Give each line a clear purpose
Separate the patio surface, the base, the bedding layer, and any borders. For a garden refresh, separate mulch from new soil and seed. Name a saved item after its actual area so that two estimates for the same bed are not accidentally added together.
Yard Math saves the lowest priced option you entered for a calculation, along with its cost label and exclusions. For example, bagged and bulk mulch are alternatives, not two materials that should both appear in your total.
Separate unknown costs from zero costs
Leaving a price blank means it is unknown. Entering 0 means you have deliberately priced the item at zero. The project page counts unpriced items and labels the subtotal as partial when any remain.
A paver calculation prices pavers and entered fixed costs only. It also estimates base and bedding volumes, but it does not silently invent their prices. Delivery, tax, equipment hire, disposal, and labor may still be missing even when all saved entries have a price.
Keep allowance visible
An extra-material allowance changes quantity before package rounding. A 10% allowance applied to 100 units produces a target of 110 units; rounding to whole bags can increase the actual purchase further. The default percentage is editable and is not a universal trade standard.
Do not add the same allowance twice: once in the calculator and again in a spreadsheet without intending to. Keep the geometric requirement, reserve, and purchased packages distinguishable.
Use the export as a quote checklist
Save the estimates to My project, then download a CSV or print the list. Your project stays in this browser, not in an account, so export a copy before switching devices or clearing browser data.
Treat the exported list as a starting point for a supplier conversation. Confirm order increments and product specifications before paying. A detailed local quote can then add the costs and constraints this arithmetic cannot know.
A transparent partial subtotal is more useful than a precise-looking total built on invented prices.
Worked examples and sample prices are illustrative, not current supplier quotes. These articles explain quantity arithmetic, not structural or horticultural design. See methodology and limits.