face)".

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK A Cap — published face width and height — Units section (id "units"), the "A Cap" specification table — rows Depth, Height, Face width (wide), Face width (narrow), Face area, Weight; read with the introductory paragraph above it; and the "B Cap" table after it. The product page carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Cap units put the finishing touch on your VERSA-LOK retaining wall. They're available in two styles—A and B—and are 3-5/8" tall by 14" wide (at the face). Caps can be used with all types of designs. For straight walls, use both caps alternately. Outside curves require A caps only while inside curves use B caps.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: A Cap

Depth (in): 12
Height (in): 3.625
Face width (wide) (in): 14
Face width (narrow) (in): 12
Face area (sq. ft.): 0.352
Weight (lbs): 40

Depth (in):; Height (in):; Face width (narrow) (in):; Face area (sq. ft.):; Weight (lbs):: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Each specification is printed in two rows, one in inches, square feet or pounds and one in millimeters, square meters or kilograms; only the inch, square-foot and pound rows are transcribed.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: B Cap

Depth (in): 12
Height (in): 3.625
Face width (wide) (in): 14
Face width (narrow) (in): 16
Face area (sq. ft.): 0.352
Weight (lbs): 50

Depth (in):; Height (in):; Face width (wide) (in):; Face width (narrow) (in):; Face area (sq. ft.):; Weight (lbs):: The B Cap is named from its table; the count is taken on the A Cap’s face width, the same 14 in.

Transcriber’s note: Each specification is printed in two rows, one in inches, square feet or pounds and one in millimeters, square meters or kilograms; only the inch, square-foot and pound rows are transcribed.

The publisher says a straight wall uses A and B caps alternately. Both are published at the same 14 in wide face and 3.625 in height, so the count holds for a run of both; the line splits it between the two styles, A first, as strict alternation does.
Allan Block AB Capstone — published size

Length (inches)

18

Product

AB Capstone

The L of the publisher's H x D x L, which is the face that shows along a straight run, so it is the length one cap covers. The same publisher also prints a rate of its own — seven caps for each ten feet of wall — which runs slightly ahead of what its own cap length divides into.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block AB Capstone — published size — AB Collection product page, the AB Capstone panel — the bulleted size list under "Finishing block that provides a clean, polished look to the top of retaining walls.", and the feature list above it. The product page carries no publication or revision date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The page's own SPECIFICATIONS section carries the three AB Collection component panels and the AB Capstone entry is the last of them, above the page's own disclaimer. The panels are in the served HTML, so the figures are readable without scripting.

Product availability and color options may vary by region. All specifications are approximate. Contact your local AB representative for exact dimensions, weights, and availability. […] No pins, clips, or adhesives required (except for AB Capstones)

Transcribed from a list printed in that document: AB Capstone

Finishing block that provides a clean, polished look to the top of retaining walls.

4 in H (100 mm)
12 in D (300 mm)
18 in L (460 mm)
55 lbs (25 kg)

4 in H (100 mm); 12 in D (300 mm); 55 lbs (25 kg): Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The panel’s bulleted size list, one bullet to a row.

Transcribed from the live product page, whose bullets are in the served HTML. The quoted sentence is the page's own disclaimer and travels with every figure taken from it.
Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published cap height (inches)

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published cap height (inches)

4

A cap is not decoration as far as the code line is concerned: it sits on top of the wall, so it is part of the height measured to the top of the wall.

Belgard (Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published cap height (inches) — Cut sheet, single page, right column, SHAPES & SIZES — the CAP row, first figure of "4" x 18" x 12"". Effective from October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A single-page product cut sheet, so the document URL is the deepest anchor that exists; the CAP row is in the right-hand SHAPES & SIZES block.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: SHAPES & SIZES

8 X 18 8" x 18" x 11.5"
CORNER 8" x 18" x 9"
CAP 4" x 18" x 12"

8 X 18; CORNER: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The unit row is printed under the name “8 X 18”, the corner and the cap under their own names.
VERSA-LOK A Cap — published height (inches)

VERSA-LOK A Cap — published height (inches)

3.625

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK A Cap — published height (inches) — Units section (id "units"), the "A Cap" specification table — the Height (in) row, corroborated by the introductory paragraph's "3-5/8" tall". The product page carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: A Cap

Height (in): 3.625
Height (mm): 92.1

Height (mm):: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: Only the two height rows of the A Cap table are transcribed in this entry.
Allan Block — inches a capstone adds to total wall height

Allan Block — inches a capstone adds to total wall height

4

The publisher states this as a warning rather than as a dimension, in the note attached to its own estimating chart, which is the clearest statement on this page that a cap counts toward wall height.

Allan Block Corporation — Estimating chart (approximate)

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — inches a capstone adds to total wall height — PDF page 61 of 68, which prints the folio 59 — "Estimating the Number of Blocks Needed", LEFT column, the note printed immediately below the full-size block chart. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

Note: Capstones add 4 in. (100 mm) to your total wall height.

The right-hand column of the same page carries a different collection's chart with its own note reading 3.5 in. (90 mm), so the column matters: this figure belongs to the full-size AB chart on the left.
Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published maximum gravity wall height, including the buried course (inches)

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published maximum gravity wall height, including the buried course (inches)

40

Published as 3 ft 4 in and, unusually and usefully, the publisher says what it is measured over: INCLUDING THE BURIED COURSE. Most height figures in this trade do not say. It is also a ceiling on the wall, not a permission to build to it — the publisher footnotes it as project-specific and possibly lower.

Belgard (Oldcastle APG, A CRH Company) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard Diamond Pro Air — published maximum gravity wall height, including the buried course (inches) — Cut sheet, single page, right column, FEATURES & BENEFITS — the gravity-wall bullet, read with the asterisk footnote printed below the list. Effective from October 16, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A single-page product cut sheet, so the document URL is the deepest anchor that exists; the bullet and its asterisk footnote are in the right-hand FEATURES & BENEFITS column.

Can be used to build gravity walls up to 3' 4" high*, including the buried course

The asterisk resolves at the foot of the same column, and it is not optional reading: "*Gravity wall heights are based on project specific conditions and may be lower than this value. Check with your local Belgard Representative for product availability and color options." A gravity wall is one that stands on its own weight, with no reinforcement buried in the ground behind it.
VERSA-LOK Standard — published maximum unreinforced height (inches)

VERSA-LOK Standard — published maximum unreinforced height (inches)

48 (from 4 ft)

Published as 4 ft on the product page, which does not say what the four feet is measured over. The publisher does say it elsewhere, in the glossary linked above: its Embedment entry works the example "a four foot wall should have approximately five inches of the base course buried below grade", and one tenth of forty-eight inches is 4.8 inches — so the four feet is the part that shows, with the buried course below it. This page still reads the figure the other way, as the whole stack of block with the buried course inside it, because that is the reading that stops the shorter wall, and it is recorded as a threshold above which reinforcement or an engineer is needed rather than as a height that is fine to build.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall
VERSA-LOK Standard — published maximum unreinforced height (inches)
- The four-foot figure — the Maximum unreinforced height row of the Standard Unit table
- What the publisher measures that height over — the Embedment entry of its own glossary
— Units section (id "units"), "Standard Unit" specification table — the Maximum unreinforced height(ft.) row, read with the footnote sentence printed immediately below the tables. The product page carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
*This is the maximum stable unreinforced height for 12-inch deep VERSA-LOK units in optimum conditions. Poor soils, additional loading, or slopes on top of a wall or bottom of a wall will reduce the maximum stable unreinforced height.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Standard Unit

Maximum unreinforced height(ft.) : 4

Transcriber’s note: One row of the Standard Unit specification table, the one this entry reads; the whole table is transcribed under the unit’s own entry. The asterisk sentence quoted with it is printed under the tables.

The publisher's own footnote is three qualifications long and every one of them describes an ordinary back garden: poor soils, loading on top, or ground that slopes at the top or the bottom of the wall. The second link above is the same publisher's glossary, which is where it states what it measures a wall height over: "VERSA-LOK segmental retaining walls should have at least one-tenth of exposed wall height embedded below grade. For example, a four foot wall should have approximately five inches of the base course buried below grade." Its Gravity Wall entry carries the same four feet. That embedment rule is the one the wall calculator buries a VERSA-LOK wall by (embedment.versa_lok_standard).
Allan Block minimum base depth for a wall under 4 ft (inches)

Allan Block minimum base depth for a wall under 4 ft (inches)

4 — in the quote: “Base material shall be a 4 in. (100 mm) minimum depth”

The publisher's figure for a wall under four feet. The same sentence gives six inches for a wall over four feet, which is a height this page refuses before it reaches, so four inches is the only half of the rule it can ever apply. It is published as a MINIMUM, and item D on the same page requires the base to be compacted at 95% Standard Proctor (ASTM D698) — so four inches is the compacted floor rather than a depth a pad is built to. It is the 4 inch option; the maker's residential guide also asks for at least 6 inches of wall rock in every trench. The pad is inside the height the permit rule is measured over, so picking it moves the permit answer and not only the volume of material ordered.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block minimum base depth for a wall under 4 ft (inches) — PDF page 5 of 24, which prints the folio 3 — section "3.3 Base", item E. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is DOC. #R0901-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024, and its last page reads "(c) 2024, 2019, 2015-2000 Allan Block Corporation, Bloomington, MN". Four of its twenty-four pages, this one among them, also carry the line asking the reader to consult the Allan Block Engineering Department to be sure of having the latest specification. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

E. Base material shall be a 4 in. (100 mm) minimum depth for walls under 4 ft (1.2 m) and a 6 in. (150 mm) minimum depth for walls over 4 ft (1.2 m).

Three things a reader should not assume from this citation. The trench WIDTHS commonly quoted with this rule are not in this document at all — the word trench does not occur anywhere in its twenty-four pages; they are in the same maker's residential guide, recorded under pad_trench.allan_block_ab_classic. The same section's item F requires that the base leave room for at least one buried block, which is the sentence that makes the buried course a rule rather than a habit. And the manual states its own scope on its last page: "The information contained in this manual is for use with Allan Block products only." That sentence is why this page will not work a pad from this figure under another maker's unit: it is the shallowest pad on the page, and taking two inches off the pad takes two inches off the code-measured height as well, which is the one direction this page must not be wrong in. On drift: this file has been served with the same ETag d1a83d123fabe2fdc0079b6c7a251559 and the same 4,345,155 bytes on every reading recorded here, while the Last-Modified header moves with the host's own redeploys — so Last-Modified is not a drift signal on this document, and the edition stamp printed on its last page is.
Allan Block — what the base under the units is made of

The rule

The base is either the same material as the wall rock or a low permeable granular material, compacted at 95% Standard Proctor

An either-or: the wall rock, the stone the same manual specifies for behind and inside its units (recorded with its grading), or a low permeable granular material, which the manual names no further. The purchase line names the wall rock and says the other is allowed too. Neither is tied to a road specification, so no published weight per cubic yard applies to this pad. It is Allan Block’s rule for Allan Block’s own units and is printed only where that unit is chosen.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — what the base under the units is made of — PDF page 5 of 24 (printed folio 3) — section "3.3 Base", items A and D. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is DOC. #R0901-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024, and its last page reads "(c) 2024, 2019, 2015-2000 Allan Block Corporation, Bloomington, MN". Four of its twenty-four pages, this one among them, also carry the line asking the reader to consult the Allan Block Engineering Department to be sure of having the latest specification. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

A. The base material shall be the same as the Wall Rock material (Section 2.2) or a low permeable granular material. […] D. Base shall be compacted at 95% Standard Proctor (ASTM D698) to provide a level hard surface on which to place the first course of blocks.

Items A and D of section 3.3 on the same page; the bracketed ellipsis marks items B and C. The wall rock item A refers to is section 2.2 A, recorded with its grading; section 2.2 B adds that the material behind and within the blocks may be the same material.
CMHA minimum leveling pad thickness (inches)

CMHA minimum leveling pad thickness (inches)

6 — in the quote: “is at least 6 in. (152 mm) thick”

The trade association’s figure, and the only one of its two pad figures it states as a floor: the wording is "is at least 6 in. thick". Each wall maker on the list prints six inches for its own units too.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

CMHA minimum leveling pad thickness (inches) — Tech Note SRW-TEC-005-09, section SYSTEM COMPONENTS (heading id "mg-heading-7") — the "Leveling pad" definition. The Tech Note prints no publication date; it is designated SRW-TEC-005-09 and its own reference list cites the association's Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, Third Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The leveling pad typically extends typically 6 in. (152 mm) from the toe and heel of the lowermost SRW unit and is at least 6 in. (152 mm) thick.

The doubled "extends typically" is in the published text and is transcribed as printed. Two figures sit in this one sentence and the publisher hedges them differently: the extension beyond the unit is TYPICAL, the thickness is a MINIMUM, and this file keeps the two words. The same paragraph names the material the pad is made of; that sentence is recorded in its own entry, as the fallback for a unit whose maker names no pad material of its own. This is a Tech Note and the association routes anything presented as a specification to a different document of its own, so it is recorded here as guidance and not as a standard.
CMHA typical leveling pad offset beyond the toe and heel of the lowermost unit, per side (inches)

CMHA typical leveling pad offset beyond the toe and heel of the lowermost unit, per side (inches)

6 — in the quote: “extends typically 6 in. (152 mm) from the toe and heel”

Per side, and TYPICAL rather than required — the publisher's own word. Six inches in front plus six inches behind is twelve inches wider than the block, which is the figure the maker's trench rule states directly, so the two publishers reach the same trench from opposite directions.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

CMHA typical leveling pad offset beyond the toe and heel of the lowermost unit, per side (inches) — Tech Note SRW-TEC-005-09, section SYSTEM COMPONENTS (heading id "mg-heading-7") — the "Leveling pad" definition, the extension clause. The Tech Note prints no publication date; it is designated SRW-TEC-005-09 and its own reference list cites the association's Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, Third Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The leveling pad typically extends typically 6 in. (152 mm) from the toe and heel of the lowermost SRW unit and is at least 6 in. (152 mm) thick.

Recorded separately from the thickness because it is hedged differently and because it is a per-side figure that is easy to double by mistake. Six inches each side of a 12 inch unit is the 24 inch pad VERSA-LOK prints, and twelve inches wider than the block is the trench Belgard’s guide prints; this node corroborates both and drives no quantity.
CMHA — what the leveling pad is made of

The rule

Crushed stone or unreinforced concrete

The association’s generic description. Each of the three wall makers on the list names its own pad material for its own units, so this description is the fallback for a unit whose maker names none.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

CMHA — what the leveling pad is made of — Tech Note SRW-TEC-005-09, section SYSTEM COMPONENTS (heading id "mg-heading-7") — the "Leveling pad" definition, first sentence. The Tech Note prints no publication date; it is designated SRW-TEC-005-09 and its own reference list cites the association's Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, Third Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

The leveling pad is a level surface, consisting of crushed stone or unreinforced concrete, which distributes the weight of the SRW units over a wider area and provides a working surface during construction.
Belgard — at least 6 inches of the block buried below finished grade

Least (inches)

6 — in the quote: “Bury a minimum of 6" of the block below finished grade”

How much of the block finishes below the ground in front of the wall. It is the reason a wall's code-measured height is never the height a reader sees: the buried course is bought, laid and counted, and it sits under the part that shows.

Anchor Wall Systems, Inc., reprinted by Belgard as its Quick Reference Guide: Standard Wall Installation Guide — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard — at least 6 inches of the block buried below finished grade — PDF page 2 of 4 (printed folio 8) — the BASE COURSE block, first bullet; restated in the EXCAVATION block above it. The guide carries no printed publication or revision date; it is posted under a 2023/10 path on the publisher's site. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The base course is the most important step in the installation process. Bury a minimum of 6" of the block below finished grade.

A minimum, so a wall may be set deeper and never shallower. It is Belgard’s figure for its own unit: VERSA-LOK and Allan Block each publish their own burial for their own units, recorded with this one. It is a FLOOR and not the depth any particular wall gets: block is laid in whole courses, so what finishes below the ground is this six inches plus however much the course count ceilings past it, up to one course more. The document quoted here is the same Anchor Wall Systems guide the pad and trench figures come from, reprinted under a BELGARD.COM footer.
VERSA-LOK — buried below grade, at least a tenth of the height that shows

Buried below grade, at least (share of the height that shows)

0.1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: VERSA-LOK’s glossary asks for "at least one-tenth of exposed wall height embedded below grade": a tenth, 0.1, spelled out.

VERSA-LOK’s own figure for its own units, read only for them. Block is laid in whole 6 inch courses, so what ends up buried is this tenth or more. The same entry asks for more for a slope at the wall base, soft ground and a shoreline, which the wall calculator does not answer.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall
VERSA-LOK — buried below grade, at least a tenth of the height that shows
- The glossary entry, under E
- The same figure in VERSA-LOK’s homeowner installation steps, Step 1
— Homeowner Glossary, entry "Embedment" (letter E) The glossary carries no publication or revision date; its footer reads "(c) 2026 Kiltie Corporation". Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
VERSA-LOK segmental retaining walls should have at least one-tenth of exposed wall height embedded below grade. For example, a four foot wall should have approximately five inches of the base course buried below grade. Embedment provides enhanced wall stability and long-term protection for leveling pads. Embedment should be increased for special conditions such as slope at wall base, soft foundation soils, and shoreline applications.

The glossary states the share in words, "at least one-tenth", and the figure is read from those words. The same publisher’s homeowner installation steps print it as "approximately 1/10th" of the exposed height; "at least" is the glossary’s wording and the stricter of the two.
Allan Block — the base must allow for at least one buried block

Whole blocks buried below grade, at least

1

The rule

The base must be set so that at least one whole block finishes below the ground in front of the wall

Allan Block’s specification book asks for a whole buried block. Its residential guide also allows for buried block at 1 inch for each foot of wall height (pad_trench.allan_block_ab_classic); on every wall the wall calculator answers that is under 5 inches, less than the 8 inch block, so the calculator buries the whole block — the larger of the maker’s two figures.
A construction rule rather than a depth. It is Allan Block’s rule for Allan Block’s own units and is read only where that unit is the one being bought.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — the base must allow for at least one buried block — PDF page 5 of 24 (printed folio 3) — section "3.3 Base", item F. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is DOC. #R0901-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024, and its last page reads "(c) 2024, 2019, 2015-2000 Allan Block Corporation, Bloomington, MN". Four of its twenty-four pages, this one among them, also carry the line asking the reader to consult the Allan Block Engineering Department to be sure of having the latest specification. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

F. Base material should be installed to allow for a minimum of one buried block to be extended into the slope to prevent erosion.
Belgard — how much wider than the block the pad trench is dug (inches)

Trench wider than the block (inches, total)

12 — in the quote: “12 inches wider then the block”

A total, not a figure per side: the trench is dug twelve inches wider than the block, which is six inches past the face and six inches past the back. That reading is what the same document’s own pad rule says in the sentence below it, and the trade association agrees. The originating guide states it as a minimum; the reprint quoted here prints it flat.

Anchor Wall Systems, Inc., reprinted by Belgard as its Quick Reference Guide: Standard Wall Installation Guide — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard — how much wider than the block the pad trench is dug (inches) — PDF page 2 of 4 (printed folio 8) — the EXCAVATION block, second bullet, which is the sentence above the LEVELING PAD block. The guide carries no printed publication or revision date; it is posted under a 2023/10 path on the publisher's site. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The trench for the leveling pad should be excavated 12 inches wider then the block. And 6 inches of the block is to buried below finished grade line. (Diagram 1)

The typing in the quoted sentence — "wider then" and "is to buried" — is reproduced as printed rather than corrected, and it is the REPRINT's typing rather than the originator's. The originating guide states the same rule as "at least 12 inches wider than the block you are installing and 6 inches deeper than the height of the block", so the reprint dropped a stated minimum and moved the depth half of the sentence onto block embedment. This page takes the reprint's twelve inches as a floor and not as an exact width, which is the conservative direction, and re-citing the originating document is recorded as a follow-up rather than done here. The bullet carries two different figures for two different jobs and this file keeps them apart: the twelve inches is how much wider the trench is than the block, and the six inches is how much of the block ends up below the finished ground.
VERSA-LOK — leveling pad about 24 inches wide, and the first course buried about a tenth of the height, for a homeowner wall

Pad width, approximately (inches)

24

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK — leveling pad about 24 inches wide, and the first course buried about a tenth of the height, for a homeowner wall — Homeowner Installation Tips, Step By Step Installation, Step 1: Leveling Pad Preparation, first and second sentences The page carries no date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

VERSA-LOK walls should be placed on a leveling pad of well-compacted gravel, crushed stone or coarse sand approximately 6" thick and 24" wide. The first course of VERSA-LOK units should be embedded below grade approximately 1/10th of the exposed wall height.

VERSA-LOK’s guide specification, written for walls built to P.E.-sealed plans, agrees: a minimum thickness of 6 inches, extending at least 6 inches from the toe and heel of the lowermost unit (section 4.04 A), which for its 12 inch unit is 24 inches.
Allan Block — base trench width and depth, and the narrower trench for a wall under 4 ft

Width (inches)

24

Base trench width, wall under 4 ft (inches)

18

Base depth, wall under 4 ft (inches)

4 — in the quote: “4 in. deep (100 mm)”

Buried block, inches for each foot of wall height

1 — in the quote: “1 in. (25 mm) for each 1 ft. (300 mm) of wall height for the amount of buried block”

Allan Block prints two trenches. The general one is 24 inches wide and holds its 6 inch minimum of wall rock (pad_depth.allan_block_ab_classic); for a wall under 4 feet it prints an 18 inch trench 4 inches deep. Every wall the wall calculator answers is under 4 feet, so both apply; under the 6 inch pad the calculator digs the wider one, the larger of the two, and the 18 by 4 trench is the 4 inch option. The page’s diagram label prints "24 in. (300 mm)"; its text says 600 mm.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — base trench width and depth, and the narrower trench for a wall under 4 ft — PDF page 26 of 68, which prints the folio 24 — "Building a retaining wall", Base Preparation bullets 5 and 6, and the double-asterisk note under them. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Dig a base trench 24 in. (600 mm) wide the length of the wall.** • The depth of the trench will be 6 in. (150 mm) plus an additional 1 in. (25 mm) for each 1 ft. (300 mm) of wall height for the amount of buried block that is needed.** … ** For walls under 4 ft. (1.2 m) dig the base trench 18 in. wide (460 mm) and 4 in. deep (100 mm) plus additional to account for the amount of buried block needed.
Belgard — leveling pad at least 6 inches deep after compaction

Least (inches)

6 — in the quote: “be at least 6 inches deep after compaction”

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

3/4-inch minus (with fines)

Published as a minimum measured AFTER compaction, which is not the same as six inches tipped into a trench. The quantity the wall calculator works out is that finished layer. The pad line orders it in loose cubic yards: the compacted volume times 1.5, Caltrans’ compact cubic yards for each cubic yard of finished layer. That figure is published for road shoulder, base and surface material; applying it to a wall’s pad is ConcreteTally’s choice, because no wall maker in its source list publishes a loose figure for its own pad stone, and the choice buys more stone rather than less.

Anchor Wall Systems, Inc., reprinted by Belgard as its Quick Reference Guide: Standard Wall Installation Guide — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard — leveling pad at least 6 inches deep after compaction — PDF page 2 of 4, which prints the folio 8 — the LEVELING PAD block, first and second bullets. The guide carries no printed publication or revision date; it is posted under a 2023/10 path on the publisher's site. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

An aggregate leveling pad is made of compactable base material of 3/4-inch minus (with fines). The pad must extend at least 6 inches in front of and behind the first course of block and be at least 6 inches deep after compaction.

This document is a four-page excerpt of a general installation guide, so it is a maker's instruction rather than an industry standard. The text is Anchor Wall Systems' generic installation guide reprinted under a BELGARD.COM footer: the file names neither Oldcastle nor CRH anywhere, and its sentences match Anchor's own guide word for word. It is cited to the page a reader can actually open, under the name of the party that wrote the words. It also gives the material a reader has to ask a yard for, which is the more useful half of the sentence: 3/4-inch minus, with fines, so that it compacts. That is a different product from the clean free-draining stone that goes behind the wall.
VERSA-LOK — leveling pad about 6 inches thick, for a homeowner wall

Pad thickness, approximately (inches)

6

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK — leveling pad about 6 inches thick, for a homeowner wall — Homeowner Installation Tips, Step By Step Installation, Step 1: Leveling Pad Preparation, first sentence The page carries no date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

VERSA-LOK walls should be placed on a leveling pad of well-compacted gravel, crushed stone or coarse sand approximately 6" thick and 24" wide.

Its guide specification, for walls built to P.E.-sealed plans, asks for a minimum of 6 inches (section 2.04 A and 4.04 A).
Allan Block — at least 6 inches of wall rock in the base trench

Least (inches)

6

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — at least 6 inches of wall rock in the base trench — PDF page 26 of 68, which prints the folio 24 — "Building a retaining wall", Base Material, bullet 2 (no double asterisk). Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Place a minimum of 6 in. (150 mm) of wall rock in the base trench and rake smooth.

The bullet carries no double asterisk, so it is written for every wall; the same page’s double-asterisk note gives a 4 inch depth for a wall under 4 feet, and the maker’s specification book a 4 inch minimum under 4 feet. The maker’s figures disagree.
CMHA minimum depth of free-draining fill behind the units (inches)

CMHA minimum depth of free-draining fill behind the units (inches)

12

Twelve inches, measured back from the units, for the full height of the BLOCK — the buried course has drainage behind it like every other course, and the leveling pad below it does not. The association states the figure without any condition on the height of the wall and without any condition on the type of unit, which is what makes it usable on all three of the units the wall calculator counts, and it is the figure the calculator would use for a unit whose maker printed no depth behind its units; each of the three makers prints its own twelve inches in its own entry. It is published as a minimum and spent flat, which buys at least what the association asks for. What it does not cover is the stone inside the units: the same definition adds that in units with open cores gravel can be used to increase the weight and shear capacity, and that stone is listed with the other things the calculator does not count. The quantity is the space behind the units, worked out as a compacted layer; the drainage line orders it in loose cubic yards at Caltrans’ multiplier, as the note on that line says.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

CMHA minimum depth of free-draining fill behind the units (inches) — Tech Note SRW-TEC-005-09, section SYSTEM COMPONENTS (heading id "mg-heading-7") — the "Gravel fill" definition, its final sentence. The Tech Note prints no publication date; it is designated SRW-TEC-005-09 and its own reference list cites the association's Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, Third Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

The gravel fill should extend a minimum of 12 in. (305 mm) behind the SRW units regardless of the type.

"Regardless of the type" is the publisher's own generalization across unit types, which is why this figure is carried as industry guidance rather than as one product's rule. The material is a clean free-draining stone and is NOT the same product as the compactable base under the wall: one is chosen so water runs through it, the other so it locks up under load. A yard will sell both and will not guess which is wanted. Allan Block is the exception among the makers on this page: its manual allows the base under its own units to be the same wall rock.
Belgard — 12 inches of free-draining aggregate behind the wall

Drainage stone behind the units (inches)

12 — in the quote: “Backfill 12 inches behind the wall”

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

3/4-inch free-draining aggregate

The stone behind the block in the guide Belgard reprints, in its words, and its twelve inches. The guide’s compaction steps name the soil placed behind this stone and give no step of their own for the stone itself.

Anchor Wall Systems, Inc., reprinted by Belgard as its Quick Reference Guide: Standard Wall Installation Guide — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Belgard — 12 inches of free-draining aggregate behind the wall — PDF page 3 of 4, which prints the folio 9 — CONSTRUCTION OF SUBSEQUENT COURSES, fifth bullet. The guide carries no printed publication or revision date; it is posted under a 2023/10 path on the publisher's site. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Backfill 12 inches behind the wall with 3/4-inch free-draining aggregate. You will do this step for every course.

The same page’s DRAINAGE DESIGN block says it again: "Fill in the area behind the blocks with 3/4-inch free-draining aggregate, at least 12 inches from the wall."
VERSA-LOK — 12 inches of drainage aggregate behind the units, placed and compacted

Drainage stone behind the units (inches)

12

State the material is in

placed and compacted behind the units, course by course

VERSA-LOK’s own steps compact the stone behind its units, and give the same twelve inches the association does.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK — 12 inches of drainage aggregate behind the units, placed and compacted — Homeowner Installation Tips, Step By Step Installation — Step 3: Backfill Your Wall, second sentence; Step 4: Install Successive Retaining Wall Courses, last sentence The page carries no date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Next, place and compact 12" of drainage aggregate behind units. […] Place and compact drainage aggregate behind each course as it is completed.
Allan Block — 12 inches of wall rock behind the block

Drainage stone behind the units (inches)

12

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — 12 inches of wall rock behind the block — PDF page 27 of 68, which prints the folio 25 — "Backfilling and Compaction", bullet 2. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Fill the hollow cores of the base course and 12 in. (300 mm) behind the block with wall rock to the height of the block.
VERSA-LOK guide specification — drainage aggregate and its grading

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

drainage aggregate

Most that may pass the No. 200 sieve (%)

5

VERSA-LOK’s name and grading for the stone behind its Standard unit. The wall calculator prints the name on the purchase line and the grading with it on the card and the printed sheet.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK guide specification — drainage aggregate and its grading — Specification for Segmental Retaining Wall Systems (VERSA-LOK Standard unit), Part 2, section 2.05 Drainage Aggregate, item A and the gradation table under it The specification prints no date; it cites the NCMA Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, 3rd Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Drainage aggregate shall be angular, clean stone or granular fill meeting the following gradation as determined in accordance with ASTM D 422:

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: 2.05 Drainage Aggregate

Sieve Size Percent Passing

1 inch 100
3/4 inch 75-100
No. 4 0-60
No. 40 0-50
No. 200 0-5

1 inch; 3/4 inch; No. 4; No. 40: Shown as the grading a yard checks; no figure is stored from these rows (the line’s detail names the 1-inch sieve in words).

Transcriber’s note: Transcribed as printed, one row per sieve. The section heading stands as the caption; the specification prints the table without a title of its own.
Allan Block — wall rock, the stone behind and inside the units, and its grading

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

wall rock

Most that may pass the No. 200 sieve (%)

10 — in the quote: “with no more than 10% passing the #200 sieve”

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — wall rock, the stone behind and inside the units, and its grading — PDF page 4 of 24, which prints the folio 2 — section "2.2 Wall Rock", the heading and item A. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is DOC. #R0901-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024, and its last page reads "(c) 2024, 2019, 2015-2000 Allan Block Corporation, Bloomington, MN". Four of its twenty-four pages, this one among them, also carry the line asking the reader to consult the Allan Block Engineering Department to be sure of having the latest specification. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

2.2 Wall Rock A. Material must be well-graded compactible aggregate, 0.25 in. to 1.5 in., (6 mm - 38 mm) with no more than 10% passing the #200 sieve. (ASTM D422)

Recorded because it is the sentence to read out at a yard counter, not because it drives a quantity — it is a specification the reader hands to a supplier. The section heading is part of the quotation because it is the name the publisher gives the material.
Allan Block — twelve inches of wall rock behind the block, compacted within the consolidation zone

State the material is in

compacted with a hand operated plate compactor, in lifts of no more than 8 in., within 3 ft of the wall

Allan Block puts at least twelve inches of its wall rock behind the block and compacts everything within three feet of the wall face, which takes in that stone.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — twelve inches of wall rock behind the block, compacted within the consolidation zone — PDF page 5 of 24 (printed folio 3) — section 3.4 Unit Installation, item D (one sentence) and item F (first three sentences). Effective from March 2024. The document’s own code is DOC. #R0901-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024, and its last page reads "(c) 2024, 2019, 2015-2000 Allan Block Corporation, Bloomington, MN". Retrieved October 11, 2026.

D. […] Fill all cavities in and around wall units and to a minimum of 12 in. (300 mm) depth behind block with wall rock. […] F. The consolidation zone shall be defined as 3 ft (0.9 m) behind the wall. Compaction within the consolidation zone shall be accomplished by using a hand operated plate compactor and shall begin by running the plate compactor directly on the block and then compacting in parallel paths from the wall face until the entire consolidation zone has been compacted. A minimum of two passes of the plate compactor are required with maximum lifts of 8 in. (200 mm).

Item letters are kept so the two items stay apart: D gives the twelve inches, F the compaction within three feet of the wall. A doubled space in the PDF’s text layer is transcribed as one.
CMHA — the construction sequence behind a segmental retaining wall

State the material is in

compaction of backfill to the specified density in lifts of 8 in. or less from the front of the wall to the back of the reinforcement

The association places the gravel fill behind the units, backfills behind it and compacts from the front of the wall back. It does not say in so many words whether the gravel fill itself is compacted, and Belgard’s guide gives no step of its own for its stone, while VERSA-LOK and Allan Block compact the stone behind their units. Ordering the stone behind every unit as a compacted layer is ConcreteTally’s choice; it buys more stone, never less.

Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association (CMHA) — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

CMHA — the construction sequence behind a segmental retaining wall — Tech Note SRW-TEC-005-09, section CONSTRUCTION (heading id "mg-heading-10") — the list after "Construction occurs in the following sequence:", its third, fourth and fifth items The Tech Note prints no publication date; it is designated SRW-TEC-005-09 and its own reference list cites the association's Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, Third Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Construction occurs in the following sequence: […] filling unit openings with gravel (if applicable) and placing gravel fill behind the units, backfilling from the back of the gravel fill to the end of the reinforcement (if applicable), compaction of backfill to the specified density in lifts of 8 in. or less from the front of the wall to the back of the reinforcement (if applicable),

The list is printed as bullets; the three items quoted are the third to the fifth, joined in the order printed, and the bracketed ellipsis marks the two items before them.
VERSA-LOK — the leveling pad material, and that it is compacted

The rule

Well-compacted gravel, crushed stone or coarse sand

Name for the material, in this publisher’s words

gravel, crushed stone or coarse sand

VERSA-LOK’s own words for the pad under its units, from its installation steps; the wall calculator’s purchase line carries them for a VERSA-LOK wall. The same steps compact the pad, and the pad they describe, 6 inches thick and 24 wide, is the pad the wall calculator works out under the 12-inch-deep VERSA-LOK Standard unit.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK — the leveling pad material, and that it is compacted — Homeowner Installation Tips, Step By Step Installation, Step 1: Leveling Pad Preparation, first and fourth sentences The page carries no date. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

VERSA-LOK walls should be placed on a leveling pad of well-compacted gravel, crushed stone or coarse sand approximately 6" thick and 24" wide. […] Place and compact leveling pad material.

The bracketed ellipsis marks the step’s second and third sentences. Its guide specification names the soil types the pad may be for the Standard unit; that sentence is recorded in its own entry.
VERSA-LOK guide specification — leveling pad material for the Standard unit

Standard

USCS soil types GP, GW, SP and SW

The soil types VERSA-LOK’s guide specification for its Standard unit allows for the leveling pad, printed with the pad line on the card and the printed sheet. The specification names no other grading for the pad.

VERSA-LOK Retaining Wall Systems (Kiltie Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

VERSA-LOK guide specification — leveling pad material for the Standard unit — Specification for Segmental Retaining Wall Systems (VERSA-LOK Standard unit), Part 2, section 2.04 Leveling Pad, item A, first sentence The specification prints no date; it cites the NCMA Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls, 3rd Edition, 2009. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Material for leveling pad shall consist of compacted sand, gravel, or combination thereof (USCS soil types GP, GW, SP and SW) and shall be a minimum of 6 inches in depth.
Retaining wall height exempted from a permit by 2021 IRC R105.2 item 3, as republished by Grant County, Washington, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall (feet)

Retaining wall height exempted from a permit by 2021 IRC R105.2 item 3, as republished by Grant County, Washington, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall (feet)

4

Feet, and the basis is the whole point: BOTTOM OF THE FOOTING to TOP OF THE WALL, not the height that shows. The code text does not name the parts of a block wall; ConcreteTally reads the leveling pad as the footing and the top of the cap, or of the last course where there is no cap, as the top of the wall. Worked on the figures these calculators use, for a wall showing three feet: Belgard Diamond Pro Air takes six 8 inch courses, because the maker’s 6 inch burial does not end on a whole course, so 12 inches finish below the ground; on the 6 inch pad and under the 4 inch cap that is 6 + 48 + 4 = 58 inches, 4 ft 10 in, and a stack Belgard’s own cut sheet puts past its 3 ft 4 in gravity-wall limit, buried course included. VERSA-LOK Standard with no cap takes seven 6 inch courses on the 6 inch pad: 6 + 42 = 48 inches, exactly the four feet the rule allows. The exemption also fails outright, at any height, where the wall supports a surcharge.

Grant County, Washington — Government publication

Used by: Retaining wall

Retaining wall height exempted from a permit by 2021 IRC R105.2 item 3, as republished by Grant County, Washington, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall (feet) — Page 1 of 2, under the heading "R105.2 Work exempt from permit.", sub-heading "Building:", numbered item 3. The handout prints no publication or revision date; its own header names the code edition it reproduces as the 2021 International Residential Code. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A two-page handout that opens on the page carrying the figure; it is numbered item 3 under the "Building:" sub-heading of R105.2, immediately after the item about fences.

3. Retaining walls that are not over 4 feet (1219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.

What this document is, stated plainly so nobody mistakes it for something stronger. It is a county's handout reproducing Section R105 of the 2021 International Residential Code, a model code written by the International Code Council. The extracted text carries the code's own header and no county branding, so the county is the publisher a reader can actually open rather than the author of the words. A model code has no force anywhere until a jurisdiction adopts it, and jurisdictions amend it. The same page carries the sentence that stops this calculator from ever clearing anybody: "Exemption from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction." The code publisher's own site serves this section as a page with no text in it until scripting runs, so it cannot be cited here at all: a link that answers but shows a reader nothing is worse than no link.
Unbalanced fill above which the 2015 IRC requires an engineered design (inches)

Unbalanced fill above which the 2015 IRC requires an engineered design (inches)

48

Inches of UNBALANCED FILL — the difference in ground level the wall is holding back — and not a wall height. A different provision from the permit exemption, with a different basis, and the trigger a reader is most likely to hear quoted as though it were the permit rule.

International Code Council — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

Unbalanced fill above which the 2015 IRC requires an engineered design (inches) — Single-page excerpt, the block headed "CHANGE SIGNIFICANCE:" — the paragraph beginning "Section R404.4 also has a new trigger height". The operative provision itself, with its revision marks, is in the block headed "2015 CODE:" above it. Effective from 2015. The excerpt names its own source as Significant Changes to the International Residential Code, 2015 Edition; no month or day is printed. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A single-page excerpt that opens on the text; the sentence quoted here is the second paragraph of the block headed "CHANGE SIGNIFICANCE:", below the quoted code.

Section R404.4 also has a new trigger height of 48 inches (previously 24 inches) for unbalanced backfill to be consistent with Section R404.1.3.

This is the code publisher's own commentary excerpt, which reprints the provision with revision marks — it is NOT the code book, and the code text on the sheet therefore shows the struck 24 followed by the inserted 48. That is why the sentence quoted above is taken from the discussion rather than from the provision: the provision cannot be reproduced whole without reproducing a struck figure beside a live one. An earlier version of this citation named the "2015 CODE:" block as the location of the quoted sentence, which was wrong — a code provision does not narrate its own change history, and the sentence is in CHANGE SIGNIFICANCE. The operative 2015 figure is 48 inches. The sheet is confirmed for the 2015 edition only; the publisher's own site serves the later editions as pages with no text in them until scripting runs, so no later edition could be confirmed and none is claimed here.
Wall height above which the 2015 IRC requires an engineered design where the wall resists lateral loads in addition to soil (inches)

Wall height above which the 2015 IRC requires an engineered design where the wall resists lateral loads in addition to soil (inches)

24

A second, much lower trigger, and it fires on a different condition: a wall that has to resist lateral loads in addition to soil. The publisher's own examples are vehicles parked above the wall and a fence built on top of it catching wind. This page does not compute against it — it refuses the whole job the moment anything of that kind is above the wall.

International Code Council — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

Wall height above which the 2015 IRC requires an engineered design where the wall resists lateral loads in addition to soil (inches) — Single-page excerpt, the CHANGE SIGNIFICANCE block — the sentence naming vehicles parked above and fences built on top. Effective from 2015. The excerpt names its own source as Significant Changes to the International Residential Code, 2015 Edition; no month or day is printed. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A single-page excerpt that opens on the text; this sentence is in the CHANGE SIGNIFICANCE discussion, in the left column below the quoted code.

When the wall must resist additional loads, such as vehicles parked above or fences built on top of the wall that are subject to wind loads, a wall with more than 24 inches of unbalanced backfill must be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.

Note the two different bases inside one provision: the 48-inch trigger is measured on unbalanced fill, while this second one is measured on the wall. THE LABEL ON THIS FIGURE SAYS WALL HEIGHT AND THE SENTENCE QUOTED ABOVE SAYS UNBALANCED BACKFILL, and that is the publisher disagreeing with itself on one page rather than this file merging anything. The label follows the operative code text, which is printed in the "2015 CODE:" block of the same excerpt and reads, of the second trigger: "or retaining walls exceeding 24 inches (610 mm) in height that resist lateral loads in addition to soil, shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice". It is quoted here rather than in the verbatim field above because the first half of the same code sentence is printed with its revision marks still in it — "retain in excess of 24 48 inches (610 1219 mm) of unbalanced fill" — so the sentence cannot be reproduced whole without reproducing a struck figure beside a live one. The verbatim above is the CHANGE SIGNIFICANCE discussion restating the same trigger as unbalanced backfill. A reader checking the basis of this 24 should read both; nothing on this page is computed against it, because the page refuses the whole job the moment anything of that kind is above the wall.
Safety factor the 2015 IRC requires of an engineered retaining wall design

Safety factor the 2015 IRC requires of an engineered retaining wall design

1.5

Against lateral sliding and against overturning. It is recorded because it is what an engineered design has to demonstrate, and it is the clearest sign that the work past the trigger is a design calculation and not a shopping list.

International Code Council — Trade association publication

Used by: Retaining wall

Safety factor the 2015 IRC requires of an engineered retaining wall design — Single-page excerpt, the block headed "2015 CODE:" — the sentence following the list of stability requirements. Effective from 2015. The excerpt names its own source as Significant Changes to the International Residential Code, 2015 Edition; no month or day is printed. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A single-page excerpt that opens on the text; the sentence is the penultimate one of the block headed "2015 CODE:".

Retaining walls shall be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning. This section shall not apply to foundation walls supporting buildings.

The second sentence is quoted with the first deliberately, and the word FOUNDATION in it is load-bearing. The exception is written for foundation walls supporting buildings — an element of a building's own foundation — and not for every retaining wall with something built above it, so a wall carrying a deck footing, a pool or a shed is INSIDE this provision rather than outside it, and what the provision asks of it is a designed safety factor of 1.5. An earlier version of this note, and the refusal that leaned on it, paraphrased the sentence as "walls supporting buildings", which is broader than what the publisher printed and untrue of three of the four cases the surcharge question covers. That is why a wall carrying a structure is refused outright on this page rather than measured: not because the section stops applying, but because what it asks for is a design.
County of Los Angeles — a retaining wall requiring a building permit must be designed by a registered design professional

The rule

Any retaining wall design that needs a building permit must be done by a registered design professional

The cleanest published statement of the consequence, from a government body: it is not that a tall wall needs a form filled in, it is that it needs an engineer's design. That is the sentence the refusal on this page is built to point at.

County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works — Building and Safety Division — Government publication

Used by: Retaining wall

County of Los Angeles — a retaining wall requiring a building permit must be designed by a registered design professional — Residential Code Manual No. 1014, R404.4 Article 1, "DESIGN OF RETAINING WALLS" — page 1 of 9, under the heading ISSUE. Effective from July 12, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A nine-page manual that opens on the page carrying the sentence; it is the third sentence of the opening ISSUE paragraph on page 1.

Therefore, any retaining wall design requiring a building permit shall be performed by a registered design professional.

The manual reaches that conclusion by reading two provisions together, both quoted in the same paragraph: R404.4 on stability, and a separate section letting the building official require plans prepared by a licensed engineer. It is dated 07-12-17 and is written against the 2017 county residential code, so it is one county's published policy at one date rather than a national rule — which is exactly how this page uses it.
North Carolina's own amendments to R404.4 — triggers unrelated to a single wall's height

The rule

In one state a registered design professional is required for a retaining wall system crossing a property line at any height, and for cumulative relief over a stated height within a stated distance

The proof that four feet is a model figure rather than a national one. These triggers are not about how tall one wall is: one of them fires regardless of vertical height. A page that told a reader they were clear under four feet would be wrong here, and would have no way of knowing.

North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal — Government publication

Used by: Retaining wall

North Carolina's own amendments to R404.4 — triggers unrelated to a single wall's height — Page 1, "2018 NC Residential Code / R404.4 Retaining Walls (210914 Item B-1)", numbered items 1 and 2 of four; the item's closing lines run on to page 2. Effective from January 1, 2025. The item's own closing line, at the top of page 2, reads "The delayed effective date of this Rule is January 1, 2025." Retrieved September 13, 2026.

A short document that opens on the text; the two versions of the amendment both begin on page 1, under the state fire marshal's letterhead, and the later one's closing lines run on to page 2.

1. Any retaining walls systems on a residential site that cross over adjacent property lines regardless of vertical height, or 2. Retaining walls that support buildings and their accessory structures, undercutting footings 10 feet or less per R403.1.9 and Figure 403.1.9, or

Republished by the North Carolina Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board from the state fire marshal's own document, whose letterhead appears at the top of the page. The board's own note says the content is believed accurate but not guaranteed, so it is cited as evidence that amendments of this kind exist and are adopted, not as the operative text of anybody's code. Three things about the page a reader should not have to discover for themselves. It prints TWO versions of the same section: an earlier item (200714 Item B-18, effective 2022) whose list of triggers is joined by "and", and this one (210914 Item B-1, effective 2025) which rewrites the identical section with "or" after each item. Only the later, disjunctive version supports the reading this page states, which is why it is the one quoted. Items 3 and 4 of this version are printed with their revision marks still in them — the struck old figure sits beside the new one, as in "exceeding 4 feet (1219mm) 5 feet (1524 mm)" — so only items 1 and 2 are quoted here. And the earlier version prints "4 feet (1524 mm)"; four feet is 1219 mm, not 1524. A republished code text carried an internal unit mismatch, which is the strongest possible argument for never quoting a code number from memory and for citing the same rule from more than one publisher.

Allan Block's published estimating chart — approximate blocks and capstones by courses and wall length

Applies to: AB Stones, AB Classic, AB Metro Classic, AB Aztec Stones, AB Aztec Classic and AB Dover — the publisher's full-size units only
1 course, 5 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 4
1 course, 10 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 7
1 course, 20 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 14
1 course, 30 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 21
1 course, 40 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 28
1 course, 50 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 35
2 courses, 5 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 7
2 courses, 10 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 14
2 courses, 20 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 28
2 courses, 30 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 41
2 courses, 40 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 55
2 courses, 50 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 69
3 courses, 5 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 11
3 courses, 10 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 21
3 courses, 20 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 41
3 courses, 30 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 62
3 courses, 40 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 82
3 courses, 50 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 103
4 courses, 5 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 14
4 courses, 10 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 28
4 courses, 20 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 55
4 courses, 30 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 82
4 courses, 40 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 109
4 courses, 50 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 137
5 courses, 5 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 18
5 courses, 10 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 35
5 courses, 20 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 69
5 courses, 30 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 103
5 courses, 40 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 137
5 courses, 50 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 171
6 courses, 5 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 21
6 courses, 10 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 41
6 courses, 20 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 82
6 courses, 30 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 123
6 courses, 40 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 164
6 courses, 50 ft of wall — full-size blocks: 205
Capstones, 5 ft of wall: 4
Capstones, 10 ft of wall: 7
Capstones, 20 ft of wall: 14
Capstones, 30 ft of wall: 21
Capstones, 40 ft of wall: 28
Capstones, 50 ft of wall: 35

Allan Block’s own estimating chart for its full-size units, and the figure the wall calculator orders by for them wherever it asks for more than counting each course to whole units does. Between the lengths it prints, the calculator reads it in a straight line, and past 50 ft in proportion to length — the calculator’s own reading, which its answer names as such.

Allan Block Corporation — Estimating chart (approximate)

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block's published estimating chart — approximate blocks and capstones by courses and wall length — PDF page 61 of 68, which prints the folio 59 — "Estimating the Number of Blocks Needed", LEFT column, the chart headed "Approx. number of full-size blocks needed". Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Use the Estimating Charts below to quickly estimate the amount of block and capstones that will be needed for your retaining walls up to 6 ft. (1.8 m) high.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Approx. number of full-size blocks needed

(AB Stones, AB Classic, AB Metro Classic, AB Aztec Stones, AB Aztec Classic, AB Dover)

	5 ft (1.5m)	10 ft (3.0m)	20 ft (6.0m)	30 ft (9.0m)	40 ft (12.0m)	50 ft (15.0m)
1 course 8 in. (200 mm)	4	7	14	21	28	35
2 course 16 in. (400 mm)	7	14	28	41	55	69
3 course 24 in. (600 mm)	11	21	41	62	82	103
4 course 32 in. (800 mm)	14	28	55	82	109	137
5 course 40 in. (1.0 m)	18	35	69	103	137	171
6 course 48 in. (1.2 m)	21	41	82	123	164	205
Capstones	4	7	14	21	28	35

To switch to half-width blocks (AB Jumbo Jr , AB Aztec Jr. or AB Palermo), simply double the numbers shown above.

Corner Blocks 1 for each course that steps down. 1 for each course with a corner.

Note: Capstones add 4 in. (100 mm) to your total wall height.

Corners should alternate with left and right hand blocks.

Transcriber’s note: The second of the three estimating charts on the page, for full-size blocks; the charts for the AB Fieldstone Collection and for the Lite blocks are not transcribed. The wall lengths are printed as the column headings and the wall heights as the row headings. The two corner-block lines printed under the Capstones row are given as one footnote.

Transcribed row by row, not quoted, and the column matters twice over. This is an estimating chart rather than a specification, and the publisher says so about its own figures: the same document prints, as the sidebar to the unit table this file also cites, that "Actual dimensions, weights and setbacks will vary by manufacturer. Check with your local Allan Block Dealer for exact specifications and color availability." Allan Block licenses production rather than casting the units, so this is a design figure from the system's owner and not a measurement of anything on a pallet — which is worth reading against the "Manufacturer or grower specification" wording this node's source type renders above it. The RIGHT column of the same page carries a different collection's chart whose rows have the same labels and different numbers, so a reader comparing the wrong column will find this page disagreeing with a chart it never used. And three further published lines belong to this chart and are part of it: "To switch to half-width blocks (AB Jumbo Jr , AB Aztec Jr. or AB Palermo), simply double the numbers shown above.", "Corner Blocks 1 for each course that steps down. 1 for each course with a corner." and "Note: Capstones add 4 in. (100 mm) to your total wall height." The corner rule is a rule of thumb for a layout this page cannot see, so corners are not counted here at all.

Allan Block — capstones for each 10 ft of wall

Capstones for each 10 ft of wall

7 — in the quote: “for AB Capstones, you will need 7 AB Caps”

The capstone half of the sentence. Its block half is about the base course of a patterned wall and is not read as a block rate. Seven caps for each ten feet is what the same maker’s estimating chart prints in its Capstones row at every length it prints; the wall calculator applies it at lengths the chart does not print.

Allan Block Corporation — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Retaining wall

Allan Block — capstones for each 10 ft of wall — PDF page 32 of 68, which prints the folio 30 — "Patterned Walls", the note under the pattern tables. Effective from March 2024. The document's own code is Doc. # L0631-0324, whose last four digits are March 2024; no day is printed anywhere in it. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Note: A base course of full size (Standard Patterns) or half size (Lite Patterns) blocks needs to be included. Full size (AB Classic, AB Aztec Classic or AB Dover), Half size (AB Jumbo Jr, AB Aztec Jr or AB Palermo). For each 10 ft. (3.0 m) of wall length you will need 7 full size blocks or equivalent, and for AB Capstones, you will need 7 AB Caps.

The PDF prints two spaces after each full stop of this note; they are one space here.

Roofing slate

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Slate roof

A roofing square is 100 square feet

Square feet

100

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

A roofing square is 100 square feet — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — units The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the definition is in the article's opening paragraph on units.

One roofing square is equal to 100 square feet.
Slate is sold by the square at a 3-inch headlap

Inches

3 — in the quote: “is sold by the square at a 3-inch headlap”

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

Slate is sold by the square at a 3-inch headlap — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — what a square of slate means The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's explanation of what a square of slate contains.

Slate roofing in North America is sold by the square at a 3-inch headlap, so that enough slate, regardless of the size ordered, is provided to cover 100 square feet of roof area when installed with a 3-inch headlap.

The whole sentence matters and the tail is the load-bearing half. A square of slate covers 100 square feet OF ROOF only when it is laid at a 3-inch headlap. Lay the same slate with a deeper lap and the square covers less roof, which is why this calculator has to scale the published count rather than treat a square as a fixed area.
Quarries punch the nail holes for a 3-inch headlap

Inches

3

North Country Slate — Retailer product specification

Used by: Slate roof

Quarries punch the nail holes for a 3-inch headlap — Low pitched slate roof with a 4" headlap — standard practice The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's opening explanation of standard practice.

In North America, the quarries punch or drill slates for a 3" headlap.

North Country Slate is a distributor in Uxbridge, Ontario, not a quarry — its pages are recorded as retailer specifications rather than manufacturer datasheets, because the page a reader lands on should say which it is.
A deeper lap on a lower-slope roof needs more slate per square of roof

Greenstone Slate Company — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Slate roof

A deeper lap on a lower-slope roof needs more slate per square of roof — Greenstone slate guide to roof installations — quantities and headlap The producer's guide carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the guide's section on quantities.

It should also be noted that for roofs of lower slope, where a 4 inch (100 mm) headlap is used, an additional quantity of slate is required to cover 1 square of roof.

Read what this does not say: it names no slope at which the deeper lap begins. This calculator therefore offers the lap as YOUR choice and never selects it for you from the pitch — the sources on this page do not support a threshold, and inventing one would decide a detailing question on your behalf.
The roofing contractors' association does not recommend slate below a 4 in 12 slope

Minimum rise per 12 of run

4 — in the quote: “on slopes less than 4:12 (18 degrees)”

Degrees

18 — in the quote: “(18 degrees). At slopes”

Greenstone Slate Company, quoting the National Roofing Contractors Association — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Slate roof

The roofing contractors' association does not recommend slate below a 4 in 12 slope — Greenstone slate guide to roof installations — roof slope The producer's guide carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the passage is in the guide's section on roof slope.

NRCA does not recommend the design of slate roofing on slopes less than 4:12 (18 degrees). At slopes less than 4:12 (18 degrees), slate is a decorative roof covering only, and a weatherproof membrane installed under the slate is necessary.

The second sentence is why this calculator warns rather than refuses below 4:12. The source does not say the assembly is impossible — it says the slate stops being the waterproofing and a membrane underneath becomes necessary. A refusal would be stricter than the authority it cites, and would turn away real decorative work.

Where this copy comes from: This is a producer's guide restating an NRCA recommendation. The NRCA manual itself was not read, so the attribution is to Greenstone reporting NRCA, not to NRCA directly.
Exposure — take the headlap off the slate's length and halve what is left

Divide by

2

Greenstone Slate Company — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Slate roof

Exposure — take the headlap off the slate's length and halve what is left — Greenstone slate guide to roof installations — exposure The producer's guide carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the guide's section on exposure.

The proper exposure for a particular length of slate is obtained by deducting the 3 inch (76 mm) headlap from the total length of the slate then dividing that number by two.

Greenstone states the rule with the 3-inch lap already substituted. Generalizing it to any headlap rests on the second publisher below, which states it with the headlap left as a variable.
The same rule with the headlap left as a variable

Divide by

2

North Country Slate — Retailer product specification

Used by: Slate roof

The same rule with the headlap left as a variable — Low pitched slate roof with a 4" headlap — exposure The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's explanation of what changes at a deeper lap.

The formula is the slate's length less the headlap divided by two.

Pieces per square, by slate size, at a 3-inch headlap

Headlap (inches): 3 — in the quote: “3″ headlap”
24 x 14 in slate: 98
24 x 12 in slate: 115
22 x 12 in slate: 126
22 x 11 in slate: 137
20 x 14 in slate: 121
20 x 12 in slate: 141
20 x 11 in slate: 154
20 x 10 in slate: 170
18 x 14 in slate: 137
18 x 12 in slate: 160
18 x 11 in slate: 175
18 x 10 in slate: 192
18 x 9 in slate: 213
16 x 14 in slate: 158
16 x 12 in slate: 185
16 x 11 in slate: 201
16 x 10 in slate: 222
16 x 9 in slate: 246
16 x 8 in slate: 277
14 x 12 in slate: 218
14 x 10 in slate: 262
14 x 9 in slate: 291
14 x 8 in slate: 327
14 x 7 in slate: 374
12 x 12 in slate: 267
12 x 10 in slate: 320
12 x 8 in slate: 400
12 x 6 in slate: 534

North Country Slate — Retailer product specification

Used by: Slate roof

Pieces per square, by slate size, at a 3-inch headlap — Schedule of Standard Sizes — Pieces per square at 3" headlap The distributor's specification page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the figures are the table that is the whole page.

SCHEDULE OF STANDARD SIZES

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: SCHEDULE OF STANDARD SIZES

Slate size Inches	Pieces per square at 3″ headlap	Exposure at 3″ headlap
24 x 14	98	10.5″
24 x 12	115	“
22 x 12	126	9.5″
22 x 11	137	“
20 x 14	121	8.5″
20 x 12	141	“
20 x 11	154	“
20 x 10	170	“
18 x 14	137	7.5″
18 x 12	160	“
18 x 11	175	“
18 x 10	192	“
18 x 9	213	“
16 x 14	158	6.5″
16 x 12	185	“
16 x 11	201	“
16 x 10	222	“
16 x 9	246	“
16 x 8	277	“
14 x 12	218	5.5″
14 x 10	262	“
14 x 9	291	“
14 x 8	327	“
14 x 7	374	“
12 x 12	267	4.5″
12 x 10	320	“
12 x 8	400	“
12 x 6	534	“

Transcriber’s note: The publisher prints ditto marks (“) in the exposure column; they are kept, and each repeats the last figure printed in that column.

North Country Slate is a roofing slate distributor in Uxbridge, Ontario, not a quarry, so this is recorded as a retailer specification. Its figures are stated for the North American three-lap convention, which is the convention this calculator uses.

How the table rounds: This table is LOOKED UP, not computed, and the reason is that it does not round consistently. Twenty-four of its twenty-eight rows are the nearest whole slate to 14,400 ÷ (width × exposure); four are not. Three round UP from a figure that would round down — a 24 x 12 works out at 114.3 and is published as 115, a 20 x 10 at 169.4 and is published as 170, a 12 x 6 at 533.3 and is published as 534 — and one rounds DOWN from a figure that would round up: a 22 x 11 works out at 137.8 and is published as 137. The slate roof calculator counts from the table as printed.

Exposure by slate length at a 3-inch headlap

Headlap (inches): 3 — in the quote: “3″ headlap”
24 in slate — exposure (inches): 10.5
22 in slate — exposure (inches): 9.5
20 in slate — exposure (inches): 8.5
18 in slate — exposure (inches): 7.5
16 in slate — exposure (inches): 6.5
14 in slate — exposure (inches): 5.5
12 in slate — exposure (inches): 4.5

North Country Slate — Retailer product specification

Used by: Slate roof

Exposure by slate length at a 3-inch headlap — Schedule of Standard Sizes — Exposure at 3" headlap The distributor's specification page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the figures are the third column of the table that is the whole page.

Exposure at 3″ headlap

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: SCHEDULE OF STANDARD SIZES

Slate size Inches	Pieces per square at 3″ headlap	Exposure at 3″ headlap
24 x 14	98	10.5″
24 x 12	115	“
22 x 12	126	9.5″
22 x 11	137	“
20 x 14	121	8.5″
20 x 12	141	“
20 x 11	154	“
20 x 10	170	“
18 x 14	137	7.5″
18 x 12	160	“
18 x 11	175	“
18 x 10	192	“
18 x 9	213	“
16 x 14	158	6.5″
16 x 12	185	“
16 x 11	201	“
16 x 10	222	“
16 x 9	246	“
16 x 8	277	“
14 x 12	218	5.5″
14 x 10	262	“
14 x 9	291	“
14 x 8	327	“
14 x 7	374	“
12 x 12	267	4.5″
12 x 10	320	“
12 x 8	400	“
12 x 6	534	“

24 x 12; 22 x 11; 20 x 12; 20 x 11; 20 x 10; 18 x 12; 18 x 11; 18 x 10; 18 x 9; 16 x 12; 16 x 11; 16 x 10; 16 x 9; 16 x 8; 14 x 10; 14 x 9; 14 x 8; 14 x 7; 12 x 10; 12 x 8; 12 x 6: The exposure in this row is the length’s first row’s, repeated by a ditto mark; the slate roof calculator reads the first row of each length.

Transcriber’s note: The publisher prints ditto marks (“) in the exposure column; they are kept, and each repeats the last figure printed in that column.

Unlike the piece counts, this column follows the published formula at all seven lengths, with no rounding anywhere in it. That is what makes it safe for this calculator to work out the exposure at a headlap the table does not print — the arithmetic and the publisher agree here in a way they do not on the counts.

A second publisher's figure for an 18 x 11 slate — 175 to the square

Size

18 x 11

Pieces per square

175 — in the quote: “dividing by 175 (the number of pieces of 18 x 11-inch slate in a square”

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

A second publisher's figure for an 18 x 11 slate — 175 to the square — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — worked example converting pieces to squares The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the figure is inside the article's worked conversion example.

For example, if 610 undereave slates measuring 18 x 11 inches are required for a project, this is converted to squares by dividing by 175 (the number of pieces of 18 x 11-inch slate in a square when laid with a 3-inch headlap per Table 1.1). Thus, 610/175 = 3.49, which is rounded up to 3.5 squares.

The association's own Table 1.1 is not on the free page; this worked example is the one cell of it that is. It agrees with the distributor's table exactly, which is why 18 x 11 is the size this calculator's fixture checks against two publishers rather than one.

How much a square of slate weighs — 700 to 3,275 lb depending on thickness

Headlap (inches): 3 — in the quote: “3” headlap”
Lightest (pounds per square): 700
Heaviest (pounds per square): 3,275

North Country Slate — Retailer product specification

Used by: Slate roof

How much a square of slate weighs — 700 to 3,275 lb depending on thickness — Slate thickness and weights — approximate weight, pounds per square at 3" headlap The distributor's specification page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the figures are the table that is the whole page.

Approximate Weight Pounds per square at 3″ headlap

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Thickness	Approximate Weight Pounds per square at 3” headlap
3/16″	700
3/16″ – 1/4″	820
1/4″	935
1/4″-3/8″	1,170
3/8″	1,405
3/8″-1/2″	1,640
1/2″	1,870
1/2″-3/4″	2,340
3/4″-1″	3,275

3/16″ – 1/4″; 1/4″; 1/4″-3/8″; 3/8″; 3/8″-1/2″; 1/2″; 1/2″-3/4″: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The table prints no title of its own.

Stored as a RANGE and shown as a warning, never as a computed figure. A slate roof's dead load is a structural question and it swings by a factor of nearly five across the thicknesses this one publisher lists, so a calculator that has not asked which thickness you are buying has no business printing a weight.

One producer's figure for its commercial standard thickness — about 850 lb a square

Pounds per square

850 — in the quote: “weighs approximately 850 pounds per square”

Greenstone Slate Company — Manufacturer or grower specification

One producer's figure for its commercial standard thickness — about 850 lb a square — Greenstone slate guide to roof installations — weight The producer's guide carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the guide's section on weight.

Slate of commercial standard thickness weighs approximately 850 pounds per square (41 kg/m2).

"Commercial standard" is a specific thickness grade of one Vermont producer's slate. It is recorded as a point inside the range above.
Typical shipping and handling breakage allowance — 5%

As a fraction

0.05 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The association's "5 percent", as a share of the slate: 0.05.

As a percentage

5 — in the quote: “breakage allowance is 5 percent of the total number of squares”

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

Typical shipping and handling breakage allowance — 5% — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — breakage allowance The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's section on allowances.

A typical shipping and handling breakage allowance is 5 percent of the total number of squares of field slate and specific component slate, but this allowance can vary down to just a few broken slates, or an amount greater than 5 percent if rough treatment is encountered en route to the rooftop or during installation.

The hedge in the second half of this sentence is the reason the control is adjustable rather than fixed. The association gives 5 percent as typical and then says plainly that it can be a few slates or a great deal more depending on how the load is handled.
Extra slate for cut work — one square for every 100 linear feet

Squares per 100 linear feet of cut

1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The association allows "one square of additional slate for every 100 linear feet": one square.

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

Extra slate for cut work — one square for every 100 linear feet — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — cut work allowance The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's section on allowances.

For roofs with multiple facets and angles an additional amount of slate must be calculated for cutting waste at hips and valleys or other angled portions of the roof where a portion of the slate will be cut off and discarded in order to complete the finished roof. A common method is to allow one square of additional slate for every 100 linear feet of cut work.

The association gives this rate, as a common method, for the cutting waste at hips and valleys or other angled portions of the roof — the sentence before it says where. It names rakes elsewhere, among the places that may need wider slates, not among the cut work. This calculator asks for those angled runs and adds the slate to the requirement rather than hiding it inside a percentage.
Leaving slate on site for the owner's future repairs — best practice, and often required by contract specifications

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

Leaving slate on site for the owner's future repairs — best practice, and often required by contract specifications — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — owner's stock The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence closes the article's section on allowances.

Lastly, best practice would suggest, and often construction contract specifications require, that an additional amount of slate be left on site for the owner's stock to facilitate future repairs with matching slate.

The estimating article says to leave some and gives no quantity; the association's sample specification, the next entry, gives one: an extra square of field slate.
Owner's stock in the association's sample specification — one extra square of field slate

Extra field slate for the owner (squares)

1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The specification asks for "an additional one square of field slates": one square.

A clause in the association's sample specification for a slate roof contract: the one quantity the association prints for owner's stock. It also asks for twenty starter slates and thirty hip and ridge slates, which are outside what the calculator counts.

National Slate Association — Trade association publication

Used by: Slate roof
Owner's stock in the association's sample specification — one extra square of field slate
- The sample specification itself, Section 07 31 26, page 5
- The association's page that links it as its slate roof specification
— Sample Slate Specification, Section 07 31 26 Slate Shingles, Part 1 General, 1.11 EXTRA MATERIAL, item A (page 5 of 15) The specification prints no date; it is posted under a 2020/11 path on the association's site. Current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
A. Provide an additional one square of field slates, twenty pieces of starter slate, and thirty pieces of hip and ridge slates for Owner’s use in future roof maintenance.
Count what actually arrived before the scaffold comes down

National Slate Association — Trade association standard

Used by: Slate roof

Count what actually arrived before the scaffold comes down — Estimating slate quantities for roof areas — checking quantities on site The association's guidance page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's section on allowances.

Since it is often difficult to foresee the actual amount of breakage that may occur on a given project or with any given slate, it is good practice to double-check quantities of slate remaining on site

Room cooling

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Room cooling BTU

Room air conditioner cooling capacity chart — room area to BTU per hour

Ceiling height the chart assumes (feet): 8 — in the quote: “based on an 8-foot ceiling”
Smallest area on the chart (sq ft): 100
Largest area on the chart (sq ft): 2,500
100 up to 150 sq ft: 5,000
150 up to 250 sq ft: 6,000
250 up to 300 sq ft: 7,000
300 up to 350 sq ft: 8,000
350 up to 400 sq ft: 9,000
400 up to 450 sq ft: 10,000
450 up to 550 sq ft: 12,000
550 up to 700 sq ft: 14,000
700 up to 1,000 sq ft: 18,000
1,000 up to 1,200 sq ft: 21,000
1,200 up to 1,400 sq ft: 23,000
1,400 up to 1,500 sq ft: 24,000
1,500 up to 2,000 sq ft: 30,000
2,000 up to 2,500 sq ft: 34,000

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

Room air conditioner cooling capacity chart — room area to BTU per hour — Room air conditioners — cooling capacity chart, "Area To Be Cooled (square feet)" against "Capacity Needed (BTUs per hour)" The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the chart is under the heading about sizing on the room air conditioners product page.

With the cooling capacity chart, find your room's square footage in the "Area To be Cooled (square feet)" column, then use the "Capacity Needed (BTUs per hour)" column to choose the correct cooling capacity for your room

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

Area To Be Cooled (square feet)	Capacity Needed (BTUs per hour)
100 up to 150	5,000
150 up to 250	6,000
250 up to 300	7,000
300 up to 350	8,000
350 up to 400	9,000
400 up to 450	10,000
450 up to 550	12,000
550 up to 700	14,000
700 up to 1,000	18,000
1,000 up to 1,200	21,000
1,200 up to 1,400	23,000
1,400 up to 1,500	24,000
1,500 up to 2,000	30,000
2,000 up to 2,500	34,000

Transcriber’s note: The chart prints no title of its own; every row is transcribed.

The fourteen rows are transcribed in full rather than sampled, because they ARE the engine: the sentence quoted above tells a reader how to use the chart and contains none of its figures, so without the rows on this page there is nothing here to check an answer against. Row labels are the publisher’s ("100 up to 150"); the column rule and the line breaks are ours.

How the rows are read: The chart prints each boundary figure in two rows: 150 ends the row "100 up to 150" and begins the row "150 up to 250", and the chart does not say which row a room of exactly that size belongs to. The HVAC BTU calculator puts it in the higher row, reading "up to" as stopping short of the number; for a room of exactly 150 square feet that gives 6,000 BTU per hour rather than 5,000.

Outside the chart: The chart starts at 100 square feet, and its last row stops short of 2,500. For a room under 100 square feet, or of 2,500 square feet or more, the publisher prints nothing, so the HVAC BTU calculator gives no answer; an extrapolated row would be this site’s arithmetic wearing the EPA’s name.

The chart assumes an 8-foot ceiling

Feet

8

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

The chart assumes an 8-foot ceiling — Room air conditioners — the paragraph directly above the cooling capacity chart The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the paragraph directly above the sizing chart.

The capacities are calculated based on an 8-foot ceiling.

The publisher's own next sentence is "If you have higher ceilings, you may want to select a room air conditioner with a higher CADR." It is quoted here and NOT shown to readers, for two reasons: CADR is a clean-air delivery rate, an air-cleaner measure rather than a cooling capacity, so printing it beside a BTU figure would send a reader looking for the wrong number on the box; and it gives no arithmetic. There is therefore no ceiling-height input on this calculator and no height correction anywhere in it — a multiplier would be this site's invention presented as the EPA's.
Heavily shaded room — reduce capacity by 10%

As a fraction

-0.1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The EPA's "reduce capacity by 10 percent", as a share taken off: 0.1 less.

As a percentage

-10 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The EPA's "reduce capacity by 10 percent", as a percent taken off: 10 less.

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

Heavily shaded room — reduce capacity by 10% — Room air conditioners — "Make any adjustments for the following circumstances" The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is one of the bulleted adjustments beneath the sizing chart.

If the room is heavily shaded, reduce capacity by 10 percent.
Very sunny room — increase capacity by 10%

As a fraction

0.1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The EPA's "increase capacity by 10 percent", as a share: 0.1.

As a percentage

10 — in the quote: “increase capacity by 10 percent”

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

Very sunny room — increase capacity by 10% — Room air conditioners — "Make any adjustments for the following circumstances" The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is one of the bulleted adjustments beneath the sizing chart.

If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10 percent.

The publisher defines neither "very sunny" nor "heavily shaded".
More than two people in the room — add 600 BTU each

BTU per hour, each extra person

600 — in the quote: “add 600 BTUs for each additional person”

People already allowed for

2

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

More than two people in the room — add 600 BTU each — Room air conditioners — "Make any adjustments for the following circumstances" The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is one of the bulleted adjustments beneath the sizing chart.

If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.

"Regularly occupy" is the publisher's phrase and it is the one on the field's label. It is not the number of people who visit; a spare bedroom that seats eight at Christmas is not an eight-person room.
Used in a kitchen — add 4,000 BTU

BTU per hour

4,000

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

Used in a kitchen — add 4,000 BTU — Room air conditioners — "Make any adjustments for the following circumstances" The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is one of the bulleted adjustments beneath the sizing chart.

If the unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 BTUs.

This is the only appliance-heat adjustment the publisher prints. There is nothing published for a home office full of equipment, a laundry, or an unvented dryer, so this calculator offers nothing for them rather than inviting a reader to answer "kitchen" for a room that is not one.
The fifth item on the publisher's list — a placement note, not a capacity change

Changes the capacity figure

false

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

The fifth item on the publisher's list — a placement note, not a capacity change — Room air conditioners — "Make any adjustments for the following circumstances" The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is the last of the bulleted adjustments beneath the sizing chart.

Consider where you install the unit. If you are mounting an air conditioner near the corner of a room, look for a unit that can send the airflow in the right direction.

Recorded because the list has five items and this calculator uses four. Saying "the published adjustments are these four" without this node would be a completeness claim the page cannot support. This one changes no BTU figure — it is about which unit to look for, which is a choice this calculator does not make.
The recognized method for sizing equipment is a Manual J load calculation

Air Conditioning Contractors of America — Trade association publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

The recognized method for sizing equipment is a Manual J load calculation — Manual J — Residential Load Calculation, description The association's page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentences are in the description on the Manual J page.

Manual J 8th Edition is the national ANSI-recognized standard for producing HVAC equipment sizing loads for single-family detached homes, small multi-unit structures, condominiums, townhouses, and manufactured homes.

Rendered as a quotation attributed to the association, never as this site's own finding. The same page also states that a Manual J load calculation "is required by national building codes and most state and local jurisdictions" — that is the association's characterization of codes, and this site does not repeat it in its own voice, because a code-compliance conclusion is one of the things this site never states.

Where this copy comes from: This is the association's own page for the manual it publishes — a product and description page, not the standard's text. The manual itself was not read, so nothing here is quoted from inside it.
What an oversized unit does — costs more, wastes energy, and leaves the room damp

ENERGY STAR (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

What an oversized unit does — costs more, wastes energy, and leaves the room damp — Room air conditioners — why size matters The program's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the sizing section of the product page.

An oversized air conditioner costs more to purchase, wastes energy and does not provide better cooling.

This is why this calculator has no spare-material allowance. On every other tool on this site, ordering a little extra is prudent; here it is the failure mode the publisher is warning about.
Oversizing reduces efficiency, wears the equipment, and raises summer humidity

U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office — Government publication

Used by: Room cooling BTU

Oversizing reduces efficiency, wears the equipment, and raises summer humidity — HVAC sizing research — the problem being studied The article carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own; the sentence is in the article's opening statement of the problem.

Oversizing HVAC equipment leads to reduced efficiency, increased wear on equipment, and, for the case of air conditioners and heat pumps, increased indoor humidity during summer months.

This is a description of what a research project is investigating, not consumer guidance, and it is attributed that way. It is here because it is the clearest published statement of why the number on this page should be taken to somebody who can do the real calculation.

Sod

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Sod

Sod roll size — 2 ft x 5 ft, 10 sq ft

Square feet

10

Width (inches)

24

Length (inches)

60

Super-Sod — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Sod roll size — 2 ft x 5 ft, 10 sq ft — Sod Roll Specifications A producer's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

Most of our rolls are 2' wide by 5' long and cover 10 square feet of ground
Slab size — 16 in x 24 in, warm-season St. Augustine

Square feet

2.6666666666666665 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The producer's 16 in by 24 in, worked out as an area: 2.667 sq ft.

Width (inches)

16

Length (inches)

24

The producer prints the slab as 16 by 24 inches and no area; the calculator works from the exact area. Another producer prints 2.66.

Super-Sod — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Slab size — 16 in x 24 in, warm-season St. Augustine — Product specifications — harvest size and pallet coverage A producer's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

St. Augustine is harvested in 16" x 24" pieces with 450 square feet on a pallet

Sod roll size, second producer — 2 ft x 5 ft, 10 sq ft

Square feet: 10
Width (inches): 24 (from 2 ft)
Length (inches): 60 (from 5 ft)

Central Sod Farms of Maryland, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Sod roll size, second producer — 2 ft x 5 ft, 10 sq ft — Dimensions and weight of sod rolls — roll specification table A producer's specification page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Centreville, Newark or Alexandria Pick-up & All Deliveries

Cool & Warm Season Grasses Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, Zoysia & Bermuda

Length of Sod Roll	5' feet
Width of Sod Roll	2' feet
Area	10 square feet
Rolled Diameter	10" inches
Weight of Sod Roll	35 - 45 lbs depending on moisture
Rolls per Pallet	60 rolls
Weight of Pallet	2000 - 3000 lbs depending on moisture
Pallet Width	48" inches
Pallet Length	48" inches

Rolled Diameter; Weight of Sod Roll; Rolls per Pallet; Weight of Pallet; Pallet Width; Pallet Length: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The page prints the table as label and value pairs, one per line, under its heading for that location; the grass list under the heading is given as the lead.

Sod roll size, third producer — 2 ft x 5 ft, 10 sq ft

Square feet

10

CT Sod — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Sod roll size, third producer — 2 ft x 5 ft, 10 sq ft — How sod is sold — roll dimensions A producer's article page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

2 feet by 5 feet (most common), covering 10 sq ft per roll
Trade guideline — pieces are cut to the supplier's own standard, within a tolerance

Width tolerance (inches)

0.5

Length tolerance (%)

5 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The standard's "plus or minus five percent on length": 5 percent, spelled out.

Sod Solutions, Inc. (adapted from Turfgrass Producers International) — Trade association standard

Used by: Sod

Trade guideline — pieces are cut to the supplier's own standard, within a tolerance — Section IV.3 — Pad tolerance (PDF page 7) The reprint carries no commencement date on its face; the hosted PDF is dated 2022 by its upload path. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Maximum allowable deviation from standard widths and lengths shall be plus or minus 0.5 inch (15 mm) on width and plus or minus five percent on length.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. This copy of the specification prints “plus or minus 0.5 inch (15 mm)”, and the two do not convert: 0.5 inch is 12.7 mm. No ConcreteTally calculator computes from this tolerance.

Where this copy comes from: The copy linked is Sod Solutions’ edition for its EMPIRE Turf zoysia. Its cover says it “Is a modification of an original publication by TURFGRASS PRODUCERS INTERNATIONAL (TPI)”, so the sentence quoted is TPI’s guideline as Sod Solutions adapted it; TPI’s own copy was not read.
Pallet coverage — 400 sq ft, warm-season

Square feet

400

Grass type

warm-season

Bethel Farms — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Pallet coverage — 400 sq ft, warm-season — How many square feet are in a pallet of sod A producer's article page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

one pallet of sod covers approximately 400 square feet
Pallet coverage — 450 sq ft, St. Augustine slab

Square feet

450

Grass type

warm-season slab (St. Augustine)

Super-Sod — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Pallet coverage — 450 sq ft, St. Augustine slab — Product specifications — harvest size and pallet coverage A producer's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

St. Augustine is harvested in 16" x 24" pieces with 450 square feet on a pallet
Pallet coverage — 500 sq ft, 50 rolls

Square feet

500

Rolls per pallet

50 — in the quote: “a pallet contains 50 rolls”

Grass type

cool-season roll

Super-Sod — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Pallet coverage — 500 sq ft, 50 rolls — Sod Roll Specifications A producer's product page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

a pallet contains 50 rolls and covers 500 square feet

Pallet coverage — 600 sq ft, 60 rolls

Square feet: 600 — worked out by ConcreteTally: Sixty rolls a pallet at 10 sq ft a roll: 600 sq ft.
Rolls per pallet: 60
Grass type: cool-season roll (tall fescue)

Central Sod Farms of Maryland, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Pallet coverage — 600 sq ft, 60 rolls — Dimensions and weight of sod rolls — rolls per pallet A producer's specification page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Centreville, Newark or Alexandria Pick-up & All Deliveries

Cool & Warm Season Grasses Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, Zoysia & Bermuda

Length of Sod Roll	5' feet
Width of Sod Roll	2' feet
Area	10 square feet
Rolled Diameter	10" inches
Weight of Sod Roll	35 - 45 lbs depending on moisture
Rolls per Pallet	60 rolls
Weight of Pallet	2000 - 3000 lbs depending on moisture
Pallet Width	48" inches
Pallet Length	48" inches

Length of Sod Roll; Width of Sod Roll; Rolled Diameter; Weight of Sod Roll; Weight of Pallet; Pallet Width; Pallet Length: Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Area: Read by the derivation of the pallet's 600 sq ft (60 rolls at 10 sq ft each), not bound to a figure of its own.

Transcriber’s note: The page prints the table as label and value pairs, one per line, under its heading for that location; the grass list under the heading is given as the lead.

Typical pallet coverage range — 450 to 500 sq ft

Lowest (sq ft)

450

Highest (sq ft)

500

Mississippi State University Extension Service — University extension service

Used by: Sod

Typical pallet coverage range — 450 to 500 sq ft — Sod installation and maintenance — buying sod The publication page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

A pallet of sod may range in size but typically contains 450 to 500 square feet.
How far pallet coverage varies between producers — 400 to 600 sq ft

Lowest (sq ft)

400 — in the quote: “one pallet of sod covers approximately 400 square feet”

Highest (sq ft)

600 — in the quote: “600 sq ft (60 rolls)”

Four named sod producers (Bethel Farms; Super-Sod; CT Sod; Central Sod Farms of Maryland, Inc.) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod
How far pallet coverage varies between producers — 400 to 600 sq ft
— Pallet coverage figures published by four named producers, read side by side Producer pages carry no commencement dates; all four were read on the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.
The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

500 sq ft (50 rolls) standard, 600 sq ft (60 rolls)

The spread: The lowest published figure covers 400 sq ft and the highest 600 sq ft — the same word 'pallet' means half as much again at one producer as at another. Ask the supplier before buying by the pallet.
Recommended extra for a straight-edged yard — 5%

As a fraction

0.05 — worked out by ConcreteTally: Quality Turf's 5%, as a share of the turf: 0.05.

As a percentage

5 — in the quote: “Add 5% for straightforward rectangular yards”

Applies to

straight-edged rectangular yards with clean edges

Quality Turf — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Recommended extra for a straight-edged yard — 5% — Waste/Overage A producer's measurement guide carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

Add 5% for straightforward rectangular yards with clean straight edges, and 10% for yards with curves, multiple angles, slopes, or complex border trimming.
Recommended extra for a curved or complex yard — 10%

As a fraction

0.1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: Quality Turf's 10%, as a share of the turf: 0.1.

As a percentage

10 — in the quote: “and 10% for yards with curves”

Applies to

yards with curves, multiple angles, slopes or complex border trimming

Quality Turf — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Sod

Recommended extra for a curved or complex yard — 10% — Waste/Overage A producer's measurement guide carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

Add 5% for straightforward rectangular yards with clean straight edges, and 10% for yards with curves, multiple angles, slopes, or complex border trimming.
Extension service guidance — buy about 5% more than you measured

As a fraction

0.05 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The extension service's "approximately 5 percent", as a share of the sod: 0.05.

As a percentage

5 — in the quote: “buy approximately 5 percent more sod”

Applies to

general guidance, shape not distinguished

Mississippi State University Extension Service — University extension service

Used by: Sod

Extension service guidance — buy about 5% more than you measured — Sod installation and maintenance — buying sod The publication page carries no commencement date; current as of the retrieved date. Retrieved August 27, 2026.

The publisher provides no in-page anchor of its own, so this link carries a text fragment (#:~:text=) that scrolls a modern browser straight to the quoted sentence. A fragment is never sent to the server, so it cannot break the link or the reachability check.

It's always a good idea to buy approximately 5 percent more sod than you think you'll need.

Tile grout

In use by the calculators listed below. Entries in this table were last retrieved October 11, 2026.

Calculators that read this table: Tile & grout

CUSTOM Polyblend Plus Sanded Grout published coverage chart

Brand: CUSTOM Building Products
The maker’s name as it prints it: CUSTOM
Product: Polyblend Plus Sanded Grout
Weight of one bag (pounds): 25 — in the quote: “For 25 lb. bag”
Joint widths this chart prints (inches): 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2

The chart this calculator reads is the 25 lb bag chart. The same page prints a second chart for the 7 lb box, and the packaging section calls the 7 lb unit a box while the chart heading calls it a bag.

The chart labels its rows by the size a tile is sold as: its 12 by 24 row reads 12" x 24" x 3/8", with 30.5 x 61 x 1 cm after it. For every row from 8 by 8 inches up, the coverage times (length plus width) times the 1/8 inch joint times the thickness, divided by length times width, comes to between 2.69 and 2.74, which is what rows worked out on the nominal sizes would give; the maker does not say how the chart was worked. This calculator scales a row to the face size a reader enters, the actual size printed on the tile’s own box, rather than using the printed figure as it stands. That is this calculator’s choice: a smaller face leaves more joint per square foot, so the scaled figure orders a little more grout than the printed one.

Custom Building Products — Estimating chart (approximate)

Used by: Tile & grout

CUSTOM Polyblend Plus Sanded Grout published coverage chart — Section headed 'Coverage', final page of technical data sheet TDS-360 Effective from March 22, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

TDS-360, section 1, Product Name: Polyblend®Plus Sanded Grout

TDS-360, the color paragraph: Refer to the latest CUSTOM grout color card to choose a color.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Coverage

For 25 lb. bag of Polyblend in ft² (m²) per bag

Tile Size: Width x Length x Thickness	Joint Width: 1/8" (3 mm)	Joint Width: 3/16" (4.8 mm)	Joint Width: 1/4" (6.3 mm)	Joint Width: 3/8" (9.5 mm)	Joint Width: 1/2" (13 mm)
1" x 1" x 1/4" (2.5 x 2.5 x .64 cm)	54 ft² (5 m²)	40 ft² (3.7 m²)	33 ft² (3.1 m²)	27 ft² (2.5 m²)	24 ft² (2.2 m²)
2" x 2" x 1/4" (5 x 5 x .64 cm)	96 ft² (8.9 m²)	68 ft² (6.3 m²)	54 ft² (5.0 m²)	40 ft² (3.7 m²)	33 ft² (3.1 m²)
3" x 3" x 1/4" (7.6 x 7.6 x .64 cm)	138 ft² (12.9 m²)	96 ft² (8.9 m²)	74 ft² (7 m²)	54 ft² (5 m²)	43 ft² (4 m²)
4.25" x 4.25" x 1/4" (10.8 x 10.8 x .64 cm)	192 ft² (17.8 m²)	131 ft² (12.2 m²)	101 ft² (9.4 m²)	71 ft² (6.6 m²)	56 ft² (5.2 m²)
6" x 6" x 1/4" (15.2 x 15.2 x .64 cm)	266 ft² (24.7 m²)	181 ft² (16.8 m²)	139 ft² 12.9 m²)	96 ft² (8.9 m²)	75 ft² (7.0 m²)
8" x 8" x 3/8" (20.3 x 20.3 x 1 cm)	234 ft² (21.7 m²)	158 ft² (14.7 m²)	121 ft² (11.2 m²)	83 ft² (7.7 m²)	64 ft² (6 m²)
12" x 12" x 3/8" (30.5 x 30.5 x 1 cm)	348 ft² (32.3 m²)	234 ft² (21.7 m²)	177 ft² (16.5 m²)	121 ft² (11.2 m²)	92 ft² (8.6 m²)
16" x 16" x 3/8" (40.6 x 40.6 x 1 cm)	462 ft² (42.8 m²)	310 ft² (28.8 m²)	234 ft² (21.7 m²)	158 ft² (14.7 m²)	121 ft² (11.2 m²)
18" x 18" x 3/8" (45.7 x 45.7 x 1 cm)	518 ft² (48.1 m²)	348 ft² (32.3 m²)	262 ft² (24.4 m²)	177 ft² (16.5 m²)	135 ft² (12.5 m²)
20" x 20" x 3/8" (50.8 x 50.8 x 1 cm)	574 ft² (53.4 m²)	385 ft² (35.8 m²)	291 ft² (27 m²)	196 ft² (18.2 m²)	149 ft² (13.8 m²)
24" x 24" x 3/8" (61 x 61 x 1 cm)	688 ft² (63.9 m²)	461 ft² (42.8 m²)	348 ft² (32.3 m²)	234 ft² (21.7 m²)	177 ft² (16.5 m²)
6" x 24" x 3/8" (15.2 x 61 x 1 cm)	279 ft² (26 m²)	189 ft² (17.5 m²)	143 ft² (13.3 m²)	98 ft² (9.1 m²)	75 ft² (7 m²)
12" x 24" x 3/8" (30.5 x 61 x 1 cm)	461 ft² (42.8 m²)	310 ft² (28.8 m²)	234 ft² (21.7 m²)	158 ft² (14.7 m²)	121 ft² (11.2 m²)
6" x 36" x 3/8" (15.2 x 91.4 x 1 cm)	299 ft² (27.8 m²)	202 ft² (18.7 m²)	153 ft² (14.2 m²)	104 ft² (9.7 m²)	80 ft² (7.4 m²)
9 x 36" x 3/8" (22.9 x 91.4 x 1 cm)	416 ft² (38.6 m²)	279 ft² (26 m²)	211 ft² (19.6 m²)	143 ft² (13.3 m²)	109 ft² (10.2 m²)
12" x 48" x 3/8" (30.5 x 122 x 1 cm)	552 ft² (51.3 m²)	370 ft² (34.4 m²)	279 ft² (26 m²)	189 ft² (17.5 m²)	143 ft² (13.3 m²)

Transcriber’s note: The 139 ft² cell in the 6 x 6 x 1/4 row is printed with no opening bracket (“139 ft² 12.9 m²)”); it is reproduced as printed.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: For 7 lb bag of Polyblend (sq ft/sq m per bag)

Tile Size: Width x Length x Thickness	Joint Width: 1/8" (3 mm)	Joint Width: 3/16" (4.8 mm)	Joint Width: 1/4" (6.3 mm)	Joint Width: 3/8" (9.5 mm)	Joint Width: 1/2" (13 mm)
1" x 1" x 1/4" (2.5 x 2.5 x .64 cm)	15 ft²	11 ft²	9 ft²	8 ft²	7 ft²
2" x 2" x 1/4" (5 x 5 x .64 cm)	27 ft²	19 ft²	15 ft²	11 ft²	9 ft²
3" x 3" x 1/4" (7.6 x 7.6 x .64 cm)	39 ft²	27 ft²	21 ft²	15 ft²	12 ft²
4.25" x 4.25" x 1/4" (10.8 x 10.8 x .64 cm)	54 ft²	37 ft²	28 ft²	20 ft²	16 ft²
6" x 6" x 1/4" (15.2 x 15.2 x .64 cm)	74 ft²	51 ft²	39 ft²	27 ft²	21 ft²
8" x 8" x 3/8" (20.3 x 20.3 x 1 cm)	66 ft²	44 ft²	34 ft²	23 ft²	18 ft²
12" x 12" x 3/8" (30.5 x 30.5 x 1 cm)	97 ft²	66 ft²	50 ft²	34 ft²	26 ft²
16" x 16" x 3/8" (40.6 x 40.6 x 1 cm)	129 ft²	87 ft²	66 ft²	44 ft²	34 ft²
18" x 18" x 3/8" (45.7 x 45.7 x 1 cm)	145 ft²	97 ft²	73 ft²	50 ft²	38 ft²
20" x 20" x 3/8" (50.8 x 50.8 x 1 cm)	161 ft²	108 ft²	81 ft²	55 ft²	42 ft²
24" x 24" x 3/8" (61 x 61 x 1 cm)	193 ft²	129 ft²	97 ft²	66 ft²	50 ft²
6" x 24" x 3/8" (15.2 x 61 x 1 cm)	78 ft²	53 ft²	40 ft²	27 ft²	21 ft²
12" x 24" x 3/8" (30.5 x 61 x 1 cm)	129 ft²	87 ft²	66 ft²	44 ft²	34 ft²
6" x 36" x 3/8" (15.2 x 91.4 x 1 cm)	84 ft²	56 ft²	43 ft²	29 ft²	22 ft²
9 x 36" x 3/8" (22.9 x 91.4 x 1 cm)	116 ft²	78 ft²	59 ft²	40 ft²	31 ft²
12" x 48" x 3/8" (30.5 x 122 x 1 cm)	155 ft²	104 ft²	78 ft²	53 ft²	40 ft²

Chart for estimating purposes. Coverage may vary based on installation practices and jobsite conditions. For more tile and joint sizes, use the Material Calculator at CustomBuildingProducts.com or contact CUSTOM Technical Services at 800-282-8786.

Every row: Not read: every figure in this chart is the 25 lb chart’s figure times 7/25 to within the chart’s rounding, so the tile and grout calculator reads the 25 lb chart and divides by the box weight.

Transcriber’s note: The heading of this second chart says “7 lb bag”, while the Packaging section on page 1 of the same document calls the 7 lb unit a box. The chart prints a square-meter figure in brackets beside each square-foot figure; only the square feet are transcribed here.

ARDEX FH Sanded Floor & Wall Grout — published coverage chart, square feet per 25 lb bag

Brand: ARDEX Americas
Product: ARDEX FH Sanded Floor and Wall Grout
Weight of one bag (pounds): 25 — in the quote: “Per 25 lb.”
Joint widths this chart prints (inches): 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4
Widest joint this chart prints (inches): 0.25

Same bag weight as the other chart here and a materially different chart: 386 square feet against 348 for an identical 12 by 12 by 3/8 tile at a 1/8 inch joint, both sanded cement grout. An eleven percent gap between two products is the reason this calculator asks which grout is going down instead of averaging them. Cited to the product's technical data sheet rather than to the brochure that also prints it: the brochure's own footer tells the reader to defer to the data sheet, and the data sheet is the document that carries a revision date.

The chart labels its rows by the size a tile is sold as: its 12 by 12 row reads 12 x 12 x 3/8, under a heading in inches. For every row from 8 by 8 inches up, the coverage times (length plus width) times the 1/8 inch joint times the thickness, divided by length times width, comes to between 3.01 and 3.02, which is what rows worked out on the nominal sizes would give; the maker does not say how the chart was worked. This calculator scales a row to the face size a reader enters, the actual size printed on the tile’s own box, rather than using the printed figure as it stands. That is this calculator’s choice: a smaller face leaves more joint per square foot, so the scaled figure orders a little more grout than the printed one.

ARDEX Americas — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

ARDEX FH Sanded Floor & Wall Grout — published coverage chart, square feet per 25 lb bag — ARDEX FH technical data sheet, page 5, section "Coverage" — tile size against grout joint size Effective from December 2, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The data sheet’s title, page 1: ARDEX FH™ Sanded Floor and Wall Grout

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s: Coverage

Per 25 lb. (11.3 kg) bag. Actual coverage may vary based on jobsite conditions, tile textures and installation methods.

Tile Size (inches): Width x Length x Thickness	Grout Joint Size (inches): 1/16 (0.0625)	Grout Joint Size (inches): 1/8 (0.125)	Grout Joint Size (inches): 3/16 (0.188)	Grout Joint Size (inches): 1/4 (0.25)
1 x 1 x 1/4	99.1	51.2	35.2	27.4
2 x 2 x 1/4	195.0	99.1	67.0	51.2
2 x 2 x 3/8	130.0	66.1	44.7	34.1
4 1/4 x 4 1/4 x 5/16	328.3	165.4	110.8	83.9
4 x 8 x 1/2	257.3	129.3	86.5	65.4
6 x 6 x 1/2	289.5	145.5	97.3	73.5
8 x 8 x 3/8	514.0	258.0	172.2	130.0
12 x 12 x 3/8	770.0	386.0	257.3	194.0
13 x 13 x 3/8	834.0	418.0	278.6	210.0
16 x 16 x 3/8	1026.0	514.0	342.4	258.0
18 x 18 x 3/8	1154.0	578.0	385.0	290.0
24 x 24 x 3/8	1538.0	770.0	512.6	386.0

The data sheet’s revision line, page 4: Content updated 2024-12-02. Supersedes all previous versions.

Transcriber’s note: Width, length and thickness are printed in three columns; they are given here as one size. Each joint size is printed as a fraction with its decimal beneath it; the decimal is written here in brackets. The chart stops at a 1/4 inch joint while the product itself is rated for joints from 1/16 inch to 3/4 inch. ARDEX publishes no coverage figure for an FH joint wider than 1/4 inch, anywhere; a wider joint is therefore off the end of the published data and the calculator says so.

The brochure cross-check is this site's sentence, not the data sheet's. The same twelve rows and four columns appear cell for cell in ARDEX's grout brochure AB218 — both its December 2023 edition and the current 2025 one — so three documents from this publisher carry this chart and agree. It is recorded here rather than inside the transcription above, because that block is captioned to the reader as the publisher's own rows and a sentence comparing two other documents is not one of them. The brochure is not cited as a source: this node reads the data sheet, which is the document that carries a revision date and the one the brochure's own footer defers to. This entry is listed as a manufacturer's specification, while the CUSTOM chart beside it is listed as an estimating chart, and the line between them can be read off the two pages rather than judged: CUSTOM prints "Chart for estimating purposes" under its own table, naming the document an estimate, while ARDEX prints only that "Actual coverage may vary based on jobsite conditions, tile textures and installation methods" — a statement about how far a figure varies, which every data sheet makes, and not a statement about what kind of document this is.

Summitville Tiles published grout-volume calculation (Calculations A to E)

Share of the floor that is joint: 1 - (L * W) / ((L + J) * (W + J))
Grout volume (cubic inches): area in square inches * joint area fraction * joint depth
Has a density built into it: no

The exact geometry, from a maker's own published workbook, and the reason this calculator can leave a chart row honestly. It is NOT the (L + W) / (L * W) shortcut the consumer calculator sites use: that shortcut is about one percent out on a 24 inch tile and about nineteen percent out on a one inch mosaic. Only the GEOMETRY is used here — steps A to C of the workbook. Its weight step is deliberately not used, and not because it is hard: turning that volume into pounds needs a per-product density AND a per-product powder fraction AND the workbook's own five percent correction, none of which any maker publishes for the products whose charts this calculator reads. Using the geometry as a RATIO between two rows of one product's chart cancels all three, which is why no density appears anywhere in this table.

Summitville Tiles, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

Summitville Tiles published grout-volume calculation (Calculations A to E) — Worksheet 'Grout Calculator ', header row 4 cells labeled (Calculation A) through (Calculation E), with the input and formula row immediately below Effective from May 25, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

The source is a spreadsheet, which offers no in-page anchor and no page number to aim at. The workbook is linked as "Grout Calculator Tool" from the publisher's grouting products page; the formulas quoted are cell formulas on its "Grout Calculator" worksheet, named in the transcription so a reader can open the file and find them.

Transcribed from cells of the publisher’s spreadsheet: Grout Calculator

Cell	Formula	Header
H8	=B8*C8	Tile Area (in2)
I8	=(B8+$F$8)*(C8+F8)	(Calculation A) Full width Area (in2)
J8	=I8-$H$8	(Calculation B) Joint width Area (in2)
K8	=J8/I8	(Calculation C) Joint width % Area Grout
L8	=E8*144	(Calculation D) Project Size (in2)
M8	=(L8)K8D8	(Calculation E) Volume of grout (in3)

Transcriber’s note: The worksheet is named “Grout Calculator ”, and the same words are printed as its title. The input headers in row 7 are B “L”, C “W” and D “H” (inches, under “Tile Size(inch)”), E “(ft2)” under “Project Size” and F “(in)” under “Grout Width”; each formula is given with the header cells printed over its column in rows 4 to 7, joined. The workbook continues past these cells into a per-product weight block. It is not transcribed here and not used by this calculator: turning the volume into pounds needs a per-product density, a per-product powder fraction and the sheet’s own five percent correction, and reproducing three columns of that faithfully is a claim this entry has no need to make.

The one-line form of the method, and the reading that it embeds no constant, are this site's arithmetic on the workbook's cells rather than anything Summitville prints — which is why they are here and not in the transcription above. Reduced to one line: grout volume (in3) = (area_ft2 x 144) x [ 1 - (L x W) / ((L + J) x (W + J)) ] x H, where L and W are the tile face length and width in inches, J is the joint width in inches, and H is the joint depth in inches (the workbook's "H" column, which is the tile thickness). There is no single lumped numeric constant in it — the 144 only converts square feet to square inches — and it embeds no grout density: in the workbook, density is a separate, per-product, measured input read from its own table.

ARDEX FH requirement for grout joint depth available after preparation

Depth left open for grout (fraction of tile thickness)

0.6666666666666666 — in the quote: “2/3 of the tile depth is available for grouting”

A preparation requirement, not a tip: clear mortar out until two thirds of the tile depth is open for grout. It cuts against the coverage charts, which are keyed to the full thickness, so a charted figure is the generous end. This calculator does not quietly reduce the order by a third — it reports the chart and says what the chart assumes.

ARDEX Americas — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

ARDEX FH requirement for grout joint depth available after preparation — 'Step 1: Proper Prep(TM)', page 2 of the ARDEX FH Sanded Floor & Wall Grout technical data sheet Effective from December 2, 2024. The data sheet’s revision line reads "Content updated 2024-12-02. Supersedes all previous versions." Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Remove excess adhesive or mortar from the joint area so that 2/3 of the tile depth is available for grouting.

The same sentence is printed on page 2 of ARDEX’s FL data sheet; it is cited here from the FH sheet because FH is the grout whose coverage chart this calculator offers.
CUSTOM guidance on how full a grout joint should be filled

How full the joint should end up (fraction)

0.6666666666666666 — in the quote: “Fill grout joints at least 2/3 full with grout”

A second maker, independently, saying the same two thirds - this time about how full the joint should end up rather than how deep it should be cleared. Two manufacturers landing on the same fraction from different directions is the strongest signal in this table about what a joint on a real floor actually is.

Custom Building Products — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

CUSTOM guidance on how full a grout joint should be filled — Technical Bulletin TB89, tip box under the heading 'Don't allow grout under the tile' The document footer reads 'TB89 8/16' (August 2016); no day is given. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

TIP- Fill grout joints at least 2/3 full with grout.

About the quotation: The publisher's paragraph continues past this sentence into advice about a product family this site does not carry a calculator for, and quoting it whole would put that subject on a page that has nothing to say about it. The sentence quoted is the one carrying the figure, complete and unaltered; the rest of the paragraph explains that letting the setting material occupy the lower third of the joint beds the tile better and costs less to grout.
Minimum grout joint width as reported by CUSTOM

Narrowest permitted anywhere (inches)

0.0625

Narrowest for rectified tile (inches)

0.125 — in the quote: “a minimum 1/8" grout joint for rectified tile”

Narrowest for calibrated tile (inches)

0.1875 — in the quote: “minimum 3/16" grout joint for calibrated tile”

These are one MAKER'S report of what the standards bodies require, which is how they are cited here — the maker published this document; the standards bodies did not. The rule of thumb printed with them is that the joint should be three times the variation in the tiles' actual face dimensions.

Custom Building Products — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

Minimum grout joint width as reported by CUSTOM — Technical Bulletin TB85 'Grout Joint Width: What Is The Right Size?', opening paragraphs This bulletin carries no date code in its footer, unlike its sibling TB89. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

ANSI defines the requirement for grout joints in ceramic and natural stone tile installations in A108.02 Section 4.3.8. This section states that under no circumstances should the grout joint be less than 1/16" (1.6 mm). … TCNA recommends a minimum 1/8" grout joint for rectified tile and minimum 3/16" grout joint for calibrated tile.
LATICRETE customary extra grout for jobsite waste

As a fraction

0.1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: LATICRETE's "typically 10% extra", as a share of the grout: 0.1.

As a percentage

10 — in the quote: “typically 10% extra”

The only plain-prose grout allowance found in first-hand manufacturer literature, and it is one maker's figure for its own grout. No trade body publishes one at all. The tile control beside it starts from a different publisher's figure, the ordering allowance a tile maker reports.

LATICRETE International, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

LATICRETE customary extra grout for jobsite waste — TDS 400 LATICRETE Grout Guide, Section 2 'LATICRETE Grout Coverage', numbered item 3, page 2 Effective from August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

It is customary to provide extra grout (typically 10% extra) to allow for jobsite waste. Additional grout should be provided to the building owner for future use.
LATICRETE grout coverage guidelines - waste and unglazed quarry tile

Extra on unglazed quarry tile, least (%)

10 — in the quote: “another 10% – 15% when grouting unglazed quarry tile”

Extra on unglazed quarry tile, most (%)

15 — in the quote: “15% when grouting unglazed quarry tile”

On unglazed quarry tile the same publisher adds another ten to fifteen points on top of the ten, because porous tile drinks grout during clean-up. It is offered on the control rather than applied: this calculator cannot see what the tile is.

LATICRETE International, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

LATICRETE grout coverage guidelines - waste and unglazed quarry tile — Project Material Estimator page, note headed 'Grout Coverage Guidelines' The web page carries no publication or revision date. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Add 10% for waste, spillage and clean-up, and another 10% – 15% when grouting unglazed quarry tile.
Crossville - extra tile to order (reported installer practice)

As a fraction

0.1 — worked out by ConcreteTally: The low end of Crossville's "10-15%", as a share of the tile: 0.1.

Range reported, low end (%)

10 — in the quote: “an additional 10-15% of tile”

Range reported, high end (%)

15 — in the quote: “15% of tile”

What it is for

Extra tile ordered for the installation itself. The reasons the publisher lists are oddly shaped rooms, complex designs, tile damaged in transit, later supply problems and unforeseen complications.

What it is not for

A separate attic-stock amount. The same answer raises attic stock as a further consideration with its own ten percent and does not say whether that falls inside the 10 to 15 percent or on top of it.

The low end of a range a tile maker reports: most installers, it says, recommend ordering an additional 10 to 15 percent of tile, and the amount varies with the project type, tile size and shape. It ties no figure to any layout, room shape or tile size. The figure is reported installer practice, not a rule the maker sets for its own product.

Crossville, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

Crossville - extra tile to order (reported installer practice) — FAQs, Installation category, question 'How much extra tile should be ordered?' The FAQ prints no date. The page's metadata records publication on 2025-01-21 and modification on 2025-03-15; no date is claimed from metadata alone. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

The FAQ gives no question its own anchor, and every answer stays hidden until its question is clicked, so no link can open this answer directly. On the page, choose the Installation filter and click 'How much extra tile should be ordered?', the last question in the list.

When embarking on a tile project, the amount of tile you need will vary based on the project type, tile size, and shape. As a general guideline, most installers recommend ordering an additional 10-15% of tile. This extra stock is beneficial for several reasons: Oddly Shaped Rooms: Extra tiles can help accommodate unusual layouts. Unique Design Shapes: Complex designs may require more tiles than initially estimated. Damage During Transit: Some tiles may arrive broken or damaged. Stock Availability: You may face supply issues if you need more tiles later. Unexpected Complications: Extra tiles can help prevent delays caused by unforeseen issues.
Crossville - attic stock (common recommendation)

As a percentage

10 — in the quote: “set aside 10% of the total installed square footage”

What it is for

Spare tile bought and stored for later replacements or expansions

What it is not for

The extra tile ordered for the installation itself

READ THIS BEFORE USING THE NUMBER. Ten percent of the installed area is what a tile maker gives as a common recommendation for ATTIC STOCK: tile bought and stored for later replacements or expansions. The same answer separately reports 10 to 15 percent extra to order for the installation itself, which this calculator applies on the tile control. It raises attic stock as a further consideration and does not say whether it falls inside that range or on top of it.

Crossville, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

Crossville - attic stock (common recommendation) — FAQs, Installation category, question 'How much extra tile should be ordered?', closing paragraph The FAQ prints no date. The page's metadata records publication on 2025-01-21 and modification on 2025-03-15; no date is claimed from metadata alone. Retrieved October 10, 2026.

The FAQ gives no question its own anchor, and every answer stays hidden until its question is clicked, so no link can open this answer directly. On the page, choose the Installation filter and click 'How much extra tile should be ordered?', the last question in the list.

You should also consider the concept of attic stock—extra tiles purchased and stored for future use in case you need them later for replacements or expansions. A common recommendation for attic stock is to set aside 10% of the total installed square footage.
CUSTOM Polyblend Plus Sanded Grout package sizes

Bag (pounds)

25 — in the quote: “25 lb (11.34 kg) bag”

Box (pounds)

7 — in the quote: “7 lb (3.17 kg) box”

Custom Building Products — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

CUSTOM Polyblend Plus Sanded Grout package sizes — Section 3 Product Description, subsection 'Packaging', page 1 Effective from March 22, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2026.

Available in 2 sizes: 7 lb (3.17 kg) box 25 lb (11.34 kg) bag 25 lb bag available in 40 colors. 7 lb box available in 15 colors. Color matching is available.
LATICRETE PERMACOLOR Select package sizes

Bag (pounds)

25

Smaller bag (pounds)

12.5

PERMACOLOR Select is NOT one of the grouts this calculator computes for, and nothing here is a size to order. It is cited for one purpose: to show that the bag a coverage chart is keyed to is a per-product fact and not a trade standard. Both grouts the calculator does offer key their charts to a 25 lb bag, so on the big bag the trade agrees and a reader could be forgiven for assuming it always does. The small package is where that stops - CUSTOM sells a 7 lb box, LATICRETE a 12.5 lb base bag - which is why the chart basis is printed on this site rather than assumed. That is the difference between this citation and the one it replaced: the earlier one was offered as a package size to order against, for a product no reader here can select. A counter-example is a different job, and it is the only job this node does. One more thing about the weights above, for a reader standing at a shelf: PERMACOLOR Select is a two-part system, a colorless base bag plus a separate color kit, and the 25 lb and 12.5 lb figures are the BASE alone - not base plus color.

LATICRETE International, Inc. — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

LATICRETE PERMACOLOR Select package sizes — Product data sheet DS-281, 'Packaging' block, page 1 The footer code is 'DS-281-0522' (May 2022) alongside a 2022 copyright line; no day is given. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Packaging Base - 25 lbs (11.3 kg) bag Base - 12.5 lbs (5.6 kg) bag Color Kit Carton - 10 x .5 lbs (2x100 g)

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. LATICRETE’s packaging block prints the color kit carton as “10 x .5 lbs (2x100 g)”, and the two weights do not agree: 2 x 100 g is 200 g, which is 0.44 lb, while .5 lb is 227 g. The sheet does not say which is right. No ConcreteTally calculator uses the color kit; this entry is cited for the base bag sizes only.

Daltile San Michele carton coverage

Nominal 12 x 12 tile — square feet per carton: 10.34 — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note
Nominal 18 x 18 tile — square feet per carton: 17.04
Nominal 24 x 24 tile — square feet per carton: 15.20
Nominal 12 x 24 tile — square feet per carton: 15.20
Thickness (inches): 3/8 (0.375)

Daltile (Dal-Tile Corporation) — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

Daltile San Michele carton coverage — Page 4, table headed 'SIZES / Thickness / Sq. Ft. per Carton / Pieces Per Carton' The page footer reads '(c)2016 Dal-Tile Corporation (7/16)' - July 2016, with no day given. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

SIZES	Thickness	Sq. Ft. per Carton	Pieces Per Carton
24 x 24 Field Tile (23-1/4" x 23-1/4") (59.48 cm x 59.48 cm)	3/8"	15.20	4
12 x 24 Field Tile Cross-cut (11-5/8" x 23-7/16") (29.56 cm x 59.44 cm)	3/8"	15.20	8
12 x 24 Field Tile* Vein-cut (11-1/2" x 23-7/16") (29.56 cm x 59.44 cm)	3/8"	15.20	8
18 x 18 Field Tile (17-1/2" x 17-1/2") (45.50 cm x 45.50 cm) see the note	3/8"	17.04	8
12 x 12 Field Tile (11-1/2" x 11-1/2") (29.56 cm x 29.56 cm)	3/8"	10.34 see the note	11
2 x 4 Mosaic** (Mesh-mounted on 12" x 12" Sheet) (11-1/2" x 11-1/2" Sheet) (29.56 cm x 29.56 cm Sheet)	3/8"	11.28 see the note	12
2 x 12 Decorative Accent (1-3/4" x 12") (4.50 cm x 29.58 cm) see the note	3/8"	--	10

* Vein-cut is only available in 12 x 24.

** Mosaic is only available in cross-cut.

Same page, under INSTALLATION, Grout Joint Recommendation: 1/8" (3/16" when multiple sizes are installed in a modular pattern, and when installed in a staggered brick-joint pattern; overlap should not exceed 33%)

12 x 24 Field Tile* Vein-cut (11-1/2" x 23-7/16") (29.56 cm x 59.44 cm); 2 x 4 Mosaic** (Mesh-mounted on 12" x 12" Sheet) (11-1/2" x 11-1/2" Sheet) (29.56 cm x 29.56 cm Sheet); 2 x 12 Decorative Accent (1-3/4" x 12") (4.50 cm x 29.58 cm): Not read by any calculator; reproduced for reference.

Transcriber’s note: The sheet prints no table title, only the header row. Each size is printed under its nominal name with the actual size in inches and in centimeters; all three are transcribed in one cell.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. Daltile’s sheet prints each size twice, in inches and in centimeters, and the two are not always the same size: 17-1/2 inches is 44.45 cm, printed 45.50 cm on the 18 by 18 row; 12 inches is 30.48 cm, printed 29.58 cm on the 2 by 12 accent; and the 29.56 cm printed beside every 11-1/2 inches is 11.64 inches. The carton figures follow sometimes one column and sometimes the other. Eleven 12 by 12 tiles of 11-1/2 inches cover 10.10 square feet against 10.34 printed, and twelve 11-1/2 inch mosaic sheets cover 11.02 against 11.28 printed; both match the centimeters. Eight 18 by 18 tiles of 17-1/2 inches cover 17.01 against 17.04 printed, which matches the inches and not the centimeters. So a carton figure cannot be recovered from either column with confidence, which is why the tile and grout calculator asks for the number printed on the box. No ConcreteTally calculator computes from these rows.

Marazzi Alterations carton coverage

Nominal 12 x 24 tile — square feet per carton

17.60 — the publisher’s own figures disagree here; see the note

Thickness (inches)

5/16 (0.3125)

17.60 square feet against the other sheet’s 15.20 for the same nominal 12 by 24. Most of the difference is the count, nine pieces to a carton against eight. Per piece, by each sheet’s carton figure, the two are 1.96 and 1.90 square feet; by the printed tile sizes the pieces are the same, about 1.89 square feet, so the rest of the difference is Marazzi’s carton figure, which is more than nine pieces of its printed size cover. The figure to use is the one printed on the box.

Marazzi USA — Manufacturer or grower specification

Used by: Tile & grout

Marazzi Alterations carton coverage — Page 4, table headed 'SIZES / Thickness / Sq. Ft./ Carton / Pieces/ Carton' The page footer reads '(c) 2023 Marazzi (07/23)' - July 2023, with no day given. Retrieved October 11, 2026.

Transcribed from a table in that document; the words and figures are the publisher’s, the layout is ConcreteTally’s:

SIZES Thickness Sq. Ft./ Carton see the note Pieces/ Carton

12 x 24 Floor Tile 11-5/8" x 23-3/8" (29.56 cm x 59.44 cm) 5/16" 17.60 see the note 9

Same page, under INSTALLATION, Grout Joint Recommendation: 1/8" (3/16" when installing tile with a length 15" or greater in a staggered brick-joint patter; overlap should not exceed 33%.)

Transcriber’s note: The sheet prints no table title, only the header row. The word “patter” is a typo in the source, reproduced as printed. The nominal name and the actual size are printed together under SIZES and are transcribed in one cell.

The publisher’s own figures do not agree here. Marazzi’s sheet prints 9 pieces of 11-5/8 by 23-3/8 inches (29.56 by 59.44 cm) to a carton of 17.60 square feet, but 9 pieces of that size cover 16.98 square feet, or 17.02 by the centimeters. The carton figure is 0.6 square feet more than the pieces in it, and the sheet does not say why. No ConcreteTally calculator computes from this figure: the tile and grout calculator asks for the coverage printed on the reader’s own carton.

Corrections

If a figure on this page no longer matches its published document, the data file is wrong and the page is wrong with it. Factual corrections to published figures are one of the four categories the contact page accepts.

12” (305 mm) deep	1.25 bags
18” (457 mm) deep	2 bags
24” (610 mm) deep	2.5 bags
30” (762 mm) deep	3 bags

Depth (in):	12
Height (in):	3.625
Face width (wide) (in):	14
Face width (narrow) (in):	12
Face area (sq. ft.):	0.352
Weight (lbs):	40

Sources

How to read this page

Aggregate base

Wisconsin DOT volume-to-weight conversion factor for in-place dense-graded aggregate base

Wisconsin DOT statewide estimating range for compacted dense-graded base aggregate, 3/4-inch

Wisconsin DOT statewide estimating range for compacted open-graded base aggregate

Caltrans published weights of broken stone, 1 inch to dust, loose measure

Caltrans estimating multipliers for aggregate surfacing, loose versus compact

What Wisconsin DOT’s in-place conversion factor is for — dense-graded base

Wisconsin DOT pay units for dense-graded base aggregate

Required base compaction for patios and residential driveways

Asphalt paving

Spread rate for dense-graded asphalt mixtures, pounds per square yard per inch of thickness

Caltrans estimating basis for asphalt mix weight, pounds of mix per square yard

In-place weight of asphalt mixture, pounds per cubic foot

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association pavement thickness for Traffic Class I - residential driveways and parking lots under 50 stalls

Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association pavement thickness for Traffic Class II - parking lots of 50 stalls or more and low-volume roadways

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association recommended minimum thickness designs for asphalt driveways

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association driveway construction - aggregate base and asphalt thickness

Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association driveway construction - full-depth asphalt thickness

Minimum crushed aggregate base thickness for asphalt parking areas and driveways

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association - asphalt must be placed and rolled while hot

Wisconsin DOT minimum air temperature for placing asphaltic mixture

Wisconsin DOT measurement unit for asphaltic mixtures

Brick masonry

The estimating method the published brick counts belong to

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, modular sizes — the trade association's table

Brick per 100 sq ft of wall face, non-modular sizes — the trade association's table

Brick per square foot for 24 manufacturer sizes, with the vertical coursing each figure is built on

Brick per square foot for a modular brick — a manufacturer's literal-joint convention

Brick per square foot for a modular brick, stated on a 3/8 in joint — a second manufacturer

Brick per square foot for a utility-size brick, at a stated 3/8 in joint

Specify brick by dimension, not by name — and the modular size roster the brick calculator's options come from

Correction factors for bond patterns that carry headers, and the publisher's own worked example

Breakage added to the net brick count, as a percentage

The mortar figure the brick calculator does not use, and the reason it does not

Brick one 80 lb bag of a pre-blended mortar mix will lay, and the brick the maker counts

Brick one 80 lb bag lays, by brick designation — a second maker's yield table

A manufacturer stating that the published quantities are for one wythe

The one published multi-wythe figure — mortar in the collar joint between two wythes

What the ordinary residential brick wall actually is

Fence post

What one bag of the fast-setting mix makes, 50 lb bag

What one bag of the fast-setting mix makes, 60 lb bag

The maker's own worked example for one post hole

What one bag of the ordinary mix makes, 80 lb bag

What one bag of the second maker's fast-setting mix makes, 50 lb bag

Hole width the maker's published post-setting bag table assumes (inches)

QUIKRETE's own method for setting a fence post with its 80 lb Concrete Mix

Post spacing, embedment and footing width for a wood fence up to six feet — one state code's prescriptive minimums

Widest post spacing on one city's standard fence detail — 8 ft

Widest post spacing on one city's prescriptive plan set for tall fences — 8 ft

Line-post spacing an extension service states for farm fencing — 10 to 12 ft

How deep and how wide one maker says to dig, and where the mix stops

The same digging rule from a second maker, with a stone base in the bottom of the hole

Shallowest an extension service says to set a wooden line post (inches)

Footing diameter a county recommends for a wood fence post (inches)

Footing diameters one city offers for a fence over six feet, with the depth each one buys (inches)

Fewest horizontal rails one municipality requires on a wood fence up to six feet

How many rails one city's prescriptive plan set requires, by fence height

What a post sold as a nominal 4x4 actually measures, surfaced and dry

What a post sold as a nominal 4x6 actually measures, surfaced and dry

What a fence board sold as a nominal 1x4 actually measures across, surfaced and dry

What a fence board sold as a nominal 1x6 actually measures across, surfaced and dry

The one published rule for how far apart fence boards go

Void a city requires of a picket fence, by yard and by height (percent)

Maximum openings and minimum height a federal agency publishes for a pool barrier (inches)

Garden soil

University of Maryland Extension minimum soil depths for a raised bed on a hard surface

University of Maryland Extension minimum depth of mix for a new raised bed over poor or compacted ground

Iowa State University Extension soil depth for establishing a new lawn

Penn State Extension compost topdressing depth for established turf

University of Maryland Extension compost-to-topsoil ratio for filling a new raised bed on the ground

University of Maryland Extension compost-to-topsoil ratio for filling a new raised bed on the ground, the lighter option

University of Maryland Extension fill for a raised bed on a hard surface

Iowa State University Extension soil mix for a raised bed

University of Illinois Extension on raised-bed soil settling, which it describes without quantifying

Oregon State University Extension bulk density of screened compost at 50 percent moisture

Oregon State University Extension as-is bulk density range for compost

Los Angeles County Public Works volume-to-weight conversion figures for soil