Fastener calculator
Enter the panel size and the edge and field spacing. This counts the fasteners the pattern actually uses, and the boxes to buy.
in
in
in
Around the perimeter
in
0 for edge only
You need
80fasteners
Boxes to buy
1
Per panel
80
Edge / field
48 / 32
Per panel
- Around the edgeEvery 6" from corner to corner
- 48
- In the fieldSpread evenly at about 12"
- 32
- 1 panel1 box of 100
- 80
Where to buy this
- 1 box — 80 fastenersHome DepotLowe'sAmazon
Plain search links, nothing sponsored. Prices and stock are the shop's, and a local lumberyard will usually beat both on solid stock.
About fastener patterns
- Why does the field spacing matter if the perimeter is nailed tighter?
- The edges are where a panel lifts, squeaks or telegraphs a ridge through flooring, because an unsupported edge can flex independently of its neighbour. The field just has to hold the middle down, so it can be spaced wider — 12" on centre is the common default for 6" edges, and both numbers are the ones printed on a box of subfloor nails or a sheathing schedule.
- What spacing should I actually use?
- 6" at the edges and 12" in the field is the common default for roof and floor sheathing; check the panel manufacturer's schedule or your local code for your actual assembly, since wind and seismic zones tighten both numbers. This calculator counts whatever spacing you give it — it does not know your code, only the arithmetic.
- Does this include waste for bent or missed fasteners?
- No — it is the exact count the pattern draws. Buy a box more than the number of boxes shown, especially with a framing nailer, because a jammed or bent nail on a sheet you can't easily back out of is normal, not a mistake.
- My field spacing doesn't divide evenly into the panel. What happens?
- The field count is spread evenly across the space between the edge rows rather than run at a fixed pitch with a gap left over at one end — the same reasoning a baluster layout uses. So the field spacing shown in the drawing is close to what you asked for, not necessarily exact to the sixteenth.
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