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Baseboard Calculator

Linear feet of trim, with corners and waste.

Baseboard Calculator
length width height
ft
ft
ft
%

Trim waste runs higher than most materials because every corner needs a mitre and every mitre that goes wrong costs a full offcut. Twelve percent is a realistic allowance, not a cautious one.

How this is calculated

  1. Perimeter = 2 × (length + width). Subtract the width of each door opening.
  2. Add 12% waste for mitres, coping and the offcuts at each run end.
  3. Divide by the stock length available. Longer stock means fewer scarf joints on long walls, which are the hardest to hide.

Frequently asked questions

Should I cope or mitre inside corners?

Cope. Mitred inside corners open up as the house moves and the wood shrinks; a coped joint stays tight.

How much trim waste should I allow?

Ten to fifteen percent. Rooms with many corners, angles or short wall segments sit at the top of that range.

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