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How-To September 27, 2026 6 min read

Siding estimating software: a wall-area takeoff from satellite imagery in seconds

How siding estimating software gets a wall-area takeoff without a site visit: perimeter from the building footprint, times storeys, less openings. Vinyl, engineered wood and fibre cement priced per square foot on your own website.

A siding takeoff needs one number: the square footage of exterior wall. Everything else — the vinyl, fibre cement or wood, the trim, the house wrap — is priced from it. Siding estimating software that works from satellite imagery gets that number in seconds, without a site visit, from two facts: the building footprint and how many storeys the house has.

The wall-area takeoff

The formula is short:

  • Perimeter — from the building footprint traced on the satellite view.
  • × storeys × 9 ft — the homeowner picks one, two or three storeys.
  • − 15% — the usual share of wall taken up by windows and doors.
  • + waste — the starter catalogue uses 10% for siding.

A 40 × 30 ft two-storey colonial: 140 ft perimeter × 2 × 9 = 2,520 sq ft gross, 2,142 sq ft net, about 2,356 sq ft with waste. That is the quantity your per-square-foot rate multiplies. Watch it happen on the siding demo.

What the footprint cannot see

Gable ends above the eave line, dormers, a walk-out basement, and a wraparound porch that is inside the footprint but has no siding. On a simple two-storey house the takeoff is typically within 10%; on a house with three gables it under-counts. Present the number as a range, confirm on site, and use the site visit to sell — the homeowner already knows the ballpark and asked for the visit.

Exterior painting uses the same takeoff. If you offer both, the painting widget goes on the painting page with data-service="painting" and prices one or two coats per square foot of the same wall area.

The materials

Three starter tiers, each with a real product photo and an info card: vinyl, engineered wood and fibre cement, priced per square foot installed. Replace them with the lines you actually carry and your own rates; add house wrap, trim and old-siding removal as add-ons. Homeowner-facing cost ranges are in siding cost per square foot and quotes.

Siding estimating software compared

Takeoff tools built from drone or photo capture produce a detailed elevation-by-elevation measurement, and charge per report for it. That is the right tool for the final material order. It is the wrong tool for a website visitor who wants to know whether new siding is a $12,000 job or a $30,000 job before they talk to anyone. SatelliteQuotes is for that moment: instant range, lead captured, $49.99 a month flat. Details on the siding solution page and the alternatives comparison.

Put a siding takeoff and quote on your own website — 15 days free.

Common questions

How is wall area estimated from a satellite image?

Perimeter × storeys × 9 ft, less 15% for openings, plus waste.

How accurate is a satellite siding takeoff?

Within about 10% on a simple two-storey house; gables and dormers add area it cannot see.

Can I quote exterior painting the same way?

Yes, from the same wall area, per square foot per coat.

Written by SatelliteQuotes Editorial
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