Board and Batten Calculator
Get an exact batten count, even spacing, and marking positions measured from the left edge of your wall.
Your estimate
You'll need 10 battens spaced 13 1/4" apart — about $143.
15 boards at 8 ft · 104 linear feet of trim · 96 sq ft of wall to paint
Measurements
Batten layout
1x3 = 2.5 in
Subtract doors and windows
No openings yet. Add each door or window and its area comes out of the total.
Waste & cost
10% is standard
Elevation of the finished wall. Tick marks below the wall show where to measure each batten center from the left edge.
The breakdown
- Batten count
- 10
- Gap between battens
- 13 1/4"
- Batten width
- 2 1/2"
- Wall area
- 96 sq ft
- Openings subtracted
- −0 sq ft
- Net paintable area
- 96 sq ft
- Batten linear feet
- 80 lf
- Rail linear feet
- 24 lf
- Waste overage (10%)
- 10.4 lf
- Boards to buy (8 ft)
- 15
- Estimated cost
- $143
Lumber cut list
| Part | Cut length | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical batten2 1/2" wide stock | 8' 0" | 10 |
| Top rail | 12' 0" | 1 |
| Baseboard cap | 12' 0" | 1 |
| Stock boards to buyIncludes waste overage | 8 ft | 15 |
Marking positions
Measured from the left edge of the wall to the center of each piece.
- Batten 11 1/4"
- Batten 21' 5"
- Batten 32' 8 11/16"
- Batten 44' 0 7/16"
- Batten 55' 4 1/8"
- Batten 66' 7 7/8"
- Batten 77' 11 9/16"
- Batten 89' 3 5/16"
- Batten 910' 7"
- Batten 1011' 10 3/4"
Where to buy
Hand-picked search links for the materials on your list. As an Amazon Associate, ProjectMath earns from qualifying purchases.
Prices and availability are set by the retailer and change often. Always confirm the exact product size matches what this calculator assumed.
How this is calculated
Board and batten is a spacing problem before it is a material problem. With a batten flush at each end, n battens create n − 1 gaps, so the wall width has to divide cleanly once the battens themselves are subtracted.
- gap = (wall width − batten count × batten width) ÷ (batten count − 1)
- batten count ≈ round((wall width + target gap) ÷ (batten width + target gap))
- batten center #i = (i − 1) × (batten width + gap) + batten width ÷ 2
- linear feet = batten count × wall height + 2 × wall width (top rail and cap)
- boards to buy = ceil(linear feet × (1 + waste) ÷ stock length)
Marking positions are measured from the left edge of the wall to the center of each batten, so you can hook a tape once and mark the whole wall.
- 1Measure the surfaceMeasure the width and height (or length) of the area in feet, inches, or meters and enter them in the calculator.
- 2Set your batten width and target gapEnter the actual width of your batten stock (a 1x3 is 2.5 inches) and the gap you want between battens.
- 3Solve for even spacingTurn on even spacing and the calculator picks the batten count that lands closest to your target gap, then divides the wall exactly.
- 4Mark the wallTransfer the marking positions, measured from the left edge, onto the wall before installing any battens.
- 5Read the shopping listThe calculator rounds up to whole units to buy and multiplies by your price per unit for an estimated total. Copy or print the plan and take it to the store.
Common questions
How far apart should board and batten battens be?
Most walls look right with 12 to 18 inches of gap between battens. Pick a target gap, then let the even-spacing solver adjust it slightly so the battens divide the wall perfectly with one flush at each end.
Should a batten sit at each end of the wall?
Yes. Starting and ending flush with the corners is what makes the wall read as intentional. This calculator always places a batten at both ends and distributes the remaining battens evenly between them.
What size lumber is used for battens?
1x2 (1.5 in), 1x3 (2.5 in), and 1x4 (3.5 in) are the common choices. MDF strips ripped to width are popular for painted walls because they have no grain.
Do I subtract windows and doors?
Subtract them from the paint and panel area, yes. Batten runs that cross an opening are shortened rather than removed, so treat the cut list as a starting point on walls with large openings.