Rex says
Everyday utility math — the kind you'd otherwise pull up four browser tabs for. I keep it to one clean answer.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Wall pressure
20.5
Total lateral force
6,144
Total force (tons)
3.07
Basic velocity pressure (q)
25.6
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How to use this
- 1Enter sustained wind speed (mph).
- 2Enter pressure coefficient (cp).
- 3Enter wall area (sq ft).
- 4Read your wall pressure on the right — it updates as you type.
- 5Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Wind pressure on a flat surface grows with the square of wind speed, which is why hurricane-force winds are exponentially more destructive than a strong breeze rather than just proportionally worse. This calculator uses the standard dynamic wind pressure formula from ASCE 7 wind engineering, applying an air density constant and a pressure coefficient to convert wind speed into pounds per square foot, then multiplies by wall area to get total lateral force. This is the same basic physics behind window and siding wind-rating requirements in coastal building codes, and it's why hurricane-rated windows are tested to withstand specific psf pressures rather than just a wind speed number.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Sustained wind speed: 100 mph
- Pressure coefficient (Cp): 0.8
- Wall area: 300 sq ft
Results
- Wall pressure: 20.5
- Total lateral force: 6,144
- Total force (tons): 3.07
- Basic velocity pressure (q): 25.6
What each field means
Inputs
- Sustained wind speed (mph)
- The sustained wind speed used in the calculation, measured in mph. Starts at 100 mph so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 10–200 mph.
- Pressure coefficient (Cp)
- The pressure coefficient (cp) used in the calculation. Starts at 0.8 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0.1–2.
- Wall area (sq ft)
- The wall area used in the calculation, measured in sq ft. Starts at 300 sq ft so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Wall pressure
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total lateral force
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total force (tons)
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Basic velocity pressure (q)
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does pressure scale with the square of wind speed?
Dynamic pressure comes from kinetic energy of moving air, which scales with velocity squared, so doubling wind speed from 50 to 100 mph doesn't double the force — it quadruples it. That's the core reason hurricane category jumps feel so much more dangerous than the wind speed numbers alone suggest.
What is the pressure coefficient (Cp) and how do I pick one?
Cp accounts for how wind pressure varies across different faces and corners of a building — windward walls typically run 0.7-0.9, leeward walls (suction) run negative around -0.3 to -0.5, and corner zones see amplified suction. Use ASCE 7 tables or a structural engineer for code-compliant design values.
How does this relate to hurricane window/door wind ratings?
Impact-rated windows are tested and rated by the psf pressure they withstand plus large-missile impact resistance, derived from exactly this kind of calculation applied to the design wind speed for a given coastal zone and building height.
Does building height change the pressure?
Yes significantly — wind speed increases with height above ground due to reduced surface friction, so taller walls and upper stories experience higher effective wind pressure than this simplified single-value estimate assumes; full code calculations apply a height and exposure category adjustment factor.
Accuracy and limitations
- Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.
- Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.
- Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Wind Pressure on a Wall Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wind-pressure-on-wall
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wind-pressure-on-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wind Pressure on a Wall Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Wind Pressure on a Wall Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/wind-pressure-on-wall) (2026).