Construction guides
What jobs cost, how the quantities are worked out, and which calculator to use — with the same rule as the tools: every figure shown and sourced.
Concrete Slab Cost per Square Foot
A standard broom-finish slab installs at $6–$12 per square foot in 2026. This guide shows where in that range your project lands, and what the per-square-foot number hides.
Concrete
Asphalt vs Concrete Driveway
Asphalt installs at $4–$7 per square foot and concrete at $6–$12 — but the upfront price is the least interesting difference. Here is the comparison over the life of the driveway.
Asphalt & Paving
How to Calculate Concrete for a Slab
Length × width × thickness, ÷ 27, plus waste. Four steps, two unit conversions, and one worked example you can follow with a pencil.
Concrete
Gravel Driveway Cost
A gravel driveway installs at $1–$3 per square foot — a fifth the price of asphalt. Here is the cost itemised into stone, hauling and compaction, with the tonnage arithmetic shown.
Aggregates & Materials
Roof Replacement Cost by Material
Installed prices run from $350 a square for three-tab asphalt to $3,000 for slate — but ranked by cost per year of roof life, the order changes. Both rankings, with the arithmetic shown.
Roofing
How these guides work
Each guide answers the question people search before they know they need a calculator — what something costs, how much material a job takes — and then hands over to the tool that does the arithmetic for your exact dimensions. The cost figures are the same 2026 planning ranges published on the calculator pages, drawn from the sources listed for each constant, and corrections are logged on the changelog like everything else on the site.