FRP Panels.

Start with wall LF and installed height

Use Total Linear Feet for an early takeoff, or Length × Quantity when you have individual wall measurements. Total LF does not tell the calculator where walls end. Its preliminary layout assumes one continuous wall and calculates internal H-molding seams automatically. Separate walls must be entered as separate runs, with a separate area for each installed height. Switch to measured runs before relying on the cut plan for ordering.

In Length × Quantity mode, name each run and enter its length and repeat quantity. BidSimp counts panel seams separately for every repeat. Switching modes preserves the other mode's measurements; only the selected mode contributes to quantities. Start another area for a different height, panel specification or adhesive system.

Total wall length

Sum of each wall length × its run quantity, or the entered Total Wall LF.

Gross installed area

Total wall LF × installed height in inches ÷ 12.

Adhesive coverage area

Gross installed SF minus the opening width × height × quantity in square feet.

Only deduct the portion of an opening inside the installed FRP height. Openings reduce adhesive coverage, not sheet or trim quantities. Opening cutouts are not credited as reusable material. Carry returns and opening trims separately.

4 × 8 and 4 × 10 panels: coverage is not a cut plan

A nominal 4 × 8 sheet has 32 SF and a nominal 4 × 10 sheet has 40 SF. Dividing total area by those numbers can miss unusable scraps and extra pieces at wall ends. For each measured run, BidSimp divides length in inches by stock width and rounds up to the required number of cut panels. The last piece may be narrower than the sheet.

The planner places fixed-orientation rectangles into stock sheets, tallest and widest cuts first, retaining usable right and lower offcuts after the entered kerf. An offcut is reused only if its width and height both fit. It is a practical packing method, not a guarantee of the smallest possible sheet count. Panel offcuts are not shared across areas. Wainscot orientation determines which stock edge runs along the wall. Multi-row wainscot uses aligned columns; seams stop at panel intersections.

Full-height and wainscot installations

Full-height uses the installed height you enter and requires stock tall enough for one row. Wainscot defaults to 48 inches, accepts another height, and offers Vertical or Horizontal orientation. The long panel edge is upright for Vertical and along the wall for Horizontal. Wainscot taller than the oriented panel uses additional rows, including horizontal divider seams. At zero kerf, one 48 × 96-inch sheet can supply two 48 × 48-inch pieces. A positive kerf prevents those exact two pieces from fitting into a nominal 96-inch sheet.

Do not assume a saw cut is lossless. Verify actual stock dimensions, net panel cut sizes, expansion gaps and the installation method. A 48 × 120-inch sheet can fit two 48 × 48-inch pieces with room for a small cutting loss, but the remaining strip is useful only if another required cut fits.

H-molding, J-trim, corners and exposed ends

H-Molding / Division Bar

For each wall and row: rounded-up columns minus 1 vertical seam cuts, each at that row height. Additional rows add horizontal seam cuts spanning each column. Wall ends and corners add no H seams. Total LF assumes one continuous wall.

J-Trim / Edge Trim

Top edges and optional bottom edges follow wall lengths. Each exposed end adds one installed-height cut.

Inside and outside corners

Each entered corner count adds one installed-height cut of the selected corner profile. Corners are not inferred from total LF.

Enter complete product, profile, color and size information. Top, bottom and exposed-end cuts share the default J profile. Matching product/profile/size/finish and stock lengths combine; enter distinct specifications for different channels. H dividers and corner profiles remain separate. Matching text is not manufacturer approval: verify that the actual edge profile is compatible with every installation condition and panel thickness.

Compatible cuts from all walls and areas are pooled before stock planning. The planner fits longest cuts into the best available remainder, reserving the entered trim kerf. It then applies material allowance once to the pooled whole-piece baseline and rounds up. Different allowance or kerf settings use separate pools. H cuts longer than stock require longer stock or a revised layout; they are never silently spliced. Long edge and corner runs are split at stock length, subject to field-splice approval. Show the Math lists each stock piece's cuts, kerf loss and remaining offcut.

Adhesive coverage, containers and optional sealant

Select the adhesive product and substrate, enter the product's SF-per-gallon rate, and choose its available container size. The initial 50 SF/gal is an editable estimating assumption, not a manufacturer recommendation. Check the current product instructions for approved substrates, trowels, moisture and temperature requirements. Water-based adhesive on a coated or nonporous substrate requires particular attention to manufacturer compatibility.

Adhesive gallons

Net installed SF ÷ SF per gallon × (1 + allowance ÷ 100).

Adhesive containers

Required gallons ÷ selected container gallons, rounded up.

Optional sealant

Entered sealant LF × (1 + allowance ÷ 100) ÷ product LF per container, rounded up. Sealant remains a separate purchase line.

Material allowance, offcuts and waste

Choose 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% or Custom. The default is 10%. Panels and each compatible trim group receive allowance after their whole-sheet or whole-piece cut-plan baseline. Adhesive and sealant receive allowance before container rounding. A small percentage can add a full sheet or stick on a small job; Show the Math separates the baseline from the added purchase quantity.

Panel scrap is reported separately from allowance sheets. It includes unused baseline stock area and opening cutouts. Do not add that reported scrap to the supplier quantities again. Identical purchase materials combine across areas, but cut planning and allowance remain area-specific.