Project planners
A calculator answers one question — how many boards, how many bags. A planner answers the whole one: what the project costs within an honest band, whether you need a permit and why, how many weekends it takes, and whether building it yourself is actually worth the difference.
DeckFraming, decking, footings, guards and stairs for a rectangular deck — with the permit question answered and the contractor quote alongside.Peak: May–August →Paver patioPavers, base, bedding sand and the excavation nobody budgets for — plus how many cubic yards of spoil you have to get rid of.Peak: April–August →FencePosts, holes, concrete, rails and pickets for a run of privacy fence — including the height and setback rules that are not in the building code.Peak: May–September →
Planning estimates — verify quantities, prices, and local code before you buy