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Calcimator

Vertical Concrete Mix Calculator

Calculate mix materials for vertical overlays, carved rock, and sculpted concrete facades including lath, polymer, and fibers.

Inputs

%

Results

Pre-mix bags (50 lb)

17

Scratch coat bags4
Total material weight (lbs)821
Metal lath sheets6
Cement - site mix (lbs)143.8
Sand - site mix (lbs)215.6
Acrylic polymer (gal)4.8
Polypropylene fiber (lbs)4.8
Mixing water (gal)3.6
Pigment (lbs, 3% dose)4.3
Pre-mix material cost ($)$991.29
Site-mix material cost ($)$198.50
Material cost / sq ft ($)$9.91
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the vertical or overhead surface area in sq ft and the application thickness in inches.
  2. Select the application mode: 1=thin overlay (1/8–1/4 in), 2=standard sculpted (1/2–1 in), 3=heavy carved rock or waterfall (1–3 in).
  3. Set a waste factor of 15% for vertical work — higher than flatwork due to sagging and overspray.
  4. For pre-mix approach, use Pre-mix Bags (50 lb) and Metal Lath Sheets for your material order.
  5. For site batching, refer to Cement (lbs), Sand (lbs), Acrylic Polymer (gal), and Polypropylene Fiber (lbs).
  6. Compare Pre-mix Material Cost versus Site-mix Material Cost to choose the most economical approach.

How the result changes with Surface area (sq ft)

Surface area (sq ft)Pre-mix bags (50 lb)
1,001165
3,501576
6,5001,068
9,0001,479

What each input means

Surface area (sq ft)
Vertical or overhead surface area to cover.
Application thickness (inches)
Thin overlay: 1/8-1/4". Standard sculpt: 1/2-1". Heavy carved rock: 1-3".
Application mode (1-3)
1 = thin overlay, 2 = standard sculpted, 3 = heavy carved rock/waterfall.
Waste factor (%)
Vertical work has higher waste. 15% standard; complex shapes may need 20-25%.

What each result means

Pre-mix bags (50 lb)
Bags of pre-mixed vertical concrete overlay product.
Scratch coat bags
Additional bags for scratch/bond coat on heavy applications.
Total material weight (lbs)
Total dry material weight (useful for scaffolding load planning).
Metal lath sheets
2.5-lb expanded metal lath sheets (2.33' x 8') including overlap.
Cement - site mix (lbs)
Portland cement for site-batched mix alternative.
Sand - site mix (lbs)
Fine 30-mesh sand for site-batched mix.
Acrylic polymer (gal)
Acrylic polymer modifier for adhesion and flexibility.
Polypropylene fiber (lbs)
Short fibers for crack resistance.
Mixing water (gal)
Water needed (stiffer than flatwork mixes).
Pigment (lbs, 3% dose)
Iron oxide pigment at 3% of cement weight.
Pre-mix material cost ($)
Cost using bagged pre-mix product plus lath.
Site-mix material cost ($)
Cost of raw ingredients for site batching (no lath).
Material cost / sq ft ($)
Pre-mix material cost per square foot.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Surface area (sq ft) = 100, Application thickness (inches) = 0.5, Application mode (1-3) = 2, Waste factor (%) = 15 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Pre-mix bags
    Pre-mix bags = ceil(bagsNeeded)
    17 = 17
  3. Calculate Scratch coat bags
    Scratch coat bags = needsScratchCoat ? ceil((areaSqFt / (baseCoveragePerBagAt025 * (0.25 / 0.125)...
    4 = 4
  4. Calculate Total material weight
    Total material weight = bagsNeeded * 50
    821 = 821

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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