G'day — I'm Gavin
I'm a Brisbane-based Australian with a trades background and a lifelong habit of having a go. I built indoorcalc.com.au because home renovation calculators in Australia are either American (wrong units, wrong products, wrong context), too basic to be genuinely useful, or buried behind a sign-up form.
If you've ever tried to work out how many litres of paint you need for a bedroom, or figured out how many floor tiles to order only to run short because you forgot the waste margin — you know the frustration. This site exists to fix that.
Trades background
I'm a qualified tradesperson — a Fitter and Turner by trade. That means I spent years working with precision measurements, tolerances and material quantities before most people have worked out what they want for breakfast. The trade teaches you something that no amount of Googling can replace: measure properly, understand your margins, and never guess when you can calculate.
Beyond the formal trade, I've always had a give-it-a-go attitude to home projects. I've painted houses inside and out, installed air conditioners, and tackled plenty of indoor renovation work over the years. That hands-on experience — combined with the precision mindset that comes from a trades background — is what drives every calculator on this site. I know what it's like to stand in Bunnings trying to work out how many tins of paint you need, or to order tiles and end up either short or with a garage full of leftovers. These calculators exist to fix that problem.
Why Australian home reno calculators need to be different
Australian homes, Australian products, Australian conditions. That's the whole point.
- Metric first, always. Square metres, litres, linear metres. You'll never see square feet or gallons on this site.
- Australian products. Paint coverage rates based on AU tin sizes. Tile sizes you'll actually find at Beaumont Tiles or Bunnings. Air conditioning sizing built around Australian climate zones — not US or European standards.
- Real waste margins. Anyone who's tiled a bathroom knows you don't order exactly what the maths says. Every calculator here includes an appropriate waste allowance so you don't run short halfway through the job.
- Queensland climate context. Australia is a big country with wildly different conditions. Where it matters — paint coverage in humidity, aircon sizing in subtropical climates — the calculators reflect that.
- Plain-English explanations. Every calculator includes a clear explanation of the maths, the materials, and the practical things worth knowing before you start. Written from real experience, not copied from a manual.
Who this site is for
indoorcalc.com.au is for anyone doing a home renovation — or thinking about doing one — who wants reliable numbers before they spend money on materials. You don't need to be a tradesperson. You just need to be the kind of person who'd rather get the calculation right upfront than make three trips to the hardware store.
First-time renovators working out how much paint to buy. Experienced DIYers double-checking their tile order before it goes in. Homeowners getting quotes and wanting to understand what the numbers actually mean. This site is for all of them.
The sister site
If you're working on an outdoor project — garden beds, turf, decking, concrete, fencing, paving — head over to outdoorcalc.com.au. Same philosophy, same builder, same approach — just for everything outside the house.
Get in touch
Found an error? Got a calculator you'd like to see? I genuinely want to hear from people using the site. The best improvements come from real users pointing out what's missing or what doesn't quite work for their situation.
Reach me at hello@indoorcalc.com.au
Gavin Power · Brisbane, Queensland, Australia · indoorcalc.com.au