Siding Calculator

Pick the siding product you're installing — this fills in a typical waste percent below, which you can still edit.

Wall perimeterftTotal distance around the outside walls being sided.Wall heightftHeight from the bottom of the wall to the eave (not including gables).Corner countcountNumber of outside corners — each one needs a length of corner trim.Waste percent%Extra material to cover cuts and mistakes.

Gables and openings

Optional — gables add triangular wall area; openings subtract from net coverage and set the trim run around each one.

Gablesoptionalbase x height, ftExample: 30x6, 20x5. Leave blank for no gables.OpeningsoptionalinComma-separated size of each window/door, in inches. Example: 36x60, 36x48. The area comes off the wall and the width and height give the run of trim around each one — a bare number is still read as an area in sq ft, but an area has no edge, so those openings get no trim.

House wrap and battens

Product sizes. House wrap is sized on the gross wall because it is cut out at the openings afterwards.

House wrap coverage per rollsq ftSquare footage one roll covers. A standard roll is 9 ft x 100 ft — that is the nominal face, with no seam or corner lap deducted, so a roll reaches somewhat less wall than 900 sq ft.

The two rates differ by a factor of two, so this is not applied silently — pick the fastener actually going in.

You'll need — panels of siding for — sq ft of wall.

You'll need

Siding results

Warnings

ERROR Enter the wall perimeter -- without it there is no wall area to cover.
ERROR Enter the wall height -- perimeter alone does not give an area.

Not counted -- answer these to add them

Corner posts: How many outside corners the walls turn. The perimeter cannot tell us -- a rectangle and an L-shaped footprint measure the same and need different amounts of corner board.

Detail values

Gross wall area: — sq ft
Gable area: — sq ft
Net area: — sq ft
Opening trim: — linear ft
House wrap: — rolls

Assumptions

Material: Vinyl
Corner count: not entered — corner board not counted
Estimated waste: 10% for an average project
House wrap coverage: 900 sq ft per roll — the nominal 9 ft x 100 ft face. No seam or corner lap is deducted, so a roll covers somewhat less wall than this.
J-channel: not counted — an opening entered as an area has no edge to trim
Siding fasteners: Aluminum nails at 0.005 lb per sq ft of siding (Vinyl Siding Institute installation manual: 0.005 for aluminum nails, 0.01 for roofing nails, staples and screws). Switch the fastener type if you are using the other.

Included: siding squares, starter strip, opening trim (J-channel or casing), house wrap, siding fasteners, by weight.

Not included: labor, delivery, permits, disposal of waste material.

Formula details

Net wall area: perimeter x wallHeight + gables - openings
Squares: netArea x (1 + wastePercent) / 100
House wrap rolls: ceil((grossWall + gables) / coveragePerRoll)
Sized on the gross wall: the wrap is run over the openings and cut out afterwards.

Material List

About this calculator

Enter wall area and accessory run lengths to get siding squares and starter strip, corner, and trim linear footage.

FAQ

What is a siding square?

A square is 100 square feet of coverage, the standard unit siding is priced and ordered in.

Are openings subtracted from wall area?

Enter net wall area with door and window openings already subtracted, or use Room Layout wall area which subtracts openings automatically.

Does waste apply to accessories too?

Yes. The same editable waste factor is applied to accessory linear footage before rounding to purchase units.

Disclaimer

Material estimate only. Verify local wind, exposure, and manufacturer installation requirements.

Siding material

Wall dimensions