Adding moldings instantly improves the style of any room, whether it’s crown molding, baseboard, casing or metal cornice. From creating an elegant look to adding an architectural element, molding brings a refined and finished feel to your home.
But to get those clean lines and seamless corners, accurate measurements and careful planning are essential. Ordering too little can delay your project while ordering too much results in wasted money and materials. That’s where our Molding Calculator comes in.
Use the calculator below to quickly estimate how much molding you need and follow our manual measuring method and expert tips to make sure you get the perfect fit every time.
Molding calculator
Our Molding Calculator makes it quick and stress-free to figure out exactly how much material you need: no guesswork, no waste.
All you need is to enter the total linear footage of your wall, ceiling edge or surface, and the calculator will do the rest!
How to Calculate the Number of Moldings you need Manually?
If you’d rather work it out yourself, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you calculate exactly how much molding you’ll need for your project:
- Measure the Total Length of Each Wall Surface
Use a tape measure to record the length of every wall, ceiling edge or surface where you plan to install molding. Write down each measurement in feet and add them together to get your total linear footage.
Example:
Length: 12 ft and 12 ft
Width: 12 ft and 12 ft
12 x 4 = 48 ln ftAnd if you need any measurement tips, see our guide: 10 tips to measure like a pro!
- Check the Length of the Molding of your Choice
Once you have selected your molding, you can find the exact length listed on the product page. Knowing this helps you determine how many full pieces you'll need to cover your total footage.
Example:
Miguel Glue-up Styrofoam Crown Molding Packs
Length per piece: 6.5 ft - Divide and Add overage
Next, divide your total linear footage by the length of one molding piece to calculate how many you'll need. Then add 15% extra to cover cuts, mistakes and any future repairs.
Example:
48 ln ft / 6.5 ft = 8 molding
8 x 1.15 = 10 - get a pack of 10
Tip: Always round up, you can’t use partial pieces and it’s better to have a little extra than not enough.
How to Calculate how much Baseboard Trim you need?
Baseboards are measured almost the same way as crown molding but installed along the floor.
- Measure the full perimeter of the room along the floor, excluding large built-ins (like cabinets).
- Add them together to get total linear footage.
- Divide by the molding length and add 15% overage.
Tip: Remember to account for Corners and Angles.
Tips from the Pro’s
- Measure your perimeter twice, small errors add up.
- Round up to full packs, don’t count on leftover lengths.
- Include casings, headers, corners and transitions in your total.
About 15% extra is ideal for cut-outs, corners and touch-ups.
Yes! Simply measure the trim around each opening and use the calculator or manual method.
Linear footage (also called lineal feet) is simply a measurement of length in a straight line, no need to worry about width or height.
To calculate it:
- Measure the length of each wall, edge or surface where molding will be installed.
- Write down each measurement in feet.
- Add them all together to get the total linear footage.
Example:
If your room has 4 walls that measure:
Wall 1 = 12 ft
Wall 2 = 10 ft
Wall 3 = 12 ft
Wall 4 = 10 ft
Total Linear Footage = 12 + 10 + 12 + 10 = 44 linear feet
Measure the length of each wall individually, then add those lengths together to get the total linear footage.
Yes! Our polyurethane and foam moldings can be cut with a hand saw or heavy-duty utility knife (depending on material). Be sure to measure and mark accurately before cutting.