Ultimate Guide to Home Construction Materials
A practical breakdown of framing, roofing, insulation, and finish materials — what each one actually costs you in durability, price, and upkeep.
Read GuideEleven browser-based tools for planning, budgeting, and visualizing a build — no downloads, no sign-up, no cost. Sketch a floor plan, estimate your budget, or preview a paint color before you commit a single dollar.
Eleven free tools covering every stage of a build, from the first sketch to the final coat of paint
Sketch a room-by-room layout with real measurements, then switch between 2D and 3D to see how the space actually flows.
Drag furniture around a floor plan until the layout actually works, using a built-in furniture library and live preview.
Enter a room's measurements to get its area, volume, and a rough material count — flooring, paint, and more — in one pass.
Point your phone or tablet at the actual room and see your design overlaid at true scale, before anything gets built.
Test fixture placement and ambient light before you buy anything, so you're not guessing how a room will actually feel after dark.
Build a custom color palette and preview it on interior and exterior surfaces before you buy a single can.
Break a project down into materials, labor, and timeline so you have a real budget number instead of a guess.
Check how a structure performs on energy efficiency and consumption, so sustainability is part of the plan from day one.
Model terrain, pull from a plant library, and lay out hardscaping to plan a yard that suits your climate and lot.
Add furniture and decor to an empty room to see what a finished interior could look like before construction starts.
Build a materials checklist, follow step-by-step instructions, and track progress on your own DIY build from start to finish.
Find the right tool faster by narrowing down to the phase of your project you're actually working on
Floor plans, layouts, and spatial planning tools
AR, lighting, and color visualization tools
Cost, dimension, and energy calculation tools
Garden, yard, and exterior design tools
Practical guides on materials, foundations, and planning, written for people actually building something
A practical breakdown of framing, roofing, insulation, and finish materials — what each one actually costs you in durability, price, and upkeep.
Read Guide
What actually goes into a foundation that holds up for decades — soil prep, drainage, and the mistakes that cause problems later.
Read ArticleEvery tool on this site is free to use, right in your browser — start with whichever step you're on right now.
Get Started TodayChhimwal brings together eleven free, browser-based construction and home-design tools — everything you need to plan, budget and visualise a project without downloading a thing.
Planning a home is a series of decisions, and each one is easier when you can test it before you commit money to it. That's the idea behind Chhimwal: a single place where a homeowner, builder or DIY enthusiast can sketch a floor plan, run a construction cost estimate, arrange furniture, preview paint colours and lighting, and plan a garden — all for free, all in the browser, and all on any device.
Professional design and estimating software is powerful but expensive and steep to learn. Our tools take the handful of jobs most people actually need and make them simple, visual and instant. There's no account to create, no watermark on your work, and nothing to install unless you want to add Chhimwal to your home screen as an app.
Draw floor plans in 2D and 3D, arrange furniture and calculate room dimensions.
Estimate the cost to build or renovate and analyse where your energy money goes.
Mix paint colours and preview lighting so you buy the right shade the first time.
Lay out gardens and yards and stage rooms to show a space at its best.
Every tool on the site is built around the same principles: it should be free, it should work instantly in your browser, and it should give you something useful you can act on. Whether you're pricing a new build, deciding where the sofa goes, or choosing a wall colour, you get a fast, visual answer without spreadsheets, software licences or sign-up forms.
Because the site works as a Progressive Web App, you can also install Chhimwal on your Android phone or iPhone straight from the browser. Once installed it opens full-screen like a native app and works even when your connection drops — handy on a building site or in a half-finished room where signal is patchy.
Yes. Every tool on Chhimwal is free to use with no account and no watermark. The site is supported by advertising, which keeps the tools free for everyone.
No. Everything runs in your web browser. If you'd like quicker access you can install Chhimwal as an app on Android or iPhone using the Install App button.
Yes. Every page is mobile-responsive and works on phones, tablets and computers, and the app can be installed for offline use.
Our calculators give realistic planning ranges based on the details you enter. For construction, permits and final decisions, always confirm figures with local professionals.