Tent & Canopy Rental: Sidewall Feet And Panels Needed

Excel Formulas › Tent & Canopy Rental

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Sidewalls cover the perimeter minus doors. Perimeter minus openings is the linear feet; dividing by panel length gives panels.


Quick formula: Twice length plus width, less door openings:
=2*(B2+C2)-D2*E2

A 20x30 tent with two 6 ft doors needs 88 ft, 9 panels.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

The example

Three tents with different sizes and openings.

ABCDEFG
1CaseLengthWidthOpeningsOpening ftSidewall ftPanels
220x30302026889
320x20202016748
430x60603031015015

The formula

Perimeter, subtract openings, then divide by panel length:

=2*(B2+C2)-D2*E2 // sidewall feet; panels = ROUNDUP(Feet/10,0)

How it works

Here is the logic, one piece at a time:

  1. 2*(B2+C2) is perimeter.
  2. D2*E2 is door width.
  3. The difference is sidewall feet.
  4. Dividing by 10 and ROUNDUP gives panels.

Panel length is usually 10 feet; change if different.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter length, width, openings and opening width.

Variations

Window panels

Use panel length 7 ft.

=ROUNDUP(F2/7,0)

Extra

Add a spare panel.

=ROUNDUP(F2/10,0)+1

Pitfalls & errors

Check that the opening width matches your door frames.

Do not forget the 2 on perimeter.

Carry a spare panel.

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Tent & Canopy Rental: Sidewall Feet And Panels Needed practice workbook
Edit the yellow size and opening cells; sidewall feet and panels recalculate.

Frequently asked questions

Why 10?
Standard panel length; edit if yours differs.
Pole tents?
Use the same logic.

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Function references: ROUNDUP