Calculators · Linear Feet Calculator

Measuring

Linear Feet Calculator

Add up lengths and pieces, turn square feet into linear feet for any board width, or go the other way. Board feet too.

Length 1

Length

Identical pieces

Length 2

Length

Identical pieces

Extra to add (%)

Optional. Use the figure from your product's installation guide.

Length of each piece you buy

Optional. Shows how many pieces you need.

What are linear feet?

A linear foot is one foot of length measured along a straight line. It ignores width and thickness, so a board 12 feet long is 12 linear feet whether it is 2 inches wide or 12 inches wide. Some people write it “lineal feet”. This page is for building materials like trim, fencing, decking and flooring. It does not work out truck space for freight shipping.

How to calculate linear feet

You have	Formula	Example
Several lengths	add them up, with inches ÷ 12	14 + 14 + 12 + 12 = 52 ft
Length in inches	inches ÷ 12	60 ÷ 12 = 5 ft
An area and a material width	sq ft × 12 ÷ width in inches	200 × 12 ÷ 6 = 400 ft
Linear feet and a width	linear ft × width in inches ÷ 12	100 × 6 ÷ 12 = 50 sq ft

In the Add lengths tab, type each length the way you read it off the tape, like 10'6" or 10 ft 6 in, or pick feet, inches, yards, meters or centimeters. Use “Identical pieces” when several pieces are the same. Add the extra your product needs and, if you know how long the pieces are in the store, the calculator shows how many you need.

Example: trim for a room

A room has two walls of 14 ft and two walls of 12 ft. You want 10% extra and the trim is sold in 8 ft pieces. These are the figures the calculator starts with.

Step	Operation	Result
Length 1	14 × 2	28 ft
Length 2	12 × 2	24 ft
Total	28 + 24	52 ft
With 10% extra	52 × 1.10	57.2 ft
Pieces of 8 ft	57.2 ÷ 8 = 7.15, rounded up	8 pieces

Square feet to linear feet

This is the question behind “what is 200 sq ft in linear feet”. There is no single answer because it depends on the width of the material. Divide the area by the width in feet, which is the same as multiplying by 12 and dividing by the width in inches. Use the exposed width, meaning the part that shows once the piece is installed.

Material width	Linear feet to cover 200 sq ft
3 in	800
4 in	600
5.5 in	436.36
6 in	400
8 in	300
12 in	200

If you do not have the area yet, the square footage calculator adds up rooms and shapes for you.

Linear feet to square feet

Material width	100 linear feet cover
3 in	25 sq ft
4 in	33.33 sq ft
6 in	50 sq ft
8 in	66.67 sq ft
12 in	100 sq ft

Linear feet to board feet

A board foot measures volume, not length. A University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension fact sheet defines it as a piece of wood 12 inches wide, 12 inches long and 1 inch thick, and gives the formula: thickness in inches × width in inches × length in feet ÷ 12 (Forestry Fact Sheet No. 42, checked October 2026). The same sheet notes that nominal sizes like 2x6 give the nominal volume and the real size of 1-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches gives the true volume. For a 10 ft 2x6 that is 10 board feet by nominal size and 6.875 by real size. The calculator multiplies what you type, so enter the size you want to use.

Example: six boards of 8 ft that measure 1.5 by 5.5 inches make 6 × 8 = 48 linear feet, and 1.5 × 5.5 × 48 ÷ 12 = 33 board feet, which is 5.5 per board. With the nominal 2 by 6 inch size the same six boards are 2 × 6 × 48 ÷ 12 = 48 board feet. To work with many sizes and prices per board foot, use the board foot calculator.

Tips for getting the number right

Measure each run separately. Add the lengths and avoid one long tape reading around corners.
Keep the units straight. Mixing feet and inches changes a length twelvefold. The unit menus convert for you.
Count the extra. Cuts, joints and bad boards use material. Follow the installation guide of your product for the percentage.
Pieces are a minimum. The calculator divides the total by the piece length and rounds up. A layout with many short cuts can need more.
Related. See also the baseboard, fence and lumber calculators.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate lineal feet?

Measure each piece or run, convert inches to feet by dividing by 12, and add everything up. Two 14 ft walls and two 12 ft walls are 14 + 14 + 12 + 12 = 52 linear feet. If you only know the area, divide the square feet by the width of the material in feet.

How many linear feet are in 1 ft?

One. A linear foot is just a foot of length measured in a straight line, so 1 ft is 1 linear foot. The word linear only tells you that you are counting length and ignoring width and thickness.

What is 200 sq ft in linear feet?

It depends on how wide the material is. Linear feet = square feet × 12 ÷ width in inches. At 6 inches wide, 200 sq ft is 200 × 12 ÷ 6 = 400 linear feet. At 4 inches wide it is 600 linear feet and at 8 inches wide it is 300. Use the width that is exposed once the material is installed.

What is 60 ft in linear feet?

60 linear feet. A measurement in feet is already in linear feet. If you have 60 inches instead, divide by 12 to get 5 linear feet.

What is the difference between linear feet and square feet?

Linear feet measure length along one line. Square feet measure an area, which is length times width. A board 10 ft long and 6 inches wide is 10 linear feet and covers 10 × 0.5 = 5 square feet.

How do I convert linear feet to board feet?

Multiply the linear feet by the thickness in inches and the width in inches, then divide by 12. Using the real 1-1/2 by 5-1/2 inch size of a 2x6, 8 linear feet is 8 × 1.5 × 5.5 ÷ 12 = 5.5 board feet. A University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension fact sheet says that nominal sizes like 2x6 give the nominal volume and real sizes give the true volume.

How much extra should I add for waste?

It depends on the material and the layout, so follow the installation guide of the product you are buying. Type that percentage in the extra box and the calculator adds it to the total.