Wall Panelling Calculator — Plan Your Layout in Seconds

Work out exactly how many wall panels you need, what size each one should be, and how they'll sit on the wall — before you cut a single length of timber. Enter your wall dimensions, choose how the panels divide, set your skirting and reveal, and the drawing updates as you go. Built for joiners, carpenters and homeowners planning wainscoting, shaker panelling and dado-height wall treatments.

How the panelling calculator works

Each step feeds the visualiser in real time. Start with the wall width and height. Choose your panels across — either set the number you want and the calculator solves the panel width, or set a target width and it picks the closest whole number of panels that fits evenly. Add your gap between panels (the stile), the side margin, and the panel band height. If the panels sit above a skirting board, tick the box, set the skirting height and the reveal above it. Every dimension you change is labelled on the cross-section, so the numbers always match what you'll see on the wall.

What it calculates

The total number of panels across the wall. The exact width and height of each panel, in millimetres. The reveal between the skirting and the bottom of the panels. The side margin between the outer panels and the corner of the wall. A scale cross-section showing the finished layout, including the skirting board.

Who it's for

Joiners and carpenters pricing or marking out a panelling job. Builders and decorators specifying wall trim. Homeowners and renovators planning wainscoting, shaker panelling, board-and-batten, dado rails or picture-frame mouldings, and wanting to see the layout before committing.

Tips for getting a clean panelling layout

Measure the wall at the floor, the middle and the ceiling — old walls rarely run true, so design to the smallest dimension. Set the gap between panels to match your stile width so the spaces and the timber read evenly. Pick a panel width that suits the wall as a whole; very tall walls usually look best with the panel band finishing between waist and chest height, with the top rail aligning to a door head or window sill if possible. Leave a small reveal above the skirting rather than sitting panels flush — it gives a crisper shadow line and forgives small skirting inconsistencies.

Frequently asked questions

What's a stile?

The vertical timber between two adjacent panels. In this calculator the "gap" is the stile width.

What's the reveal?

The strip of bare wall left between the top of the skirting board and the bottom of the panel. It's a deliberate detail, not a mistake — a 10–30 mm reveal usually looks best.

Is everything in millimetres?

Yes. All inputs and outputs are in mm, the standard joinery unit in the UK.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes — the calculator is built mobile-first, and the diagram stays pinned to the top of the screen as you scroll through the inputs.

Is it free to use?

Yes, free and no sign-up.

A free wall panelling calculator from FFOUR Estates — built by builders, for the people doing the work.