Terms of Use

1. What ContractorBuilds is

ContractorBuilds (contractorbuilds.com) is an independent website of free construction calculators and guides for concrete, roofing, carpentry and measurement work. It is owned and operated by an individual, not a company. The calculators run in your browser; the values you enter stay on the page. Every result shows its working: the formula, the inputs, the assumptions and defaults it used, and where any product figure or reference limit came from.

2. Estimates and information, not professional advice

The calculators and guides are estimating aids. They use stated formulas, unit conversions, published manufacturer figures and selected reference limits. They are not engineering, architectural, surveying or code-compliance advice, and they do not replace a licensed engineer, architect or qualified contractor, your local building department, or the manufacturer of the materials you use.

The calculators do not evaluate soil conditions, structural loads, wind or seismic requirements, frost depth, drainage, reinforcement design, mix design or curing, and they do not determine which building code applies where you build.

A "reference check" compares your inputs against a selected reference profile (for example the 2021 IRC). Reference checks are informational, not compliance determinations. Passing a reference check does not establish that your project complies with any code. ContractorBuilds is not an authority having jurisdiction. Local requirements differ.

3. How we label facts

Results and guides label each figure as one of: Calculated · Code reference · Manufacturer specification · Suggested default · Assumption. A suggested default (for example a waste allowance) is a starting point you can change, not a rule. Manufacturer figures are the manufacturer's stated values, quoted from the source document with its version date where available and the date we read it; the manufacturer may describe them as approximate, and they can change. We do not average, adjust or "improve" a manufacturer's figure.

4. Your responsibility

You are responsible for measuring accurately, entering the right values, choosing the right product and quantity for your site, and verifying quantities, dimensions, limits and structural assumptions with a licensed engineer, architect or qualified contractor, your local officials, your supplier and the product's own documentation before you buy or build. Ordering quantities, allowances, supplier minimums and prices are decisions you make with your supplier.

5. What we promise, and what we do not

We work to keep the calculations and figures correct and to show where every number comes from, and we correct errors when they are reported. We cannot promise that a result fits your particular project, materials, location or supplier's practice, and you use the site on that understanding. Nothing on this site is a guarantee, a certification, or a professional opinion.

6. Acceptable use

Use the site for its purpose. Do not use it unlawfully; attempt unauthorised access to the site or the systems it runs on; interfere with it or place an unreasonable load on it, including scraping at a rate that degrades it for others; copy the calculators' presentation, diagrams or written content for redistribution; or present its results as professional certification or a compliance determination.

7. Our content

The written content, diagrams, calculation presentations, brand and site design are ours unless stated otherwise. You may view, print and share pages for your own use. Parts of the site are built on open-source software under their own licences, which these terms do not change.

8. Manufacturer products, standards and trademarks

We name manufacturers' products only to attribute factual specifications published by the manufacturer, cited to their data sheet with its version date where available and the date we read it. Where a citation links out, it links only to the manufacturer's own public document; the link is a reference, not an endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation. We cite building-code editions, provision numbers and numeric limits; we do not reproduce code text, manufacturer pages, figures or tables. Trademarks belong to their respective owners. Manufacturer figures are as published in the cited source on the date shown.

9. Links to other sites

Links to other sites, including manufacturer documents, lead to content we do not control or endorse. Their terms apply there.

10. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy describes what is collected and by whom. In short: we use Google Analytics to understand how our calculators are used so we can improve them. Google Analytics never receives the values you enter into a calculator.

11. Changes

We change calculators, guides and these terms as the site develops. The "Last updated" date above changes when these terms change; the current version is always on this page.

12. Contact

Questions and corrections: hello@contractorbuilds.com.