Crown Molding Calculator

How much you need, what it costs, and how to cut every corner

Project Details
Enter your measurements and requirements
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Results
Calculated estimates for your project
Linear feet54.0 ft installed, 59.4 ft with 10% waste
Sticks to buy8 x 8 ft, 4 scarf joints
Corners4 inside (cope or miter), 0 outside (miter)
Flat on the saw, 38° crownMiter 31.6°, bevel 33.9° for every 90° corner
Nested (upside down and backwards)Miter 45.0°, no bevel
DIY cost (material + waste)$208
Pro labor estimate$324
Pro installed estimate$532

Turn these numbers into a build plan.

  • 54.0 linear feet
  • 9 x 8 ft pieces
  • 4 inside, 0 outside corners
Materials List
Recommended materials and quantities
Crown molding, 8 ft8 sticks
Wall 1 (15.0 ft)1 full stick + 7.0 ft piece, 1 scarf
Wall 2 (12.0 ft)1 full stick + 4.0 ft piece, 1 scarf
Wall 3 (15.0 ft)1 full stick + 7.0 ft piece, 1 scarf
Wall 4 (12.0 ft)1 full stick + 4.0 ft piece, 1 scarf

Corners that are not 90°? The compound miter calculator solves any wall angle. Baseboard and casing for the same room are in the trim calculator, and the crown molding installation cheat sheet covers the install.

Next you will need

Paint CalculatorCompound Miter Calculator

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Project plan · built from your numbers

Crown molding, 15 x 12 ft room

54.0 linear ft of crown around a 15 x 12 ft room: 7 pieces at 8 ft, buy 9 for waste. Coped inside corners, scarf joints on long walls, caulk and paint. Flat on the saw at 31.6° miter and 33.9° bevel for 38° crown.

Materials
$293
Time
1 day
Level
Intermediate
8 steps 9 tools 7 materials
  1. 1

    Prime and stage the molding

    Let 9 pieces acclimate in the room for 2 days, and prime or paint them on sawhorses first. Painting before install is far faster than painting on a ladder.

    • Acclimate 48 hours
    • Prime and first coat on the ground
    • Lay pieces flat so they do not bow
  2. 2

    Mark framing and layout line

    Mark studs and joists along all 54.0 ft. Hold a scrap in position and mark its bottom edge on the wall at each corner, then snap a line between marks.

    • Mark studs on each wall
    • Mark joists on ceiling
    • Snap layout lines
  3. 3

    Plan the order

    Start with the wall opposite the door: both ends get square cuts into the corners. Work around the room so the last piece is coped on both ends where it is least visible.

    • Choose the first wall
    • Decide which ends cope
    • Sketch the order on paper
01 · Your numbers
Linear feet
54.0
Pieces
9 x 8 ft
Corners
4 inside, 0 outside
Est. cost
$293
02 · The plan

8 steps · 9 tools · 7 materials

5 more steps, the full tool list and a shopping list you can check off as you go.

03 · Finished

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Crown molding, 15 x 12 ft room

Finished in 1 day · $293 DIY

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Borrow these 9 tools from neighborsFull how-to guide: Install crown molding

Crown molding angle calculator (miter and bevel)

Crown cut flat on the table needs a compound cut: miter = atan(sin S / tan(C/2)) and bevel = asin(cos S x cos(C/2)), where S is the spring angle and C the wall corner. Cut nested against the fence, the miter is simply 90 - C/2 with no bevel. Outside corners use the same numbers with the pieces swapped.

Flat cutting, by spring angle and wall corner
Wall corner38° spring45° spring52° springNested miter
90°31.6° / 33.9°35.3° / 30.0°38.2° / 25.8°45.0°
135°14.3° / 17.6°16.3° / 15.7°18.1° / 13.6°22.5°
45°56.1° / 46.7°59.6° / 40.8°62.3° / 34.7°67.5°

Miter / bevel. 52° spring at 90°: 38.2° / 25.8°. Odd angles: use the compound miter calculator.

How to measure for crown molding

  1. Measure at the ceiling line. Measure each wall where the crown meets the ceiling, corner to corner, not along the floor; walls are rarely the same length top and bottom.
  2. Round each wall up. Round every wall up to the next foot and write them down in order around the room.
  3. Count the corners. Mark each inside corner (cope or miter) and each outside corner (always mitered). Outside corners eat extra length, so add a foot for each.
  4. Add waste and pick stock. Add 10% for a simple room or 15% for many corners, then choose 8, 12 or 16 ft sticks. Longer sticks mean fewer scarf joints.
  5. Set the saw. For 38° spring crown cut flat, set the miter to 31.6° and the bevel to 33.9°. Cut nested, it is a plain 45° miter.

Worked example: a 12 x 14 room with one outside corner

A 12 x 14 ft room with a 2 ft chimney bump-out has six walls: 14, 12, 12, 2, 2 and 10 ft, so 52 ft installed, five inside corners and one outside corner. With 15% waste that is 59.8 ft, or 5 sticks of 12 ft with 1 scarf joints.

Crown molding cost per linear foot

MaterialMaterial per ftPro labor per ftBest for
Primed MDF$1.50 to $3$4 to $8Painted rooms, dry areas
Finger-joint pine$2 to $4$4 to $8Painted, more dent resistant
Poplar$3 to $6$5 to $9Paint grade, crisp detail
Polyurethane foam$3 to $8$4 to $7Bathrooms, curved walls
Oak or other hardwood$6 to $12$7 to $12Stain grade

Doing baseboard too? The baseboard and trim calculator covers the same rooms, and the paint calculator handles the walls. Follow the crown molding installation guide on install day.

Crown molding calculator FAQ

How much crown molding do I need?

Add up the walls at the ceiling line and add 10 to 15% for miters and copes. A 12 x 12 room needs 48 ft installed, about 53 ft to buy, or five 12 ft sticks.

How much does it cost to install crown molding per linear foot?

Paint-grade MDF or finger-joint pine runs about $1.50 to $4 per foot, poplar $3 to $6, oak and large profiles $6 to $12. A finish carpenter adds roughly $4 to $10 per foot for labor, more for high ceilings, many outside corners or stain grade.

What angle do I cut 52/38 crown molding?

Cut flat on the saw, a 90° corner takes a 31.6° miter and 33.9° bevel. Most saws have detents at 31.6° and 33.9° for exactly this. Cut nested against the fence, it is a 45° miter with no bevel.

What angle for 45/45 crown?

35.3° miter and 30° bevel for a 90° corner cut flat, or a 45° miter cut nested.

Should I cope or miter inside corners?

Cope them. A coped joint follows the profile of the piece it meets, so it stays tight when walls are out of square and wood moves with the seasons. Miter outside corners and glue them.

Nested vs flat cutting: which is better?

Nested (upside down and backwards against the fence) needs only a miter and is easier to picture, but your saw must be tall enough for the crown. Flat cutting handles wide crown on a small saw but needs both miter and bevel settings.

What size crown molding should I use?

3-1/4 to 4-1/4 in for 8 ft ceilings, 4-1/2 to 6 in for 9 ft, 6 to 8 in or built-up crown for 10 ft and higher.

How do I handle outside corners in crown molding?

Miter both pieces, glue the joint and pin it through the edge. Measure to the outside point of the corner, not the wall line, and cut long first.

Is MDF or wood crown molding better?

MDF is cheaper, comes primed and copes cleanly, but dents and swells if wet. Pine and poplar take paint and stand up to knocks; choose oak or other hardwoods only for stain grade.

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