Find local building suppliers, free calculators and expert guides
Work out exactly what you need with our calculators, then find a builders merchant, timber yard or tool hire shop near you.
Photo: Richard Sutcliffe, CC BY-SA 2.0
Free building calculators
MOT Type 1 Calculator
Enter your area and the compacted depth for the tonnes and bulk bags of Type 1 to order, with the compaction allowance built in.
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Concrete Block Calculator
Give it a wall size and take off the openings for the number of standard 440 x 215mm blocks, wastage added.
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Concrete Calculator UK
Enter the slab size and pick a mix for the cement, sharp sand and ballast, plus the total m3 for ordering ready-mix.
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Sand and Cement Calculator
For paving beds, patios, single-skin brickwork and screed: sand in tonnes and bulk bags, cement in 25kg bags.
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Aggregate Calculator
Pick your material, enter the area and depth, and get the tonnes and bulk bags. Covers sub base, gravel and sand.
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Mortar Calculator UK
Work by wall area or by brick and block count, with a 10% wastage allowance and a patio mortar mode.
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Floor Joist Span Calculator (C24 & C16)
Pick C24 or C16, a joist size and a spacing for the indicative maximum clear span and the joist count for the room.
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Topsoil Calculator
Enter the area and how deep you want it for the volume in m3, the weight in tonnes and the bulk bags to order.
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Ballast Calculator
For a shed base, footings or a small slab: ballast in tonnes and bulk bags, cement in 25kg bags.
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Gravel Calculator UK
Enter an area or a length and width, pick a depth, and get 20mm gravel in tonnes, bulk bags and 25kg bags.
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Brick Calculator UK
Wall size minus the openings gives your brick count, plus the sand and cement to bed them.
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Plan the job, then find the right merchant
Build Journal puts the numbers and the suppliers in one place. Work out exactly how much concrete, mortar, ballast or brick a job needs with our free trade-accurate calculators, follow a plain-English guide to get it right, then find a builders merchant or timber yard near you to buy from.
- Accurate quantities. Calculators built on real UK material densities, coverage rates and mix ratios.
- Local suppliers. Builders merchants and timber yards listed by town, each with full company details.
- Trade know-how. Step-by-step guides written and checked for UK builders and self-builders.
Why use Build Journal
Real, verified data
Every supplier comes from official open data, with a real address. Nothing invented.
Local to you
Find builders merchants, timber yards and hire shops by town across the UK.
Plan before you buy
Free calculators work out your concrete, mortar, bricks and aggregate first.
Trade know-how
Step-by-step guides written and checked for UK builders and self-builders.
Guides & advice
Concrete & Cement
How to Mix Concrete: UK Ratios, Method and Curing
A practical UK guide on how to mix concrete: the common cement, sand and ballast ratios, mixing by hand or by mixer, water content, slump, curing and the mistakes that weaken a pour.
Concrete & Cement
Concrete Cost UK: Ready-Mix Prices, Bagged Cost and Pump Hire
A plain-English UK concrete cost guide: ready-mix price per m3, minimum loads and part-load charges, the cost of mixing your own from bags, when ready-mix wins, and pump hire rates.
Aggregates & Sub-base
How to Lay an MOT Type 1 Sub-Base: Depths, Compaction and a Step-by-Step Method
A practical UK guide on how to lay an MOT Type 1 sub base for a drive, patio or shed base: excavation depth, geotextile membrane, spreading, compacting in layers with a wacker plate, and blinding.
Mortar & Render
Mortar Mix Ratio Guide: Bricklaying, Pointing, Blockwork and Render
A plain-English UK guide to the right mortar mix ratio for bricklaying, pointing, blockwork and render, including 4:1, 5:1 and 6:1 sand to cement, plasticiser and NHL lime mortars.
Bricks & Blocks
How Many Bricks Per Square Metre? UK Brick Estimating Guide
How many bricks per square metre for UK walls: 60 bricks per m2 for a single-skin half-brick wall and 120 for a one-brick wall, plus standard brick sizes, mortar joints, wastage and how to estimate a wall.
Bricks & Blocks
Concrete Blocks vs Bricks: A UK Buying and Comparison Guide
Concrete blocks vs bricks compared for UK builds: dense, lightweight and aircrete blocks against facing bricks on strength, insulation, cost and build speed, with real 2026 price ranges.
Timber & Steel
Floor Joist Sizes and Spans: A UK Guide to C16, C24 and Spacing
A practical guide to UK floor joist sizes and spans: C16 vs C24 grades, common sizes from 47x100 to 47x225, how 400, 450 and 600mm spacing changes the span, and why you should confirm against span tables or a structural engineer.
Concrete & Cement
How to Lay a Shed Base: Concrete, Paving Slabs and Plastic Grid Options
A practical UK guide on how to lay a shed base: concrete, paving slabs and plastic grid options, the right thickness, timber formwork, a ballast and cement mix, levelling and curing times.