Live prices from UK suppliers, refreshed every weekday
Know exactly what to buy for your job, and what it costs.
Pick a project, type in your measurements, and SmartBuild works out every material you need, with the right quantities and a total from live prices. No guesswork, no second trip to the merchant.
- Free to use
- No sign-up
- Works on any phone or computer
How it works
From measurements to a priced shopping list in three steps
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1
Tell us about the job
Choose a project such as painting a room or building a deck, then enter your measurements in metres. Not sure where to start? Answer two quick questions.
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2
Get your shopping list
SmartBuild works out each material and how much of it you need, with a sensible allowance for cuts and waste. Every project shows how the quantities are worked out.
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3
See the cost and buy
See a total from live prices, compare one stop shop with cheapest overall, then buy from the supplier's own website or email the list to yourself.
Popular projects
Start with the job you're planning
Each calculator turns your measurements into a complete materials list.
Project guides
Not sure how much you need?
Plain-English guides with the formula, a worked example and a calculator, based on manufacturer guidance.
Why you can rely on it
Real prices and honest quantities
We'd rather tell you a price is missing than show you a made-up one.
Live prices, refreshed every weekday
Prices come straight from suppliers' own product feeds and update every weekday morning. If something looks wrong, the update is held back rather than published.
Quantities based on manufacturer guidance
Coverage figures follow published guidance from manufacturers such as British Gypsum, Knauf and Dulux, plus a sensible allowance for waste. Each project shows exactly how it's worked out.
Free, with no sign-up
There's no account to create. Your shopping lists stay on your own device, and you can clear them whenever you like.
Clear about missing prices
Where we don't have a live price yet, we say "Check price" and link you to the supplier instead of guessing. Those items are never added to your total.
Which suppliers have live prices
Right now one supplier, Travis Perkins, has live prices on SmartBuild, across 20,000+ products. That's simply the first price feed we've been able to connect, not a recommendation.
We're working to add live prices from as many UK suppliers as we can, whether or not they offer us an affiliate scheme. Each one joins the one stop shop and cheapest overall comparisons on equal terms as soon as its prices are live.
Until then, every material has "Check price" links that open each supplier's own website, so you can compare for yourself.
- B&QCheck price link
- BuildbaseCheck price link
- JewsonCheck price link
- JT DoveCheck price link
- MKMCheck price link
- ScrewfixCheck price link
- SelcoCheck price link
- ToolstationCheck price link
- Travis PerkinsLive prices
- WickesCheck price link
Independence
How SmartBuild makes money
Straight answers, so you can decide how much to trust what you see.
Some links are affiliate links
If you click through to some suppliers and buy, SmartBuild may earn a small commission. You pay the same price either way. Links that can earn us money are marked "Affiliate".
Ranked by price, never by commission
Cheapest overall and one stop shop are always worked out from live prices alone. Whether a supplier pays us anything plays no part in the order, the totals or which supplier we suggest.
Suppliers can't pay for placement
There are no sponsored listings, paid rankings or featured suppliers. We add live prices from suppliers whether or not they have an affiliate scheme.
Who runs SmartBuild
SmartBuild is an independent UK service. It isn't owned by, or part of, any supplier or merchant group.
Is SmartBuild really free?
Yes. There's nothing to pay and no account to create. Some links to suppliers are affiliate links, so SmartBuild may earn a small commission if you buy. That never changes the price you pay.
How does SmartBuild make money, and is it independent?
Some links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking one, SmartBuild may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings are always by price and never by commission, and suppliers can't pay for placement. SmartBuild is independent and isn't owned by any supplier. More on how we make money.
Where do the prices come from?
Live prices come straight from suppliers' own product feeds and are refreshed every weekday. Right now Travis Perkins is the only supplier with live prices on SmartBuild. For every other supplier we show "Check price" with a link to their website instead of a number, and we're working to add more live prices, with or without an affiliate scheme.
How are the quantities worked out?
Each calculator uses published coverage figures from manufacturers such as British Gypsum, Knauf and Dulux, standard UK sizes and spacings, and a small allowance for cuts and waste. Open "How we work it out" on any project to see the details.
Do I buy through SmartBuild?
No. SmartBuild helps you plan and price the job. When you're ready, the buy buttons open the supplier's own website, where you check stock and delivery and pay them directly. You can also email the list to yourself.
What's the difference between one stop shop and cheapest overall?
One stop shop totals your list from a single supplier, so you make one order or one trip. Cheapest overall picks the lowest live price for each item, even if that means more than one supplier. While only one supplier has live prices, both totals come out the same.
Is my information stored anywhere?
Your lists and settings are saved in your browser on your own device, not sent to us. See our privacy and cookies page for the details.
I'm a tradesperson. Is there anything for me?
Yes. SmartBuild Trade lets you build quotes with materials, labour, markup and VAT, and keep a simple list of customers on your device. It sits behind a free email sign-in, so the DIY app stays simple. Go to Trade account.
Ready to plan your next job?
Get a priced shopping list in a couple of minutes. Free, no sign-up.