Tape measurements
Length, width, and depth measured twice, plus bed shapes sketched. Estimates end where the tape measure begins.
Methodology
How Garden1001 calculates.
Explicit-input models with visible formulas, stated waste and compaction allowances, machine-checked test cases, and a stated verification boundary. Screening-grade arithmetic for ordering, not scale tickets.
The principle
Every result must be reproducible from the inputs on the page.
Each calculator is a fixed formula over labeled inputs. There are no hidden scores, no black-box adjustments, and no location lookups: the numbers you type, plus the stated defaults, fully determine the outputs. Every calculator page shows its formula, and every calculator ships with automated test cases that fixed inputs must reproduce before publication.
Units and conventions
One consistent system across all twenty-two tools.
Volume units
Cubic feet measure what a bed holds; cubic yards (27 cu ft) measure what a truck delivers; liters convert bag and import sizes. Weight derives from volume times density, never the reverse, and densities always carry the rock or soil type they belong to.
Money and bag counts
Prices are entered per bag, per yard, per ton, or per visit and converted once, at a single documented step, to dollars. Displayed money rounds to cents; intermediate values keep full precision so chained steps do not drift. Bag and roll counts always round up: you cannot buy half a bag.
Waste and compaction
Spreading loss, settling, cutting waste, and compaction are modeled as explicit percentage inputs with documented defaults (for example, 10% spreading loss on mulch, 15% compaction on topsoil, 5-10% cutting waste on pavers). Where conditions vary, the input stays editable and the assumption stays labeled, rather than being buried in a fixed factor.
Precision statement
Outputs are screening-grade: good enough to size an order, compare bags versus bulk, or check a supplier quote. They are not scale tickets and do not replace the tape measure, the bag label, or the delivery ticket.
Method by category
What each tool family models, and what it assumes.
Soil and mulch
Bed volume from length, width, and depth, plus explicit waste or compaction: 10% spreading loss on mulch and bark, 15% compaction on topsoil, and a fill percentage for raised beds with base layers. One cubic yard covers about 100 sq ft at 3 in deep.
Gravel and hardscape
Gravel volume adds compaction (around 20% for crushed stone) and converts to tons by rock type: pea gravel near 1.4, crushed stone 1.5, river rock 1.6 tons per yard. Paver counts divide paved area by unit size and add cutting waste; base rock and bedding sand derive from area and depth.
Lawn and planting
Seed pounds scale from area and sowing rate by cultivar and by new-lawn versus overseed use; sod rolls divide area by roll coverage plus layout waste. Plant counts derive from spacing and square versus staggered layout; lawn area combines rectangles with circular segments.
Beds and watering
Container volume treats pots as cylinders from diameter and height; bed volume converts one measurement into cubic feet, yards, and liters. Drip use multiplies emitters by flow, hours, and sessions; run time converts target inches over an area into minutes at zone flow; cost applies the utility rate per thousand gallons.
Coverage references
Typical rates used across the site: tall fescue near 8 lb per 1,000 sq ft new (4 overseed), standard sod rolls near 10 sq ft, one inch of water near 0.623 gallons per square foot. Each rate is labeled as a starting point and stays editable.
Delivery planning
Weight and truck rules used across the site: about 1.5 tons per yard for crushed stone, pickup beds near 2-3 yards, pallets near 50-70 sod rolls or 50-60 bags. Minimums, access, and moisture belong in verification with the supplier.
Sources and baselines
Dated numbers, named sources, annual review.
Coverage and density references
Typical seed rates, gravel densities, and bag sizes come from supplier labels and university extension references and carry their context. A yearly site review checks defaults against current products.
Supplier references
Where practice is discussed, supplier labels and extension guidance are cited as context for why a rate exists, never as a substitute for your ticket. The bag label, the quarry sheet, and the delivery ticket always govern.
Material figures
Typical depths, rates, and weights are labeled as starting points. Tape measurements and supplier sheets replace them during verification.
Dataset register
Every built-in number, its source, and its review date.
Each calculator page carries its own Sources section. This register is the site-wide index: what the dataset is, where it comes from, and when it was last reviewed. Prices are market placeholders everywhere and are never sourced — always use a current local quote.
Grass seed rates (12 varieties)
New-lawn lb per 1,000 sq ft per variety; overseed at half rate. NCSU Extension Carolina Lawns (AG-69) and Purdue Extension AY-20-W, cross-checked across state extension tables. Reviewed October 2026.
Aggregate densities
Crushed 1.5, pea 1.4, river rock 1.6 tons per cubic yard. NSSGA typical compacted densities (about 100 lb per cubic foot); quarry sheets govern. Reviewed October 2026.
Mulch and soil weights
Mulch 400-800 lb per yard (default 600); screened loam 2,000-2,400 lb per yard (default 2,200). Supplier published weights and university extension references. Reviewed October 2026.
Paver practice figures
Cutting waste 10% straight / 20% diagonal; 4 in base for patios, 6 in for driveways, 1 in bedding sand. ICPI Tech Spec 2 and ICPI guidance. Reviewed October 2026.
Joint sand rates
0.3 / 0.5 / 1.0 lb per sq ft by joint width. Polymeric sand manufacturer tech sheets (Alliance Gator, Techniseal coverage tables). Reviewed October 2026.
Sod formats
Standard rolls about 10 sq ft; pallets 50-70 rolls. Turfgrass Producers International member farm standards; your farm governs. Reviewed October 2026.
Water and volume constants
0.623 gal per sq ft per inch; 7.48052 gal and 28.3168 L per cubic foot; 231 cu in per gallon; 43,560 sq ft per acre. Definitions (NIST). Exact by definition.
Planting geometry
Triangle layout factor 0.866 (sin 60 deg). Geometry. Mature widths come from grower tags. Reviewed October 2026.
Verification protocol
Replace these five before relying on any result.
Supplier ticket
Bag size, density, price per unit, delivery minimums, and return policy exactly as quoted this week.
Label facts
Actual bag volume, seed rate, emitter flow, and roll coverage of the products you buy.
Site conditions
Slope, drainage, soil softness, access for trucks, and existing plants that no generic model can see.
Professional review
A landscaper or experienced supplier confirms big orders before money is spent.
Rate baselines are dated starting points, not live utility feeds. Calculator results are screening outputs, not utility bills, quotes, permits, or guarantees.
Known limits
What these tools deliberately do not do.
No structural or drainage calls
Nothing here determines whether a base, wall, or drainage path is structurally adequate. Depth, compaction, and water flow are field decisions for a qualified contractor.
No soil or weather modeling
Volume tools assume uniform depth and average density. Rocky soil, roots, and moisture swings change real quantities in ways no generic model can see.
No growth or weather promises
Seed, sod, and watering math projects arithmetic, not the future. Germination, establishment, and rainfall decide real outcomes; the tools only size the inputs.
No supplier pricing
Typical prices never describe your quote. Two suppliers across town can legitimately charge different rates for the same yard.