Shiplap · UK
UK shiplap calculator (metres)
Built for 2.4 m boards and metric tape measures. Enter your wall in metres, choose a board width, and get the rows, the board count and a shopping list in pounds — no converting anything in your head.
- Defaults to metres
- 2.4 m / 3.0 m / 3.6 m boards
- Priced in £
Your wall in three answers
Corner to corner, in metres.
Floor to ceiling, in metres.
How long the boards are at the store. Longer boards mean fewer joints.
No calculate button — the numbers follow your typing.
Wall preview
Final row needs cutting, leftover width: 4.7 cm
3.6 m × 2.3 m = 8.28 m² total.
What you need
10% waste includedBoard rows
17rows
14.1 cm face each
Total linear
61.2 m
8.28 m² covered
Boards to buy
32boards
about 8 packs of 4 · 3 spare
29 boards needed with cutting waste, rounded up to 32 (about 8 packs). Each board covers 14.1 cm once the reveal is taken off.
17 rows, 61.2 m of board, 32 boards to buy.
Your shopping list
32 boards (about 8 packs) · 8.28 m² · 10% waste built in
- 1
Buy 32 2.4m 150 mm shiplap boards (about 8 packs of 4)
- 2
Buy 1 box of 40 mm 18-gauge brad nails
- 3
Buy 2 tubes of Liquid Nails construction adhesive
29 boards needed with waste, rounded up to 32 (about 8 packs) — 3 spare. A second trip costs more than a spare board.
What will it cost?
Pop in the shelf price. 32 boards (about 8 packs of 4) at the store.
- Shiplap boards32 × £9.99 each
£319.68
- Brad nails1 box × £6.49
£6.49
- Construction adhesive2 tubes × £4.99
£9.98
Project total
Fixings: £16.47 · £40.60 per m²
£336.15
Excludes paint, caulk, primer and tools. Prices are estimates you can edit above.
Why the metric version exists
American calculators assume 8 ft boards and inches. That is fine until you are standing in a UK timber aisle.
- 1
Boards, not feet
UK merchants sell 2.4 m lengths. The board-length selector is set to the lengths you can actually buy, so the cut count reflects real shopping.
- 2
Metres, with an escape hatch
The form opens in m / cm. Switch to ft / in at any time and every number converts instantly — nothing is lost, nothing is re-entered.
- 3
Pounds in the budget
The cost panel uses £ and UK-typical shelf prices as a starting point. Overwrite the board price with your local number and the total is yours.
UK shiplap notes worth knowing
Small differences between British and American boards that change the job.
- Most UK cladding is 12 mm or 15 mm thick rather than 18 mm — lighter to hang, but it needs more fixing points.
- MDF shiplap is cheaper and perfectly flat, but keep it out of bathrooms and anywhere it can sit in water.
- Use 40 mm 18-gauge brads through the tongue at each stud, plus adhesive, for anything going onto a stud wall.
- Acclimatise boards in the room for at least 48 hours — UK houses move a lot between autumn and winter.
- Check whether your boards are external cladding (pressure treated) or internal panelling before you fix them to a wall.
Questions people actually ask
Metric measurements, metric prices, and the tongue-and-groove question nobody agrees on.
What size shiplap boards do UK stores sell?
The common one is 2.4 m, usually in 100 mm, 150 mm and 200 mm face widths, in pine, redwood or MDF. Some merchants stock 3.0 m and 3.6 m lengths — pick the length you can actually get hold of and the calculator will price the cuts accordingly.
How many boards for a 3.6 m by 2.4 m wall?
A 3.6 m by 2.3 m wall with 150 mm shiplap and a nickel gap comes out at 17 rows and 29 boards (about 8 packs of 4), or roughly 61 m of cladding. Switch the board length to 3.6 m and the count drops to 19 boards, because every row becomes a single piece with no joint to cut around.
Is shiplap the same as tongue and groove?
Shiplap is a tongue-and-groove board with a deliberate shadow line at the joint — that is the look. Plain T&G cladding fits tight with no gap. Both are sold as cladding in the UK, and both work with this calculator; the gap setting is what separates them.
Can I use this calculator in feet and inches?
Yes. Tap ft / in at the top of the form and every number switches without losing your measurements. Useful if you are working from an old floor plan, or if your timber merchant still quotes imperial.
How much does shiplap cladding cost in the UK?
Expect roughly £8 to £20 per 2.4 m board depending on species and finish, and £5 to £12 per square metre for MDF profiles. The cost panel above is set to pounds — overwrite the board price with the shelf price from your local store.