Board and Batten Calculator — Siding Material Estimator
Enter your wall dimensions, board width, batten width, and the gap between boards to instantly calculate the number of wide boards and battens needed, plus total linear footage with a customisable waste factor.
ft
ft
walls
in
in
in
%
Include edge/corner battens
Number of wide vertical boards for one wall
- 1
Wall width in inches
20 ft × 12 = 240 in - 2
Board pitch (board width + gap)
10 + 2 = 12 inRepeat distance from one board's left edge to the next. - 3
Wide boards per wall
⌈240 ÷ 12⌉ = 20
How does this calculator work?
Number of boards = ⌈wall width (inches) ÷ (board width + gap)⌉. Battens = boards − 1 (interior gaps only) or boards + 1 (with edge/corner battens). Multiply each count by wall height (feet) to get linear footage, then apply a 10% waste factor. Use nominal board dimensions for material ordering.
Formula
How this is calculated
Board-and-batten siding consists of wide vertical boards installed across the wall with a small equal gap between each board, and narrower strips (battens) nailed over every gap to seal out weather. The pitch — the repeat distance from the left edge of one board to the left edge of the next — equals the board width plus the clear gap. Dividing the total wall width in inches by this pitch and rounding up gives the number of boards needed to cover the wall.
Battens sit in the gaps between adjacent boards. If there are N boards there are N−1 interior gaps, so N−1 battens are needed. Adding "edge battens" at each end of the wall (common on corners and trim edges) requires two extra battens per wall, giving N+1 total. Once you know the count, multiplying by the wall height in feet gives the linear footage of each material type.
The waste factor adds extra material for end cuts, mis-cuts, and damaged pieces. A 10% waste factor is a typical starting allowance for a competent DIYer; inexperienced installers or walls with many windows and doors may need 15–20%. Note that this calculator uses nominal board widths — actual dressed widths are slightly smaller (e.g. a nominal 1×10 is about 9.25 inches actual), but because suppliers sell and quote in nominal dimensions, using nominal widths is correct for material ordering.
Frequently asked questions
The most common gap is 1 to 3 inches. A 2-inch gap is typical with a 10-inch board, giving a visually balanced look. The batten must be wide enough to cover the gap and lap onto each adjacent board by at least ¾ inch on each side, so a 3-inch batten covers a 1.5-inch gap and a 4-inch batten covers up to a 2.5-inch gap.
Use nominal widths (the width your lumber supplier advertises — e.g. "1×10") for material ordering, because suppliers sell and price by nominal dimension. The actual dressed width is narrower (a 1×10 is about 9.25 inches), but the gap in the installed siding will also adjust accordingly. Using actual widths gives a more accurate picture of what the finished installation looks like per panel.
No — this calculator assumes a full uninterrupted wall. For walls with windows or doors, measure the actual solid wall area (or treat each solid section as a separate calculation) and add a higher waste factor (15–20%) to account for the extra cuts around openings.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Board and Batten Calculator — Siding Material Estimator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/board-and-batten-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Board and Batten Calculator — Siding Material Estimator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/board-and-batten-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Board and Batten Calculator — Siding Material Estimator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/board-and-batten-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_board_and_batten_calculator, title = {Board and Batten Calculator — Siding Material Estimator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/board-and-batten-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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