A procedure for the numerical calculation of photoacoustic signals is introduced. It is based on the finite element method and uses an expansion of the signal into acoustic eigenmodes of the measuring cell. Loss is included by the incorporation of quality factors. Surface and volume loss effects attributable to viscosity and thermal conductivity are considered. The method is verified for cylindrical cells with excellent accordance. The application to photoacoustic cells of unconventional shape yields good agreement with experimental data.