Siding for a 2,500 Square Foot House
Siding needed
22.5 squares
200 ft perimeter, 9 ft walls, two 38 ft gables at 6/12, 16 windows, 3 doors, 6 corners, 12% waste.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Wall perimeter200 ft
- Wall height to the eave9 ft
- Gable ends2 each
- Gable width38 ft
- Roof pitch, rise per 12 in6 /12
- Windows16 each
- Doors3 each
- Outside corners6 each
- Waste allowance12 %
Siding needed22.5 squares
| Wall area | 1,800 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Gable area | 361 sq ft2 gables at 6/12 |
| Openings deducted at half | 152 sq ftof 303 sq ft total |
| Net area | 2,010 sq ft |
| With 12% waste | 2,251 sq ft |
| Squares | 22.5 |
| Vinyl cartons at 2 squares | 12 |
| Starter strip | 200 ft |
| J channel | 310 ftaround windows and doors |
The material list this produces
| Siding, cartons at 2 squares | 12 |
|---|---|
| Starter strip, ft | 200 |
| J channel, ft | 310 |
| Outside corner posts, 10 ft | 6 |
| Undersill trim, ft | 200 |
| House wrap, sq ft | 2,161 |
| Siding nails, lb | 6 |
Roof pitch compared
Pitch only moves the gable triangles, but it moves them fast. Going from 4/12 to 12/12 triples the gable area on the same house, which is about three extra squares of siding on a 30 foot wide elevation and closer to six on a 40 foot one.
| Roof pitch | Siding needed | Gable area |
|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | 21.2 squares | 241 sq ft |
| 6/12 | 22.5 squares | 361 sq ft |
| 8/12 | 23.9 squares | 481 sq ft |
| 10/12 | 25.2 squares | 602 sq ft |
| 12/12 | 26.5 squares | 722 sq ft |
What else matters here
Twenty two and a half squares, twelve cartons. The six outside corners in this one are not decoration: a house this size rarely comes as a plain rectangle, and every corner is a post and a run of cut siding that produces offcuts.
The 361 square feet of gable here is three and a half squares from two triangles. On a house with cross gables or a dormer there will be more of them, and each one is another width squared over 48 to add.
Twelve percent waste holds on a straightforward elevation. If the house has a cut up front, a wrapped bay or shake courses in the gable, take the waste to 15 and expect to use it.
What this calculator assumes
- A gable is a triangle, so its area is the width squared times the pitch divided by 48. Two gables on a 30 foot wide house at 6/12 add about 225 square feet, which is more than two squares of siding that people routinely forget.
- Openings are deducted at half, not in full. You still cut siding around a window and the offcut is usually scrap, so the trade rule is to take off half the opening and leave anything under 10 square feet in.
- 12 percent waste is normal for vinyl on a straightforward house. Lap siding, a cut up elevation or a staggered shake course runs higher.
- A carton of vinyl siding covers two squares, 200 square feet. Fiber cement and wood lap are sold by the piece, so use the square figure and convert at your supplier's coverage.
Questions people ask
How many boxes of vinyl siding for a 2,500 square foot house?
About twelve, at two squares per carton, for a 200 foot perimeter with nine foot walls and two 38 foot gables. Count the actual gables on the house rather than assuming two.
Do you subtract windows and doors from siding?
At half, not in full. You still cut siding around every opening and the offcut usually cannot be used anywhere else, so the trade rule is to take off half the opening area and leave anything under about 10 square feet in the number entirely.
How many squares are in a box of vinyl siding?
Two. A standard carton covers 200 square feet, which is why siding is quoted in squares rather than square feet. Fiber cement and wood lap are sold by the piece, so take the square figure here and convert at whatever coverage your supplier lists.
The siding calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.