Draw to scale
Rooms, walls, doors, windows, posts, joist fills, and dimensions snap to a 1-inch scene grid so a 16-foot deck is actually 16 feet.
Free planning tool from Universal Interiors
Draw your deck, shop, or home and see the material list
ArchCAD is a free browser CAD and Kentucky / IRC material estimator. Sketch posts, joists, walls, and openings, then calculate lumber, concrete, roofing, and finish trades — then call us when you want it built right.
No account · No download · Free to use
What ArchCAD does
Trade-by-trade takeoff
Turn individual trades on or off — substructure, decking, walls, concrete, drywall, insulation, roofing, and more — so the list matches the job.
Kentucky / IRC checks
Run a code check against IRC 2021 tables Kentucky adopts: joist span, blocking, footings, frost depth, and headers.
Plan the project before you buy a single board
Most overruns on a custom deck or a home addition start on paper — or with no paper at all. ArchCAD is the free drawing and material tool Universal Interiors built so Grayson County homeowners can see the shape of a project before we schedule a site visit. Sketch the footprint, drop posts, fill joist bays, and calculate a lumber and concrete list in the same sitting.
The estimator is the same engine we use in the shop: stock lumber lengths, waste factors, Kentucky frost-depth footings, and isolated trades so a deck job is not billed as if it were a finished house. When you are ready for a licensed crew, send the drawing with your free estimate request or bring it to the walkthrough. We still measure in the field — software does not replace a tape on the ledger — but you arrive with a plan instead of a guess.
Built for western Kentucky work
Clarkson, Leitchfield, Nolin Lake, and Rough River jobs share the same code and climate constraints: 24-inch frost depth in most of the county, 20 psf ground snow for typical roofs, and lake-house decks that must drain and stand off grade. ArchCAD’s defaults follow IRC 2021 values Kentucky uses, including post spacing, joist sizing, and footing diameter by tributary area. If you are comparing metal roofing against shingles, or flooring options after a whole-home remodel, switch those trades on without mixing them into the framing list.
Use the tool alongside our lakeside deck building guide and full service list. ArchCAD will not pour concrete or set a beam. Universal Interiors will — with 29+ years of industry experience and a written estimate from our free-estimate process.
Who this free CAD estimator is for
Homeowners planning a weekend of owner-furnished materials, lake-house owners who want to talk joist direction before we set foot on the bank, and shop builders who need a column grid before calling for trusses. It is also useful if you already have a contractor and want a second set of numbers to discuss. Print the page boundary at your chosen scale, or export the material CSV to share with a lumber yard. ArchCAD is not a sealed construction document and it is not a substitute for a licensed general contractor when the work requires one. It is a clear first drawing so the first conversation on site is about the job, not about blank paper.
Decks, shops, and small buildings
Choose Deck mode for rails, posts, joists, and deck boards without interior drywall leaking into the takeoff. Choose Building for framed walls, plates, sheathing, and the finish trades you actually intend to buy. Undock the estimator while you draw — it snaps back to the layout with Redock, never a close button that loses the panel.
What the material list includes
- Substructure: joists, band boards, blocking, posts
- Decking or plywood subfloor with fasteners
- Wall or rail framing, headers, and OSB sheathing
- Concrete footings, CMU, or slab quantities
- Hardware, roof framing, roofing, siding, flooring, drywall, insulation, trim, and MEP stubs when those trades are checked
Print or save the drawing, then reach Universal Interiors in Clarkson at (270) 589-3691. If the project is a bathroom or storm repair instead of a new deck, start from bathroom remodel or storm damage repair — ArchCAD is a planning aid, not every trade we perform.
ArchCAD questions
Is ArchCAD really free?
Yes. Universal Interiors hosts it for homeowners in our service area and anyone else who finds it useful. There is no account, trial clock, or paywall on the drawing board or the estimator.
Does the material list replace a contractor bid?
No. It is a planning takeoff from the geometry you draw and the trades you check. Field conditions, ledger attachment, soil, and finish selections change the real number. Use it to prepare, then request a written estimate from our crew.
Is this Kentucky code?
Defaults follow IRC 2021 values Kentucky uses (frost, snow, deck joist tables). The code check flags spans and footings. It does not issue a permit or inspect the job. Local officials still govern the build.
Can I save my drawing?
Yes. Use Save to download a .acad JSON file and Open to load it later. Print uses your browser print dialog.
Ready to sketch the job?
Launch the free board, or skip straight to a human estimate if you already know you want Universal Interiors on site.