Skip to content

Suggest a Calculator

Missing a tool on Project Home Calc? Tell us about the decision you were trying to make, not only the name you would put on the button. We add calculators when the inputs can be measured or copied from a product label, the method can be shown in plain language, and the result helps someone plan a real home project.

What to send

  • The material or job, such as asphalt tonnage, render coverage, fence stain, or shed roofing
  • The question the result should answer: volume, pack count, weight, cost, spacing, or comparison
  • Inputs a homeowner can realistically know, such as length, width, depth, coverage, bag size, or local price
  • The output unit you would expect to take to a supplier
  • Whether you need US units, UK units, or both
  • An example with numbers, if you have one
  • A public manufacturer sheet, code reference, or similar calculator if it helps explain the method

Use the contact form or email shoaib.octachat@gmail.com with Calculator request in the subject.

How the roadmap works

Requests feed an editorial roadmap rather than an automatic voting queue. We group similar needs, check whether an existing tool already solves the quantity, and look for a formula we can explain and test in both unit systems. A request mentioned once can still move quickly if it fills an obvious gap; repeated requests help, but they do not override safety or data-quality concerns.

We usually favour tools that sit beside an existing project journey. A deck-board calculator can support a joist-spacing guide; a paint calculator can lead into coverage labels and cost planning. That connection gives users a way to understand the assumptions instead of landing on a bare form with no context.

Some requests are better answered with a guide or an extra input on an existing calculator. For example, a question about choosing gravel type is not mainly arithmetic, while a different bag yield may only require an editable product field. We may adapt the idea rather than publish the exact page title suggested.

We do not promise a delivery date or publish a public ranking of requests. New tools need formula review, unit testing, mobile checks, worked examples, FAQs, accessibility review, and enough original supporting copy to stand on their own. A smaller set of dependable calculators is more useful than dozens of near-duplicates.

What we build first

We prioritise tools that:

1. Fit the home-improvement / small-project scope 2. Use a clear formula we can show on the page 3. Use inputs a non-specialist can obtain safely 4. Produce an order quantity or planning comparison someone can act on 5. Work honestly in both US and UK units, or have a clear reason to be regional 6. Do not duplicate an existing tool without a meaningful difference 7. Can ship with assumptions, exclusions, a worked example, and useful guidance

Clear scope matters more than novelty. “How many fence stain tins for 180 ft of six-foot privacy fence, two coats, at label coverage X” is testable. “How much will my whole house renovation cost?” depends on too many unmeasured choices to turn into one trustworthy number.

What already exists

Browse all calculators before requesting a duplicate. Construction, landscaping, flooring, painting, roofing, deck and fence, insulation/drywall, and cost tools are live. Guides cover patio cost, waste factors, roofing squares, fence posts, brick counts, and more — check Guides if your question is “how” rather than “how many.”

If an existing calculator is close but missing a field, name that tool and explain what the extra field changes. Include a worked example showing the current result and the desired calculation. That can be more useful than proposing a second calculator with a slightly different title.

What we will not build

We do not build:

  • Structural sizing tools that could be mistaken for an engineer’s design, including beam, foundation, retaining-wall, or load-bearing approvals
  • Electrical service, gas, combustion, or other licensed-trade calculations where site conditions and local code control the answer
  • Tools that diagnose hazardous materials, damp, subsidence, or building defects from a few form fields
  • Live property valuations, mortgage recommendations, insurance estimates, or investment promises
  • Price scrapers that copy retailer data or pretend a national default is a current local quote
  • Calculators built mainly to promote a product, collect leads, or host paid links
  • Near-duplicate pages created only to target slightly different search phrases
  • Forms that require sensitive personal data, an exact home address, financial account details, or documents unrelated to the arithmetic

We may publish a safe planning calculator near a regulated topic when the boundary is clear. Counting roof tiles from area is different from approving rafters. Estimating concrete volume is different from choosing a foundation. The page must state that boundary without burying it.

What happens after you suggest one

We may reply with a clarification, point you to an existing tool or guide, place the idea on the roadmap, or explain why it falls outside scope. We cannot review confidential plans or promise that a submitted idea will be built. Suggestions do not transfer ownership of private technical material; please send only information you are entitled to share.

If we publish the calculator, it will use independently written copy and a method we can verify. We may combine several requests, rename the tool, or narrow the scope so the result remains understandable. The best submissions describe a common, repeatable measuring problem and the supplier decision that follows from it.