Board and Batten Calculator — Wall Layout & Cut List

MEASURE ONCE. SEE THE WHOLE WALL.

A better plan for your
board and batten wall.

Compare even spacing, work around openings, and turn your wall measurements into a clear marking guide and board cutting plan.

Inches & metricUp to 5 wallsFree downloads
Start with your measurements, then build your plan.

1. Measure your wall

Use the actual board face width, not its shop label. All dimensions use your selected unit.

Panel height is floor to the top of your new top rail. For a full wall, use floor-to-ceiling height.
Both edges have a full batten. Battens sit between the rails. With no bottom rail, battens start at the floor; exclude existing skirting/baseboard from your measured height.
Clear gap = empty space between boards. Enter 0 for automatic layout, or 2–80 for your own count. Fractions such as 3 1/2 work in any dimension field.
Windows, doors & sockets

Measure each rectangle from the wall's left edge and up from the floor. Include the full trim or cover plate. Openings must be inside this panel area.

Trim pieces that cross these rectangles are split around them. Electrical cover plates must remain accessible.
Stock boards & saw allowance
Same length, thickness and material assumed. Different face widths are packed separately. Rails wider than your stock are flagged, not silently joined.

Your measurements stay in this browser. Saving is optional; one saved project per browser.

2. See your layout

SVG is a scaled reference diagram. Mark using the dimensions, not a printout's physical size. The worksheet opens in a browser for Print / Save as PDF.

How to plan board and batten spacing

  1. Measure the wall and the area you want to panel. Check the board's actual face width.
  2. Choose your target clear gap. Compare nearby batten counts to avoid awkward gaps or cover plates.
  3. Add openings with their left and floor offsets. Allow clearance for trim and access.
  4. Download the marking positions, cut list and worksheet. Tape out the layout on your wall before cutting.

The spacing calculation

With a full batten at both ends: clear gap = (wall width − batten count × batten width) ÷ (batten count − 1). Centre-to-centre distance is the clear gap plus one batten width. For a 120-inch wall with seven 3.5-inch battens, the clear gap is 15.9167 inches and centre-to-centre spacing is 19.4167 inches.

Decimal positions preserve the spacing calculation. A nearby 1/16-inch reading is shown for a tape measure; it is rounded. Always mark from the same left-edge reference instead of repeatedly adding a rounded gap.

What does the material plan include?

Vertical battens, a top rail, and an optional bottom rail. Openings remove intersecting portions of these strips. It excludes backing panels, extra window/door framing, cap ledges, adhesive, fixings and paint. Cuts are straight square cuts; no mitres or scribed contours are modelled.

Stock grouping uses a longest-piece-first packing method and accounts for kerf between pieces. It is a practical estimate, not a guaranteed minimum. Allow extra material for end trimming, defects and mistakes. All boards are assumed to share material and thickness; match that before combining cuts.

Can this plan several walls?

Yes, add up to five independent walls. Each has its own spacing and openings; matching batten alignment across corners is not calculated. The cut list and stock plan combine all walls.

Which measurements should I use?

Use finished face widths, measured wall dimensions and the same unit throughout. Changing the unit converts your existing measurements. Common shop sizes are nominal: a board sold as a 1 × 4 may have a 3.5-inch face. Measure your own material.

Interior decorative layout only. Verify dimensions, concealed services and fixing locations before installation. This does not design structural or exterior weatherproof cladding.

Installation references: Lowe's board and batten guide · Lowe's spacing formula.