How to use the diy materials list builder
- Type one material per line in the Materials box, in the form: name | amount needed | pack size | price per pack | extra %. Only the name and the amount are required. A pack size of 1, or no pack size, means the item is sold one at a time.
- Set Extra for cuts and mistakes. It is added to every line, and a line can use its own number as the fifth part, such as 0 for glue that does not need an allowance. Enter the sales tax rate you pay if you want tax included, or leave it at 0.
- Read the Shopping checklist table. It shows how much you need with the extra added, how many whole packs to buy, how much that gives you, and the cost of each line, with a Got it column to tick off at the store.
- Use Copy, Print or CSV to take the list with you. The starting lines are made-up examples for a small shelf, so replace them with your own project.
Formula
Packs = round up of (amount needed x (1 + extra %)) / pack size
Cost of a line = packs x price per pack
Total = sum of the line costs + sales tax on that sum
All amounts are handled in whole hundredths, so a result is never off by a rounding error that can flip a whole pack up or down.
The shelf in the example box
The example box lists four 6 ft boards at 14.50 each with 10% extra. Four boards plus 10% is 4.4, and boards are sold one at a time, so 5 boards cost $72.50. Thirty-six screws plus 10% is 39.6, which fits in one box of 50 at $7.25.
Glue and finish have an extra of 0, so one bottle of each is enough at $5.50 and $16.00. Six sheets of sandpaper plus 10% is 6.6, which needs 2 packs of 5 for $8.00. The subtotal is $109.25 for 10 packs. These amounts and prices are examples to show the arithmetic, not typical or current prices.
Why packs are rounded up
Stores sell whole packs, so a need of 4.4 boards means buying 5, and a need of 6.6 sheets in packs of 5 means buying 2 packs. Rounding to the nearest pack could leave you short. The table shows both the amount you need and the amount you will actually buy, so you can see how much is left over.
An amount that lands exactly on a whole number of packs is not rounded up. Needing 10 items in packs of 5 with no extra gives 2 packs. Because the tool works in whole hundredths, even awkward decimals such as 3.3 do not slip over the line from floating point error.
Choosing an allowance
The extra percentage is yours to choose. Straight cuts in plain material may need very little, while patterned material, angled cuts or a first-time project may need more. The tool uses the number you enter and does not claim any number is right for a job. Giving a line its own extra percentage lets you treat consumables and fixed items differently.
To work out how much of a material a surface needs in the first place, use a dedicated calculator such as the paint calculator, the drywall calculator or the board foot calculator, then bring the result here as the amount needed.
Prices and tax
Prices are whatever you type, with at most two decimals, and a leading dollar sign is accepted. Lines with no price are listed and flagged but not counted in the total. Sales tax is applied once to the subtotal at the rate you enter and rounded to the nearest cent. The rate starts at 0 because it differs from place to place, and stores may round tax line by line, so the receipt can differ by a few cents.
Assumptions and limits
- The starting lines, amounts, prices and the 10% extra are examples only. They are not typical, recommended or current values.
- One extra percentage applies to the whole amount needed on a line. Waste that depends on layout, such as pattern matching, is not modeled.
- Amounts and pack sizes can have at most two decimals, prices at most two decimals, and a list can have up to 60 lines.
- Names may contain any text except the | sign, which separates the parts of a line. The list is not saved or shared in links, so copy it before you leave the page.
Frequently asked questions
What do I put for pack size when items are sold one at a time?
Put 1 or leave it out. The tool then buys whole items and the packs column equals the number of items.
Are the example prices real?
No. The lines in the box are made-up examples that show how the list works. Replace them with the amounts and prices for your own project.
Why is a line marked No price?
The fourth part of that line is empty. The item still appears in the checklist, but it is not added to the total until you give it a price.
Can I keep my list for later?
Use Copy or CSV to save it. The list is not stored by the page, so closing the tab clears it.