Linear Feet Calculator: Pieces, Square Feet, Perimeter and Cost

Calculate linear feet from individual pieces, square footage with a known material width, or rectangular perimeter runs. Add waste, round up to whole stock lengths and estimate cost.

Linear Feet Calculator

Use the actual coverage width, not nominal width.

Currency follows the value you enter.

Length estimate

Base length
Length with extra
Whole stock pieces
Purchased stock length
Stock above required length
Estimated cost


Linear feet formulas

From pieces: linear length = number of pieces × length per piece.

From area: linear length = area ÷ installed material width. Convert the width to feet when the area is in square feet, or to meters when the area is in square meters.

From a rectangle: linear length = 2 × (length + width) × number of perimeter runs.

The purchase estimate applies waste, then divides by the available stock length and rounds up to a whole piece.

Worked examples

  1. Twelve 8 ft boards total 96 linear ft. With 10% extra, 105.6 ft are required; buy nine 12 ft stock pieces.
  2. Covering 240 ft² with material 6 in wide requires 480 linear ft. With 10% extra and 16 ft stock, buy 33 pieces.
  3. A 20 × 12 ft room has a 64 ft perimeter. One run plus 5% extra requires 67.2 ft; buy nine 8 ft pieces.
  4. Twenty-five pieces at 2.4 m total 60 m, or 196.85 linear ft. With 10% extra and 3 m stock, buy 22 pieces.
  5. Covering 30 m² with material 10 cm wide requires 300 m. With 8% extra and 4 m stock, buy 81 pieces.
  6. Three complete runs around a 4 × 10 ft rectangle total 84 linear ft; seven 12 ft pieces cover the exact length before cut losses.

Linear feet versus square feet

A linear foot measures length only. A square foot measures area. There is no single conversion between them unless the installed width is known. For example, 100 ft² divided by a 0.5 ft coverage width equals 200 linear ft.

Planning limits

This calculator rounds total length to whole stock pieces but does not optimize individual cuts or reuse offcuts. Corners, joints, pattern matching, defects, kerf, laps and minimum splice lengths may require more material. Verify the actual coverage width and available stock lengths with the supplier.

Related calculators

Use the Square Footage Calculator to total several areas, the Board Foot Calculator for lumber volume, the Fence Calculator for posts, panels and rails, or the Firewood Cord Calculator for stacked cord volume.