Build Journal is a UK building reference: free calculators, clear and practical guides, and a directory of building suppliers. Work out the right quantities, understand the numbers behind a job, then find a merchant to buy from.
Why we built it
Most online material calculators are either too vague to trust or buried in adverts. Plenty of them get the maths wrong. We wanted a set of tools that a working builder would actually use, calculators that account for real material densities, standard coverage rates and proper mortar and concrete mix ratios, and that show how they reach the answer.
How we check the numbers
Every calculator is built around the conventions used on UK sites and by builders’ merchants: bagged and bulk densities for aggregates and topsoil, coverage rates for sand and cement, the C and gen mix ratios for concrete, and the standard brick and block coordinating sizes. Where a figure depends on a judgement call, such as a wastage allowance, we tell you what we have assumed so you can adjust it.
Our tools give planning estimates. For anything structural, such as beam or lintel sizing, treat the result as a guide and confirm it with a qualified structural engineer before you build.
Find a supplier
Alongside the tools, we list builders merchants and building suppliers by town, so once you know what you need you can find somewhere local to buy it. Each listing is compiled from the firm’s own website and the Companies House public register, and we focus on established suppliers with a genuine web presence rather than copying a third-party aggregator. Listings are free, and we are building coverage town by town. If you run a supplier and want your entry added or corrected, email the address below.
Browse the supplier directory, or search by trade and town.
Images
The photographs on Build Journal are either our own or openly licensed images, such as Creative Commons photographs from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, credited to the photographer and licence where they appear. The logo, favicon and the diagrams in our guides are drawn by us. We do not republish other publishers’ photographs.
Corrections
Our calculators and guides are planning estimates built on standard UK trade figures, and we would rather be accurate than quick. If you spot an error, a formula you would challenge, or a price that has dated, email hello@buildjournal.co.uk and we will check it and put it right.
Who we are
Build Journal is published by Future Business Media, a UK media company building specialist publications for the trades and the building industry. It is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any merchant, manufacturer or trade body it mentions. If there is a calculator you wish existed, or a guide that would help, email hello@buildjournal.co.uk.