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The DIY app you open BEFORE you go to the hardware store. Pick a project, answer 2–3 questions, and BuilderCalc tells you exactly how much to buy (humanized - “Buy 3 gallons, about $90–$140” not “2.4 gal”), what to put on the shopping list, and the mistakes that cost DIYers thousands every year. Five guided flows: paint a room, tile a bathroom, build a deck, install drywall, pour a concrete slab. The 14 pro calculators are still here, now wired into every flow. No ads, no accounts, no tracking. Sourced from JLC, Fine Homebuilding, This Old House, and the IRC.
Captured from production build · v1.7.0
Home - five tiles, no hunting
The product solves something specific and gets out of your way.
Tap a project. Answer 2–3 simple questions. BuilderCalc walks you from inputs → humanized result → shopping list → mistakes to avoid → done. Free flows: Paint a room · Tile a bathroom floor. Pro flows: Build a deck · Install drywall · Pour a concrete slab. Each step shows progress (Step 3 of 5), each result shows a pro tip, and the whole thing is built like a checklist instead of a wall of text.
Other calculators say "2.4 gallons." BuilderCalc says "Buy 3 gallons (rounded safe so you don't run out mid-wall) - estimated cost $119–$168." Every result card includes the math (wall area, coats, coverage), the rounded shopping number, the cost band, and a pro tip you can use right now. No more standing in aisle 7 doing mental arithmetic.
Every project ends with a tap-to-check shopping list scoped to your dimensions and choices. Picked premium one-coat paint? You see Aura/Emerald/Marquee, Wooster Shortcut, microfiber rollers, and FrogTape. Picked Schluter Ditra for tile? You see Ditra membrane, modified thinset, leveling clips, and the right trowel notch. Tap items off as you grab them. Knows what to buy, in the order you'll grab it.
Mesh tape in inside drywall corners. Lag bolts in a single row on a deck ledger. Bull-floating concrete with bleed water on top. Painting silicone caulk. Garage ceiling drywall not 5/8″ Type X. 27 mistakes that cost DIYers thousands every year, each tied to the IRC / ANSI / TCNA section or the pro-consensus reason it fails.
32 brand-grouped cards. Wood (Huber AdvanTech, Baltic birch B/BB, KDAT, UC4A). Fasteners (GRK R4, SPAX, SDWS, TOGGLER SnapToggle's 238 lb rating). Adhesives (Titebond III, Loctite PL Premium, JB Weld). Sealants (Sashco Big Stretch for siding, OSI Quad MAX for Hardie, GE Supreme for tubs, Sikaflex-1a for masonry). Each card: when to use, when NOT to use, what plays well with it. Stop guessing.
Brand picks first (Benjamin Moore Aura, Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Behr Marquee - true one-coat in same-color repaints). Wooster Shortcut for cut-in. Floetrol additive for self-leveling. Zinsser BIN for stain-blocking. Sheen by where, not by look. Drying & recoat windows. The pro tricks: box your paint, strain through a stocking, fridge the brush overnight, holiday-hunt with raking light.
Concrete (slab/footing/column/pier). Beam Span (L/360 + L/240). Joist Spacing. Wall Framing. Rafter. Roof + Shingles. Stairs (IRC R311.7). Drywall. Paint. Insulation. Rebar (ASTM A615). Deck Materials. Pressure Loss (Hazen-Williams). Reference. All open instantly, all imperial + metric, all wired into the project flows so you can drill back into the math when you want it.
Deck spans + cantilever from IRC R507 (with the 2021 R507.6 update). Stair rise/run from R311.7. Drywall thickness from R702.3.5 + garage R302.6 (5/8″ Type X). Concrete from ACI 318 + 308. Tile mortar coverage from ANSI A108.5. Lumber section properties from NDS. Sourced, cited, in your pocket - even when service isn't.
Pick the fit. $3.99/mo to try, $28.99/yr for the best value (saves ~40% over monthly), or $64.99 once - pay once, every future Pro feature included automatically. Original Pro buyers from earlier versions automatically own Lifetime. No ads, no accounts, no tracking.
Everything you’d want to know about BuilderCalc on a single sheet. No marketing math.
Same DNA - offline, no ads, no accounts, no tracking. Pro Unlock optional, three tiers.
Want a walkthrough of BuilderCalc? We do live demos, off-the-record. No salesperson on the call - the people who built it.
