Learn · DIY budgeting

Don't blow your reno budget guessing materials.

Here's the math a contractor does before they price your job. Yours, for the next time you stand in Home Depot wondering if you bought enough.

The three places people guess wrong

1. Concrete for round post holes. The hole is a cylinder, not a square. Most calculators give you square-volume. Per Brief 5.
2. Drywall extras. 13 sheets is the easy answer. The compound, tape, screws, and corner bead are the answer most people miss. Per Brief 6.
3. Tile thinset and tile size. Big tile needs more thinset per square foot than small tile. The bag-coverage number on the label assumes 4×4 tile. Per Brief 9.