How do I calculate how much material I need?
To calculate the approximate volume of an area, therefore how much material you should need, you can follow some general rules below.
For a basic calculation, it is length, by width, by height. But you need to work this out in metres. So, for example, if you had an area that was 5m x 6m, and you wanted to have a 50mm depth, the calculation would be:
5 x 6 x .05 = 1.5 cubic metres.
Sometimes your area might not be exactly rectangular or square, so you may need to divide the section into a couple of parts, and then add this up for a total.
If you're working out the area for a circle or hole, remember that the area of a circle is pie r squared. Once you have this, you can multiply by height to work out the volume.
Say for example, your diameter is 600mm. Your radius then will be half this amount.
So the calculation for the area of the circle would be:
3.14 x (.3x.3) = 0.28 m2
Then say your hole is 500mm deep. you would then multiply 0.26 x .5, this equals 0.13 cubic metres.
Please remember that we measure by .5 for our purchases. So if you end up with a calculation of 1.75 cubic metres, you will need round down to 1.5, or up to 2. It is always our suggestion to round up, because unfortunately it is Murphy's law that you are always just short of what you need! This may be because the land wasn't completely flat, you're measurements were approximate, or your materials is not boxed in at the exact measurement taken.
And as they say, its better looking at it then looking for it!
If you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to come and see us at the yard!
I only need a small amount of material, do you have a minimum charge?
Unfortunately our minimum purchase amount is half a cubic metre. We can only measure correctly with the loader buckets we have, and the smallest bucket is a half cube. Therefore, to ensure everyone is happy, and we are charging appropriately, we will always maintain a half cubic minimum purchase.
If you are after less then this, it is possible that we have the material available to purchase in bags. If we do, you would see it here on the website. If you cannot see it, then can we suggest trying your local hardware, plumbing, or construction retailer.
We do apologise if this is an inconvenience, and looking forward to helping you with your landscaping supplies in the future!
I can't find what I am looking for on your website, does that mean you don't sell it?
Yes and no -
Our yard is only small and therefore we are limited in the amount of material we can hold at any time. There simply isn't enough space for all the material we can get our hands on!
We can sometimes do special deliveries of material we don't sell in the yard, but it may incur an extra delivery charge. This is only the case for material we can access in the Darwin region however.
If it's the case that we cannot access the material up here, or it is something simply outside of our product range, we will do our best to refer you to someone local who can help!
So please don't hesitate to give us a call and check it out - if we can help, we always will!
How far do you deliver?
We've delivered to regional areas as far as Batchelor, and even quoted jobs for Katherine. We can deliver as far as you need, however please note that deliveries that take considerable time may incur a considerable charge... Whilst we attempt to make it as cost effective as possible for everyone, some costs are simply unavoidable!
The other option is that we can do a bulk bag service. A bulk bag contains 1 cubic metre of material, and the service fee for this is $44 a bag. Once the material is bagged, it is easy to transport across barges, on freight trucks and are even known to go via helicopter (weight restrictions apply for this type!). There is no minimum order, e can do as few or as many as you like - if you only need one bulk bag that's no worries! If you need 150 we can do that too!
Just give us a call to discuss your job's requirements, and we will do our best to meet your needs!