How much wainscoting do I need?

For beadboard panels with a cap rail on top. Doorways are taken out for you.

Room length (ft)Room width (ft)Wainscot height (in)Doorways

Panels (4 x 8 sheets)

7 sheets

Cap rail (16 ft)4 pieces

Wall length covered49 linear ft

Estimated material cost

Panels

7 x $$40.00 per sheet

$280

Cap rail

4 x $$25.00 per 16 ft piece

$100

Estimated total$380

Typical store prices before tax and delivery. Change any price to match your store.

How to measure

Measure the room's length and width, count doorways, and decide the wainscot height.

Tips from the field

At 48 inches tall or less, one 4 x 8 sheet cut in half covers 8 feet of wall.
Most wainscoting is about one-third the wall height, around 32 to 36 inches.

What you'll need

Beadboard panelsCap railPanel adhesiveBrad nails

Common questions

How tall should wainscoting be?

About one-third of the wall height, around 32 to 36 inches on an 8 foot wall.

What is a cap rail?

The trim along the top edge of the wainscoting that finishes it off.

Can wainscoting go in a bathroom?

Yes, with moisture-resistant panels and good paint.

Add this calculator to your websiteFree

Contractors, bloggers, and real estate agents can put this calculator on their own site for free. Copy the code below and paste it into any page.

<iframe id="hc-wainscoting-calculator" src="https://housecalcs.com/embed/wainscoting-calculator" title="Wainscoting calculator" width="100%" height="640" style="border:0;max-width:640px" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font:14px sans-serif">Free <a href="https://housecalcs.com/tools/wainscoting-calculator">wainscoting calculator</a> from HouseCalcs</p>
<script>window.addEventListener("message",function(e){if(e.origin==="https://housecalcs.com"&&e.data&&e.data.hcSlug==="wainscoting-calculator"){var f=document.getElementById("hc-wainscoting-calculator");if(f)f.style.height=e.data.hcHeight+"px"}});</script>

More for walls

Paint calculator

How much paint do I need?

Drywall calculator

How many sheets of drywall do I need?

Insulation calculator

How much insulation do I need?

Thinset mortar calculator

How much thinset do I need?

Wallpaper calculator

How many rolls of wallpaper do I need?

Tile backsplash calculator

How much tile do I need for a backsplash?

Shiplap calculator

How much shiplap do I need?

Wall framing calculator

How many studs do I need?

Printed from housecalcs.com/tools/wainscoting-calculator