Linear Feet Calculator
Linear feet measure length only, so to turn an area into linear feet you divide the square footage by the width of each board or plank. Enter your area and piece width to get the running length to buy, with an optional waste allowance.
Your measurements
Face width of one board, plank or trim piece.
Inputs
- Area
- 120 ft²
- Piece width
- 5 in
Linear feet to buy
316.8 lin ft
Order this
- Linear feet (no waste)
- 288 lin ft
- Linear yards
- 105.6 lin yd
- Waste (10%)
- 28.8 lin ft
Estimates only. Order a little extra for waste and verify against your supplier's coverage figures.
The formula
Linear feet = Area ft² ÷ (Piece width in ÷ 12)
Example: 120 ft² of 5 in wide planks = 120 ÷ 0.417 = 288 linear ft (≈ 317 with 10% waste).
How it works
- 1Convert the piece width from inches to feet (divide by 12).
- 2Divide the total area by that width to get linear feet.
- 3Add a waste allowance (~10%) for cuts and defects, then round up to whole boards.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert square feet to linear feet?
Divide the square footage by the width (in feet) of the board or plank. For example, 200 ft² of 6 in (0.5 ft) wide flooring is 200 ÷ 0.5 = 400 linear feet.
Are linear feet and board feet the same?
No. Linear feet measure length only. Board feet measure volume (thickness × width × length), so a thicker board has more board feet for the same linear footage.