Two free planning tools for owners and project managers. The protective wall coating estimator turns wall dimensions and a specified coating thickness into square footage, gallons and a cost range, so you can sanity-check bids. The safe room readiness scorer walks you through FEMA P-320-based questions about your safe room's design, location, supplies and planning, then gives you a score and a prioritized list of next steps. Both run entirely in your browser.

What these tools are, and are not

These are quantity and readiness tools. They do not estimate protective performance, and they cannot tell you whether a wall, coating or room will withstand any particular event. That determination requires a qualified, licensed engineer and tested systems.

Estimator

Protective Wall Coating Area & Cost Estimator

Enter wall dimensions, openings and the thickness from your coating specification.

Theoretical coverage: one US gallon of 100% solids material covers 1,604 sq ft at 1 mil (231 cubic inches spread 0.001 inch thick). Gallons = net area × mils ÷ (1,604 × volume solids) × (1 + waste). Default prices are placeholder values for illustration only; replace them with current supplier and contractor quotes, which vary by region, product, access, surface preparation and year. Does not include edge anchorage details, primers, fire-protective finishes, inspection or engineering, and does not estimate protective performance.

Checklist

Safe Room Readiness Checklist Scorer

Check every statement that is true for your home or small business safe room, then score it.

Based on homeowner guidance in FEMA P-320 and the criteria in FEMA P-361 and ICC 500. Items about design, anchorage, doors and location are weighted most heavily because they determine whether the room protects you at all. A high score does not certify a safe room; have questions about structure answered by the manufacturer, a qualified contractor or a licensed engineer.

How to use these numbers

Coating estimator

  • Use the specified thickness. Enter the dry film thickness your engineer or coating specification requires. Thickness drives material quantity almost linearly, so a small change in mils has a big effect on gallons.
  • Be realistic about waste. Spray application loses material to overspray, surface texture and equipment purging. Rough masonry and small, cut-up areas consume more than smooth, open walls.
  • Compare bids on the same basis. Ask each bidder for coated square footage, specified thickness, product data sheet and surface preparation method. Large differences in gallons for the same area and thickness are worth questioning.
  • Remember what is not included. Protective wall retrofits depend on engineered edge anchorage and details that this tool does not price. See our retrofit comparison for why that matters.

Safe room scorer

  • Start with the heavy items. Design criteria, anchorage, the door assembly and location outweigh everything else. If any of those are unchecked, address them before buying supplies.
  • Revisit seasonally. Re-score before tornado season and hurricane season, and after any remodeling near the safe room.
  • Size it properly. Use the floor area calculator in our safe room guide to check space for your household.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the coating estimator use 1,604 square feet per gallon?

A US gallon is 231 cubic inches. Spread 1 mil (0.001 inch) thick, that volume covers 231,000 square inches, or about 1,604 square feet. Actual coverage is lower once solids content, surface texture and waste are considered.

Can this estimator tell me how thick a protective wall coating should be?

No. Thickness for any protective application must come from an engineered design supported by test data. The tool only converts a specified thickness into quantities and costs.

Is a high readiness score the same as FEMA certification?

No. FEMA does not certify individual safe rooms. The score reflects how many key readiness steps you have completed; structural adequacy depends on how the room was designed, tested and built.

Is my information saved?

No. Both tools calculate in your browser and nothing is stored or sent anywhere.