Calculate the cost per linear foot for any project with our easy guide and formula. Perfect for budgeting materials like lumber, fencing, piping, and flooring. Learn how to use our simple calculator and master your project estimates.
Budgeting for a home improvement or construction project requires precision. Whether you're buying lumber, installing fencing, laying pipes, or putting in new flooring, you often purchase materials priced by the total project cost. To understand the value and compare prices effectively, breaking this down into a cost per linear foot is an essential skill.
This guide will walk you through the simple formula and show you how to use our handy Cost Per Linear Foot Calculator.
The Cost Per Linear Foot Formula
The calculation is straightforward. You only need two pieces of information: the total cost of the material and its total length.
Formula:
Cost Per Linear Foot (CPLF)=Total Length (in feet)Total Cost
Where:
- CPLF is the Cost Per Linear Foot ($/ft)
- Total Cost is the complete price paid for the material (in dollars, $)
- Total Length is the entire length of the material purchased (in linear feet, ft)
Simply put, you divide the total cost by the total length to find the price for each individual foot of material.
How to Use the Calculator
Our calculator simplifies this process. Just follow these two steps:
- Enter the Total Cost: Input the full amount you paid (or will pay) for the material.
- Enter the Total Length: Input the overall length of that material, measured in linear feet.
The calculator will instantly compute and display the cost per linear foot, giving you a clear, comparable metric for your project.
A Practical Example
Let’s say you are building a fence. You buy fencing materials for a total project cost of $2,400. The total length of the fence you are building is 150 linear feet.
What is the cost per linear foot of your fencing material?
Calculation:
We use the formula:
CPLF=Total LengthTotal Cost=1502400
Solution:
CPLF=16
Answer: The cost per linear foot of the fencing material is $16.00 per foot.
This means for every foot of fence you build, you are spending $16 on materials. This number is incredibly useful for comparing quotes from different suppliers or budgeting for future projects of a similar scale.
Why Calculate Cost Per Linear Foot?
- Price Comparison: It allows you to compare prices between different suppliers and product grades on a standardized basis ($/ft), even if they sell bundles or packages at different total prices.
- Budgeting Accuracy: It helps you create accurate budgets for future projects. Once you know the cost per linear foot, you can easily estimate the total cost for any length.
- Cost Tracking: It helps you track material costs over time or against your original project estimates.
Use our calculator above for your next project to make informed and cost-effective purchasing decisions
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