Free Construction Measurement
Calculators

There are 9 square feet in 1 square yard (because 1 yard = 3 feet, and 3 × 3 = 9). To convert square feet to square yards, divide by 9. Carpet and some flooring materials are sold by the square yard — use our Square Yards Calculator to convert instantly with waste factor included.

Multiply length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft), then divide by 27. Depth must be in feet — convert inches to feet by dividing by 12 first. Example: a 10×20 ft bed at 3 inches deep = 10 × 20 × 0.25 = 50 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. Use our Cubic Yard Calculator for instant conversion, or the Concrete Volume Calculator for bag counts.

Roof pitch is expressed as rise over run — how many inches the roof rises per 12 inches of horizontal run. To measure it: hold a level horizontally against the roof, mark 12 inches along the level, then measure the vertical distance from the 12-inch mark down to the roof — that's your rise. Enter it into our Roof Pitch Calculator to get the angle, pitch multiplier, rafter length, and actual sloped roof area automatically.

Divide your total floor-to-floor height (in inches, measured from finished floor to finished floor) by your target riser height (typically 7 inches), then round to the nearest whole number. That gives your number of risers. Divide total rise by that number to find the exact riser height — ensuring all steps are equal. Use our Stair Rise & Run Calculator to get stringer length and IRC code compliance in one step.

The IRC building code requires the ground to drop at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet from a home's foundation — that's a 5% grade. For paved surfaces like patios and driveways, the minimum is 1–2% (about ¼ inch per foot). Use our Slope & Grade Calculator to convert between percent grade, angle in degrees, and rise/run ratio for any drainage or grading project.