Linear Foot Calculator
Enter the area to cover and your material's width to find how many linear feet you need.
Material width is the width of a single board, plank, or roll of the material you're installing.
How linear feet are calculated from area
This calculator converts your material's width from inches to feet, then divides the total area you need to cover by that width to find the total linear feet of material required — essentially unrolling the area into one continuous strip.
This is especially useful for materials sold by the linear foot rather than by area, like trim, baseboard, certain flooring planks, or fencing, where pricing and ordering are based on running length rather than square footage.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a linear foot and a square foot?
A linear foot measures length only, along one dimension — it doesn't account for width at all. A square foot measures area, accounting for both length and width. Converting between them requires knowing the material's width, which is what this calculator does.
Should I add extra material beyond this calculation?
Yes — it's standard practice to add 5-10% extra for cuts, waste, and mistakes, especially for material with a pattern to match or a room with an irregular shape.
Does this work for calculating fencing or trim?
Yes — for fencing, enter your total fence area (length × height) and the width of your fence boards or panels. For trim or baseboard that runs along a wall rather than covering an area, it's simpler to just use the wall's perimeter length directly as your linear feet needed, since that material doesn't tile across a 2D area the way flooring does.