How to Estimate Siding for a Project
The low maintenance, easy-to-clean nature of siding makes it an easy replacement for the brick and stucco that covers many American homes. Because siding is relatively inexpensive and easy to work with, contractors and even brave do-it-yourselfers can usually install it in just a few days. By finding the surface area of your home's exterior, you can estimate the amount of siding you'll need and get a rough idea about how much it will cost. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Sketch a diagram of each exterior wall of your house or other building. While the drawing doesn't have to be perfect, it will be to your advantage if it is relatively close to scale. Include doors, windows, dormers, alcoves and other features that affect the exterior shape of your home. Label each side to keep from getting them mixed up.
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Break your diagram up into rectangles, squares and triangles. You should be able to break the entire exterior of your house into some combination of these shapes. Small discrepancies due to circular windows or other oddities will not significantly affect your estimate. Trace the shapes in a highlighter or colored pencil so that you can easily identify them.
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Measure your house according to the shapes you outlined on your diagram. While you can take these measurements with a standard tape measure, a landscaping tape measure will make the task easier. Label each measurement you take on your diagram.
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Find the area of each of the triangles and rectangles. For rectangles, multiply the length by the width (A = L x W). For triangles, divide the product of the base and height in half (A = 1/2 B x H). Add the area of each shape together to find the total surface area of your home.
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Subtract any large areas that will not need siding, like garage doors or sliding glass doors. Do this by multiplying the length and width and subtracting the area from the total surface area of your house.
If you want a more exact estimate, you may wish to subtract all the doors and windows from the surface area of your house. However, including these areas in your estimate will ensure there is extra siding available for waste and mistakes.
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Add an extra 10 percent to your total number for waste and overlap. While not subtracting the windows and doors helps ensure there will be some extra materials, it is wise to order slightly more than you need to keep from having to reorder or work with scraps.
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Multiply your final number by the price of the siding per square foot, if you know it. This will give you a rough estimate of the cost of the siding.
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Keep in mind that this is only an estimate. A proper siding job may require soffits, facia, door and window edge pieces, overhang material and other accessories.
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