outdoorcalc.com.au is a small, free collection of calculators for outdoor projects — mulch, soil, turf, concrete, paving, fencing, and whatever else comes up when you're sorting out a backyard.
Why this site exists
Most of the outdoor calculators online are built for the American market. They ask for cubic yards and square feet, they price in dollars per pound, and they assume you're buying mulch in 2-cubic-foot bags. None of that matches what a landscape yard in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Perth is actually quoting you.
When your local supplier quotes "1.2 cubic metres of red gum mulch at 100mm depth", you don't want to be converting cubic yards in your head. So every calculator here works in the units on your invoice: cubic metres, millimetres, kilograms, tonnes.
What we're trying to get right
- Metric first. Not metric as an afterthought — metric as the default, because you're standing in an Australian garden.
- Fast, not flashy. Type a few numbers, get the answer, close the tab. No email wall, no newsletter.
- Honest estimates. Every result includes a sensible waste margin and a reminder to check with your supplier.
- Phone-friendly. Most people work these things out with a phone in one hand and a tape measure in the other. The site has to work that way.
What we're not
We're not a supplier. We don't sell mulch, soil, turf or anything else. There are no referral links to Bunnings, no affiliate deals with landscape yards, no "book a consultation" buttons. The site is funded by display ads, which is why there's one advertisement on each page — that's it.
We're also not landscape designers, horticulturists, or builders. The calculators are mathematical tools. Every one of them has a disclaimer saying "check with your supplier or tradie" — please actually do that, especially on bigger jobs where the wrong quantity costs real money.
Who's behind it
outdoorcalc.com.au is an independent Australian-owned site. Feedback, corrections, and requests for new calculators are always welcome — get in touch if you've spotted something broken or there's a calculator you wish existed.
Accuracy and limitations
Every calculator is tested against published product coverage rates from major Australian suppliers. Where conversion rates can vary (for example, the density of mulch differs between pine bark and hardwood chip), we document the assumptions underneath the calculator itself.
Even so: results are estimates. Real-world variables — uneven ground, compaction, waste, regional product differences — mean your actual requirement can land 5–15% either side of the calculated figure. The rule of thumb is to order slightly more than calculated. Running short of mulch halfway through a Saturday is worse than having a spare bag in the shed.