20×15 room, two 3 ft doors, 10% waste
- Perimeter = 70 ft
- Minus doors = 64 ft
- With waste ≈ 70.4 ft → 9 boards
construction calculator
Baseboard Calculator
Estimate linear feet of trim needed for a rectangular room and add waste reserves.
Results
- Linear feet (no waste)
- 64.00 ft
- Linear feet incl. waste
- 70.40 ft
- 8 ft boards needed
- 9.00
How to use this calculator
- Enter room length and width in feet.
- Enter door count and width to subtract openings.
- Enter waste allowance for cuts and defects.
- See linear feet needed and 8 ft board count (rounded up).
Inputs explained
- Room length/width
- Floor perimeter dimensions in feet.
- Door count/width
- Number and width of doors to subtract from perimeter.
- Waste allowance
- Extra percentage for miter cuts, mistakes, and pattern matching.
How it works
Perimeter = 2 × (length + width). We subtract door widths to avoid double counting.
Waste allowance adds a percentage for miter cuts, mistakes, or pairing patterns.
Board count divides total linear footage by 8 ft (most common stock length) and rounds up.
Formula
Perimeter = 2(L + W) Linear feet = Perimeter − (door count × door width) With waste = Linear × (1 + waste %)
When to use it
- Estimating baseboard for single rooms or summing multiple rooms.
- Adjusting stock count when using 8 ft vs longer trim pieces.
- Planning waste for patterned or tall profile baseboards.
Tips & cautions
- Increase waste for elaborate profiles or many corners/returns.
- Run each room separately for better accuracy, then total the boards.
- If you buy 12/16 ft boards, divide waste-adjusted footage by that length instead of 8.
- Assumes rectangular rooms; complex shapes need segmentation.
- Only subtracts doors; add/subtract other openings manually.
- Board count assumes 8 ft stock—adjust if you’re buying different lengths.
Worked examples
12×12 bedroom, one 2.5 ft door, 5% waste
- Linear ≈ 45.5 ft
- With waste ≈ 47.8 ft → 6 boards
Deep dive
This baseboard calculator totals perimeter minus door openings, adds waste, and converts to 8 ft board counts. Enter room size, door widths, and waste % to avoid under- or overbuying trim.
Adjust for longer trim lengths and increase waste for complex layouts or detailed profiles.
FAQs
- Can I cover multiple rooms?
- Run each room separately or sum perimeters before deducting openings for multi-room projects.
- What if trim comes in 12 ft sticks?
- Divide the waste-adjusted linear feet by 12 instead of 8 to estimate different stock lengths.
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Always measure on site and bring a little extra trim in case of pattern matching or damaged boards.