Board & batten calculator
Enter your wall size and get evenly spaced battens, an exact cut list and a material cost estimate — vertical battens or a full grid, in metric or imperial.
Open the planner with board & batten →Runs in your browser. No sign-up, no download. Your first wall is free.
How to space board and batten evenly
The whole look of a board and batten wall lives in one thing: equal gaps. The maths by hand is fiddly because the battens themselves take up width, so you can't just divide the wall into equal parts and call it done. Here is the method the calculator follows for you:
- Measure the wall width edge to edge (and the height, if you want top and bottom rails).
- Pick a batten count or a target spacing. Most accent walls sit between 300–500 mm (about 12–20 in) apart.
- Subtract the batten widths from the wall, then divide the space that's left by the number of gaps so every gap is identical.
- Add the margins you want at the ends, and the layout snaps to even spacing automatically.
Change the count, the batten width or the margins and the spacing re-balances instantly — so you can see a 5-batten wall against a 7-batten wall before you buy a single length.
Vertical battens or a full grid
Classic board and batten runs vertical battens the full height of the wall. Add evenly spaced horizontal rails and you get the square grid (sometimes called modern farmhouse grid) look. The planner does both, with independent control over each row, so you can mix a tall lower section with a shorter grid above a chair rail.
Typical batten sizes and materials
Battens are usually 40–100 mm (1½–4 in) wide. MDF strip (9–12 mm thick) is the most common and cheapest choice for a painted finish; primed pine is the usual timber alternative. The calculator keeps each profile separate in the cut list and prices them individually, so a mix of batten and rail sizes stays correct.
What you get
- An exact, scaled drawing of the wall with every batten placed.
- A cut list grouped by profile, packed onto your stock length with saw kerf and end trims accounted for.
- A material cost estimate in your currency, with a waste allowance you set.
- A printable build pack — drawings, cuts, a shopping list and fitting steps — to save as a PDF.
Board and batten calculator FAQ
- How do you space board and batten evenly?
- Decide how many battens you want, then divide the wall width by the number of gaps between them so every space is equal. The calculator does this for you and accounts for the batten face width, so the gaps you see are the true gaps.
- What is the standard spacing for board and batten?
- There's no single standard, but most accent walls use 300–500 mm (about 12–20 in) between battens. Wider reads calmer and more modern; tighter looks more traditional. Keep every gap equal for the cleanest result.
- How much material do I need?
- It depends on batten count, wall height and whether you add rails. The planner packs every piece onto your stock length, accounts for kerf and end trims, adds a waste allowance and estimates the cost per profile.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Plan one wall, see the full layout, cut list and cost, and export for free. A one-time Pro unlock adds unlimited walls and removes the export watermark.