To find linear feet from a piece count, multiply the number of pieces by the length of each piece. To find linear feet needed to cover an area, divide the area by the material’s width.
Linear Feet Calculator
Total linear feet from a number of pieces and their length, or linear feet needed to cover an area at a given width.
Estimating Linear Feet From Pieces or From Area
This linear feet calculator covers the two most common ways people need to find linear footage: multiplying a piece count by length (for lumber, trim, or fencing sold by the piece), or dividing an area by material width (for flooring, decking, or siding sold in fixed-width boards or panels). Linear feet measures length along one dimension only, regardless of the material’s width or thickness — which is what distinguishes it from square footage.
This covers related searches such as how to calculate linear feet, linear feet from square feet, and linear footage calculator for flooring or fencing.
Working on something nearby? Try Board Feet Calculator.
How the Linear Feet Calculator Works
Pieces × Length Mode
Total linear feet = Number of pieces × Length per piece
From Area & Material Width Mode
Linear feet needed = Area ÷ Material width
Worked Examples
20 pieces of 8-foot lumber: Total linear feet = 20 × 8 = 160 ft. To cover a 500 ft² area with 12-inch (1 ft) wide material: Linear feet needed = 500 ÷ 1 = 500 ft.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between linear feet and square feet?
Linear feet measures length along a single line, while square feet measures area (length times width) — a 100-linear-foot fence and a 100-square-foot room aren’t directly comparable since one is a length and the other an area.
How do I convert square feet to linear feet?
Divide the area by the material’s width — for example, 500 ft² of 6-inch-wide flooring boards requires 500 ÷ 0.5 = 1,000 linear feet of board.
Does material width need to be in feet?
You can enter width in inches or feet — this calculator converts automatically, so use whichever unit matches how your material’s width is specified on the packaging or spec sheet.
Why do suppliers sell some materials by linear foot and others by square foot?
Materials with a fixed, standard width (like fencing, trim, or baseboard) are often priced by linear foot since width doesn’t vary, while flooring, siding, and paneling are typically priced by area since coverage is what matters most to the buyer.
Can I use this for fencing or decking boards?
Yes — both modes work for these materials: use pieces × length if you’re counting individual fence panels or deck boards, or area ÷ width if you’re covering a defined area with fixed-width decking.
Should I add a waste allowance to my linear feet total?
For most cut-to-fit materials, yes — add a percentage on top of the calculated linear feet to cover trimming, mistakes, and any pattern-matching your project requires, since this calculator gives the exact theoretical minimum with no allowance built in.
Does this calculator handle metric measurements?
Enter your lengths and areas in feet and square feet as labeled; if your measurements are in meters, convert them to feet first, since the calculator’s fields are set up for imperial units.
