System and method for establishing fastener length requirements or washer number and sizing requirements in hardware installations

An apparatus for measuring dimensions of a hole, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a handle extending from the housing;
• a trigger arranged relative to the housing and the handle, wherein the trigger is movable from an unactuated position to an actuated position;
• a motor arranged in the housing, wherein the motor operates when the trigger is moved to the actuated position;
• a movable measuring member operable to extend from the housing when the motor operates;
• an electronic measurement device operable to measure at least one movement dimension of the movable measuring member;
• a computer processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that are executable by the processor to determine, based on at least one movement dimension measured by the electronic measuring device relative to a first side of the structure, at least one of:
• a fastener length comprising a length of a non-threaded portion of a fastener to be installed into the hole of the structure;
• a thread distance comprising a distance between the second side of the structure and a beginning of a fastener thread of the fastener when the fastener is installed into the hole of the structure;
• a number of washers to be used with the fastener when the fastener is installed into the hole of the structure;
• or a washer thickness for one or more washers to be used with the fastener when the fastener is installed into the hole of the structure.