Which tool answers which question
| Your question | Tool |
|---|---|
| “I just want one plan I can take to the store.” | Tarp Plan Builder |
| “What size do I need?” | Tarp Size Calculator |
| “Which material should I buy?” | Tarp Material Selector |
| “Can one person handle it?” | Tarp Weight Calculator |
| “What should this cost?” | Tarp Cost Estimator |
| “This listing uses GSM and mine uses oz/yd².” | Tarp Unit Converter |
| “What size tarp for my hammock or A-frame?” | Camping Tarp Configurator |
| “How big a cover for my pool?” | Pool Cover Calculator |
| “The listing says 12 × 20 ft — will it actually cover?” | Tarp Listing Checker |
Use them in this order
If you would rather not retype the same measurements, the Tarp Plan Builder runs size, fabric, weight, and cost from one set of numbers and hands back a shopping list. To work one step at a time, go in the order below.
Size first, material second, weight third. Sizing is pure geometry and does not depend on what the tarp is made of, so it is the one input that never changes. Material choice depends on exposure and abrasion, not dimensions. Weight is the last check, because it is the product of the first two — and it is the step that catches the plan where a 20 × 30 ft PVC cover turns out to be a two-person lift you cannot do alone on a windy day.
Cost comes after all three. Once you know the size and material category, the estimator gives a planning range you can sanity-check listings against.
Then check the listing you are about to buy. The Tarp Listing Checker asks a narrower question than any calculator on this page: of the real listings that were opened and read, which ones still reach your numbers once that supplier's own finished-size rule is applied. Every row carries the date its price was checked.
What these numbers are, and what they are not
Every tool here reports a planning estimate. Unit conversions use exact standards where they exist, including the NIST values for the international inch, yard, and avoirdupois ounce, so those results are as precise as the values you enter. Sizing arithmetic is exact for the geometry described on each tool page.
What we cannot know is your specific product. Stock-size suggestions are practical examples, not a claim about what any retailer carries or what a given tarp measures after hemming; where that question matters, the Tarp Listing Checker answers it from listings that were opened and read, with the checked date printed on every row. Cost ranges reflect typical US pricing bands and move with brand, reinforcement, channel, and season. Material recommendations narrow the field; they do not certify a product for a job. Verify finished dimensions and specifications against the actual listing before ordering, and treat anything involving height, traffic, or load securement as a safety decision rather than a measurement one.
Your measurements stay on your device
Calculator inputs and results are computed in your browser and are not sent to a server. The one exception is the optional “Describe Your Job” box in the Material Selector, which sends only that text for processing — the guided-question mode does the same job without it. See the privacy policy for details.