Trim & Baseboard Calculator
Figure baseboard, shoe, crown and door and window casing for a room, in lineal feet and stock pieces.
How it's calculated
Baseboard runs around the room perimeter, minus the width of each door opening. Crown runs the full perimeter. Door casing is two legs and a head per side; windows add a stool and apron if you choose. Miter and cut waste is added before converting to stock lengths.
Worked example
A 14 × 12 ft room with two 36" doors has 52 − 6 = 46 lf of base. With 12% waste that is 4 pieces of 16 ft stock.
Field notes
- Cope inside corners on baseboard and crown. Coped joints stay tight when the house moves.
- Buy pieces long enough to run each wall in one length where possible.
- Prime and paint trim before installing, then fill and touch up.
- Use a scarf joint over a stud when a wall is longer than your stock.
Common questions
- How do I calculate baseboard?
- Add up the room perimeter in feet, subtract door widths, and add 10–15% for miters and cuts.
- How much casing does a door need?
- About 17 lf per side for a standard 32–36" × 80" door: two legs and a head.
- What length baseboard should I buy?
- 16 ft lengths cover most walls in one piece, but 8 and 12 ft pieces are easier to transport.