Construction Math & Estimating
Free construction math and estimating practice for California CSLB exams — area and volume, unit conversions, concrete and asphalt takeoffs, percent grade and slope, estimating and costs, and right-triangle layout. The math skills tested on every trade exam.
Your progress
Almost every CSLB exam includes math, and it’s one of the most common reasons people fail. This module drills the calculation skills that show up across all the trade exams — so it’s worth working through no matter which license you’re after.
It covers six areas: area & perimeter, volume & material takeoff (concrete cubic yards, asphalt tons, excavation), unit conversions (square feet to square yards, cubic feet to cubic yards), percentages, slope & grade, estimating & costs (labor, markup, bids), and geometry & right triangles (the 3-4-5 rule, rafter and diagonal lengths).
None of this is licensed or copyrighted — it’s universal arithmetic and geometry, with original practice problems. Work the topics, then take a timed quiz to build the speed you’ll need on exam day. Bring scratch paper; a calculator is provided on the real exams.
Study by topic
Area & Perimeter
Construction math: area of rectangles, triangles, and circles, perimeter, subtracting openings, and converting square feet to square yards for paving, flooring, paint, and fencing.
Read & practice →02Volume & Material Takeoff
Construction math: concrete cubic yards, the 27 cubic feet rule, one cubic yard covering 81 sq ft at 4 inches, asphalt tonnage, and excavation volume takeoffs.
Read & practice →03Unit Conversions
Construction math conversions: square feet to square yards (÷9), cubic feet to cubic yards (÷27), inches to feet, acres, tons, gallons, and bags of concrete per cubic yard.
Read & practice →04Percentages, Slope & Grade
Construction math: percent grade (rise over run), slope ratios, ADA 1:12 ramps and 2% cross slope, waste factors, and percent-of calculations.
Read & practice →05Estimating & Costs
Construction math for estimating: labor cost, unit pricing, markup vs. margin, adding overhead and profit to a bid, crew production rates, and converting a labor budget to hours.
Read & practice →06Geometry & Right Triangles
Construction math: the 3-4-5 rule for squaring layouts, the Pythagorean theorem for rafters and diagonals, roof pitch, and circle radius and diameter.
Read & practice →