How we work out the numbers
Where the figures on The Ballpark come from, and what they can and cannot tell you.
Cost estimators
The home project and moving estimators multiply the size of the job by a low and a high rate, and show both ends with the midpoint between them. The rates are planning figures for typical professional work in the United States, with labor and standard materials included. They are set by us and reviewed from time to time. They are not taken from a live price feed, and they are not quotes.
The rates in use are listed on each estimator's page, under the result.
Regional adjustment
If you add a ZIP code, we take the state from its first three digits and adjust the range: up by about 20% in higher-cost states such as California, New York and Massachusetts, and down by about 10% in lower-cost states such as Mississippi, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Other states use the national figures. Prices also vary a great deal within a state, which a ZIP prefix cannot capture.
Loan and payment calculators
Mortgage, loan and car payments use the standard fixed-rate formula: payment = P × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)−n), where P is the amount borrowed, r the monthly rate and n the number of monthly payments. The starting rates in the forms are examples only, not current market rates. Each page says what it leaves out, such as mortgage insurance, fees and closing costs.
Material calculators
Concrete, mulch, gravel and paint quantities come from the dimensions you enter, using the coverage and bag sizes shown with the result.
Lookups
ZIP code and area code lookups use tables built into the page, so nothing you type is sent to us. Time zone conversions use your browser's own time zone database. The weather page asks the US National Weather Service for its forecast when you press the button.
Limits
Everything here is general information for planning. It is not a quote, an offer, or financial, legal or tax advice. Get written quotes for work on your home, and rely on a lender's own documents for a loan.
Tell us if something is off
Write to hello@theballpark.online with the page and the figure, and we will look at it.