JobSiteCALCULATORS

Angle Cut Calculator (Miter Angles)

To join two boards at a corner, each piece is cut at half the corner angle. Enter the angle of the corner you're framing — measure it with an angle finder, since walls are rarely a perfect 90° — and the calculator returns the miter for each piece and the setting to dial into a miter saw.

Your measurements

°

The total angle the two boards form. 90° is a square corner.

The cut

Corner angle
90°
Joint type
Square corner

Miter angle per piece

45°

Saw setting 45° (90° − miter)

Estimates only. Verify against your supplier's coverage figures before ordering.

The formula

Miter per piece = Corner angle ÷ 2   ·   Miter-saw setting = 90° − miter

Example: A square 90° corner: each piece is cut at 45° (90 ÷ 2), and the miter saw is set to 45° (90 − 45).

How it works

  1. 1Two boards meeting at a corner split the angle evenly, so each is mitered at half the corner angle.
  2. 2Miter angle per piece = corner angle ÷ 2.
  3. 3A miter saw reads 0° as a straight (square) cut, so its setting is 90° − the miter angle. The two numbers match only at a 45° miter.
  4. 4For a regular polygon, the corner angle is (sides − 2) × 180 ÷ sides — a hexagon is 120°, an octagon 135°.

Frequently asked questions

What angle do I cut for a 90-degree corner?

Each piece is cut at 45° (90 ÷ 2), which is also the 45° setting on a standard miter saw. The two 45° cuts meet to form the square corner.

How do I cut a corner that isn't 90 degrees?

Measure the actual corner angle with an angle finder, then cut each piece at half of it. A 120° corner needs two 60° miters; a 100° corner needs two 50° miters.

What's the difference between the miter angle and the saw setting?

The miter angle is the angle of the cut relative to the board's edge. A miter saw measures from a square cut (0°), so you set it to 90° minus the miter angle. They're equal only at 45°.