Free Calculator · By SubcontractorHub Editorial Team · Published November 2026
Board and Batten Calculator for an Equal Gap
A board and batten calculator on this page spaces battens. A 96 inch wall with five battens at 2.5 inches wide has a 13.917 inch gap and a 16.417 inch on-center space. Board width is a separate cover count. This page does not print a siding price.
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Book a DemoHow the Board and Batten Calculator Spaces Battens
One gap before the first batten, one between each pair, and one after the last.
2.5 inches, 8 inches, and five battens are the numbers in the boxes. They are not a brand size. Clear board width or height if you do not want those lines.
5 battens. Gap 13.917 in. On-center 16.417 in. Batten linear feet 40.00. Separate board cover: 12 boards of the width you typed, leftover 0.000 in.
All calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user.
Important: widths are typed
All calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user. This tool is provided as a free service for planning purposes only and is not a substitute for a professional assessment, a supplier quote, or applicable local code requirements.
This Board and Batten Calculator Is Not a Siding Price
Dollar bands for vinyl, fiber cement, and the other materials live on the siding replacement cost calculator. A vinyl-only cost page is the vinyl siding cost calculator. Neither of those pages is a batten gap. This page does not borrow their prices, and it does not tell you which product to buy.
Framing is the stud calculator. A stud is the stick inside the wall. A batten is a strip on the face. Using the stud count as the batten count will space the face trim to the framing, which is a different drawing.
No manufacturer width was fetched for this page. If a supplier sells a 2.5 inch batten or an 8 inch board, that is their catalog. The boxes start with those numbers only so the arithmetic is visible. Replace them with the pieces you are actually ripping.
Worked wall
Wall width 96 inches. Batten width 2.5 inches. Count 5. The battens occupy 12.5 inches. The leftover is 83.5 inches. Six gaps share that leftover, because there is a gap at each end as well as between the battens. 83.5 divided by 6 is 13.917 inches. On-center spacing is that gap plus 2.5, which is 16.417 inches. Height 96 inches makes 40.00 linear feet of batten, five times 8 feet.
If you type a target on-center of 16 inches instead of a count, the page rounds (96 + 2.5) divided by 16, minus 1. That is 5.16, which rounds to 5 battens, and then the gap is recomputed from the count so the ends still match. The target is a hint. The gap is the exact remainder.
| Line | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gaps | batten count + 1 | 6 |
| Gap | (wall − count × width) ÷ gaps | 13.917 in |
| On-center | gap + batten width | 16.417 in |
| Board cover | ceil(wall ÷ board width), if typed | 12 boards at 8 in |
How should you write the batten layout?
- Wall width, and height only if you asked for linear feet.
- Batten width you typed, with the note that it is not a catalog default.
- Batten count, and whether it came from a count or from a rounded target.
- Exact gap and on-center spacing.
- Board count only if you typed a board width, labeled as cover, not as the batten math.
- No price, and a pointer to the siding cost tools if the question was dollars.
What the Gap Leaves Out
The formula assumes one straight run and battens that do not sit on the corners. A window, a door, or a corner board breaks the run. This page will not subtract an opening. Split the wall into the clear stretches you can see, and run each stretch on its own.
Boards that butt under the battens are a different pattern from boards that fill the gaps. The optional board line is only how many pieces of the width you typed cover the wall, rounded up, with the leftover inches shown. It is not a claim that each board equals one gap. If your pattern puts a wide board in every gap, ignore that line and measure the gaps.
Waste, reveal, and a reveal that changes at the ends were not fetched. Type a different count if the last gap should be wider. The page will not invent a waste percent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the board and batten calculator find the gap?
Gap equals wall width minus batten count times batten width, divided by one more than the batten count. That puts an equal gap before the first batten, between battens, and after the last. On-center spacing is that gap plus the batten width. A 96 inch wall with five battens at 2.5 inches is a 13.917 inch gap and a 16.417 inch on-center space.
Is a board width a standard batten size?
No. Batten width, board width, and the count are numbers you type. This board and batten calculator does not ship a brand board size. Eight inches and 2.5 inches are only the numbers in the boxes so the division is visible.
Is this the siding cost calculator?
No. The vinyl siding cost calculator and the siding replacement cost calculator print dollar bands. This board and batten calculator prints a count, a gap, and optional linear feet. It does not print a price.
Where do the wall studs go?
Studs are a different count. The stud calculator uses on-center spacing for framing. A batten layout is face trim. Do not reuse the stud count as the batten count.
Space the Battens, Then Price the Siding Elsewhere
The gap is a division. The dollar band is the other calculator.
Get a Free DemoAll calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user. This tool is provided as a free service for planning purposes only and is not a substitute for a professional assessment, a supplier quote, or applicable local code requirements.