Tarp Plan Builder

Answer three questions once. The plan builder returns the size to buy, a fabric that suits the job, what it will weigh, what it should cost, and a shopping list you can keep.

Step 1

What are you covering?

Changing the job reloads typical measurements for that job.

Step 2

Measure it once

The cover drops over the top and down all four sides, so height is added twice in each direction.

Length

Longest point of the machine, including attachments.

Width

Widest point, including mirrors, handles, or protruding parts.

Height

From the top down to the lowest point you want covered.

in

Extra tarp for tie-down and overlap at each end.

in

Extra tarp for tie-down and overlap at each side.

Step 3

Pick the fabric

Each option is priced and weighed at the size above. Heavier fabric costs more and takes more effort to handle.

Example plan for a typical equipment cover. Change a measurement above and this becomes your plan.

Buy this size

16 ft × 20 ft

Minimum cover needed

15 ft × 13 ft

16 ft × 20 ft is the smallest common stock size that clears the minimum cover.

Fabric
Light PE utility
Planning weight
7.9–11.8 lb
Planning price
$26–$58

Equipment or machinery: buy 16 ft × 20 ft in Light PE utility. Minimum cover 15 ft × 13 ft, planning weight 7.9–11.8 lb, planning price $26–$58.

How these numbers were worked out

Weight basis: 120–180 GSM spread over the purchase area (16 ft × 20 ft = 320 sq ft).

Price basis: Light PE utility at $0.08–$0.18 per sq ft over 320 sq ft.

Before you buy
  • Measure around attachments and protruding parts instead of the body alone.
  • Pad sharp edges, exhausts, and hot surfaces before the cover touches them.
  • Confirm the finished, hemmed size: a labeled cut size is often larger.
Also plan for
  • Corner protectors for sharp contact points
  • Tie-down rope or straps with tension hardware rated for wind
  • Padded webbing or rubber pads wherever the tarp rubs an edge
  • Repair tape or patch kit matched to the coating

How the plan builder works

The other tools on this site each answer one question, so a full decision means entering the same measurements several times. This page keeps them in one place. You pick what you are covering, measure it once, and the size, fabric, weight, and price all update together from that single set of numbers.

  1. Pick the job. Each job has its own geometry. An equipment cover drops over the top and down all four sides; a firewood cover hangs over the top only, because the sides need to stay open for drying.
  2. Measure once. Length, width, height, and the allowance you want at the ends and sides. Nothing is asked twice.
  3. Compare fabrics. Every option is weighed and priced at the exact size the page just worked out, so the difference between a light cover and a heavy one is a real number rather than a label.
  4. Take it with you. Save the plan to this device, copy a link that reopens it, copy the shopping list, or print it.
FIELD DIAGRAMThree-dimensional object measurement
Three-dimensional object measurementA full cover needs two height drops in each matching direction.HEIGHT DROPLENGTH + TWO DROPS + ALLOWANCE
A full cover needs two height drops in each matching direction.

These are planning numbers, not a quotation

The size comes from the geometry you enter, and the weight and price come from published fabric ranges applied to the size you would actually buy. A seller's price, shipping, seam layout, reinforcement, and grommet spacing are not something this page can know. Treat the plan as the shape of the decision, then check the finished specification on the real listing.

Choosing between the fabric options

Each plan shows the lightest option first, then what the heavier ones add in weight and money at your size. That comparison matters more than the fabric name, because the same cover can be a one-person lift in PE and a two-person job in coated polyester.

The usual trade is honest: lighter fabric is cheaper and easier to move, and it wears out sooner where it rubs. Heavier fabric resists abrasion and repeated handling and costs more per square foot. If the cover will sit untouched for years, the lighter option is often enough. If it comes on and off weekly, or drags over sharp machinery, the added weight is the point.

FIELD DIAGRAMSize and GSM determine base material weight
Size and GSM determine base material weightArea and fabric mass multiply. Hardware, hems, repairs, and moisture add more weight.16 × 20 FT320 SQ FT×180GSM=11.8LB*LARGER AREA OR HIGHER GSM = MORE WEIGHT*BEFORE HARDWARE & MOISTURE
Area and fabric mass multiply. Hardware, hems, repairs, and moisture add more weight.

Measuring so the plan is right

  1. Measure the longest and widest points, including attachments, mirrors, handles, and anything that sticks out.
  2. For equipment, the height is the distance from the top down to the lowest point you want covered.
  3. The allowance is working room, not slack. It covers tie-down placement, overlap, and the fact that nobody centers a tarp perfectly outdoors.
  4. Compare the final size with the manufacturer's finished, hemmed dimensions, which are usually smaller than the cut size in the product name.

What the plan does not cover

Wind loading, support structure, drainage, and whether a cover is safe to walk on or use near traffic are all decisions this page does not make. Ridge poles, slope, anchoring hardware, and building codes are outside the plan. For anything that keeps water out of a living space, or holds a load in place, the cover is one part of a system and not the whole answer.

Your measurements stay on your device

The plan is calculated in your browser. Saving a plan stores it in this browser's local storage, and a share link encodes the measurements in the address itself. Either way the numbers are not sent to a server. See the privacy policy for details.