01 — Survey
Know the line before you build.
Every backyard project has a number that decides whether the city wants a permit: a height, an area, a depth. YardPermit prints that number and the code it comes from.
02 — Program
What are you building?
Hover a project. The lot highlights the structure. Every card is a path into typical rules, quote-ready quantities, and a calculator — not a legal opinion.
Fence
LowLines, height, and the neighbor conversation.
Deck
MediumHeight is the permit switch.
Shed
LowSize, setback, and whether it counts as a building.
Pergola
MediumOpen sky, attached or not.
Retaining Wall
HighFour feet, counted from the footing.
Patio
LowAt-grade is the easy path.
Typical questions
- — Height at the property line
- — Front-yard vs. rear/side
- — Corner-lot sight triangles
- — Pool barrier rules
03 — Permit checker
Do I need a permit?
Pick a project and a state. You will get a typical pattern — not a yes stamped by a clerk. City pages exist so we can attach sources as they are verified.
Complexity
Low
Compare quotes per
linear foot
Height, material and where the fence stands decide it; the fence permit brief gives Austin's and Los Angeles's lines.
California cities tend to be specific about fence height in front yards, accessory-dwelling rules, and wildfire-adjacent building. State ADU law overlays local zoning — it does not erase building permits.
04 — Cost intelligence
Know the cost before the first cut.
Quantities from the calculators, priced at your own local numbers, with the wages BLS measured for each trade. No invented national price.
Linear feet
Fence Calculator
Posts, panels, concrete, and a total at your prices.
OpenFeet
Deck Calculator
Area, joists, and decking, priced at your numbers.
OpenInches
Deck Stair Calculator
Risers, treads, run and stringer, with the code's stair checks.
OpenInches
Deck Railing Calculator
Balusters, gaps and guard height, to the code's sphere.
OpenFeet / inches
Concrete Calculator
Cubic yards and 80-lb bags, with waste.
OpenFeet / inches
Gravel Calculator
Tons and cubic yards for paths, pads, and base.
OpenInches / feet
Lumber Calculator
Board feet from actual dimensions.
OpenFeet / inches
Mulch Calculator
Cubic yards and 2 cu ft bags.
OpenFeet / inches
Sand Calculator
Cubic yards, tons and 50-lb bags, as a range.
OpenFeet / inches
Topsoil Calculator
Cubic yards and 0.75 cu ft bags.
OpenFeet / inches
Paver Calculator
Pavers, base tons and bedding sand.
OpenFeet
Pool Volume Calculator
Gallons, cubic feet and liters, and the time to fill.
OpenFeet
Turf Calculator
Artificial turf rolls and infill, or sod pallets.
OpenFeet and inches
French Drain Calculator
Gravel, pipe and fabric for one drain trench.
OpenFeet
Deck Footing Calculator
Footing size and post height for each deck post.
OpenFeet
Square Footage Calculator
Square feet of any area, in pieces, with yards, meters and acres.
Open05 — Visual calculator
Change the fence. Watch the takeoff.
Length and height drive posts, panels, and bagged concrete. Enter your local prices to turn the takeoff into a total — YardPermit fills in none.
- Posts
- 11
- Panels / spans
- 10
- 80-lb bags
- 20
- Hole depth
- 2.5 ft
06 — Location
Rules vary by location.
State → county → city. These pages hold patterns and a place to attach building-department sources as they are verified. Nothing here is your permit.
All locations07 — Projects
Popular projects
Fence
Lines, height, and the neighbor conversation.
Compare quotes per linear foot
Deck
Height is the permit switch.
Compare quotes per square foot of deck
Shed
Size, setback, and whether it counts as a building.
Compare quotes per shed
Pergola
Open sky, attached or not.
Compare quotes per structure
Retaining Wall
Four feet, counted from the footing.
Compare quotes per square foot of wall face
Patio
At-grade is the easy path.
Compare quotes per square foot
08 — Guides
Useful field notes
09 — Methodology
Trust, on purpose.
Regulations
We describe typical U.S. patterns and keep a slot for city, county, and code citations. Unverified numbers stay labeled as patterns.
Costs
A price appears only when a primary source publishes it. Otherwise you get the quantity and enter your local price; wages come from BLS.
Calculations
Volume, posts, joists, board feet: dimensional formulas with visible assumptions. You can edit spacing, waste, and depth.
Updates
Each guide carries a last-reviewed date. Location pages are built to accept a source URL and a verification stamp.
Requirements vary by jurisdiction and by the specifics of a project. YardPermit publishes educational patterns and labeled estimates — not legal determinations, not construction documents, and not a bid. Verify with your local building department and a licensed contractor before you build.
10 — Begin
Build with fewer surprises.
Start with dimensions and choices. Leave with a takeoff, a permit-question list, and one scope every contractor can price.