In this report
Overview
Siding options
Measuring up
January 2008
send to a friend printable version
Measuring up

A retailer or installer will calculate how much vinyl siding your home requires. Here?s how you can get a rough idea beforehand of what you?ll need and spend without climbing a ladder:

• Multiply the height by the width of each rectangular section on your home, going by what you can measure from the ground.

• Multiply the approximate heights and base widths of your home?s gables and other triangular parts. Then multiply each of the triangular totals by 0.50.

• Add the figures to get the total square footage. To allow for waste, don?t subtract for windows, doors, and other areas that won?t be covered.

• Divide the total square footage by 100 to estimate how many squares you?ll need.

• For cost, multiply the total squares by the price per square. Because vinyl siding usually comes in 200-square-foot packages, you may have to buy more than you need.