How this calc works

This calc gives you the linear feet of pipe for a run so you can order the right number of lengths instead of guessing at the supply house. Enter the run length and it returns the footage with a waste allowance for cuts, since pipe comes in fixed lengths (commonly 10 or 20 feet) and you rarely use the offcut.

Linear feet is only half a plumbing order, though. The fittings — elbows, tees, couplings, the transitions at every direction change — are a separate count, and the run length tells you nothing about how many you need. Pair this with the fittings calc to build the whole order.

Common mistakes

The miss is ordering exact run length and forgetting that fixed pipe lengths force waste at every cut. A 14-foot run from 10-foot stock means buying 20 feet and scrapping 6 — the waste factor accounts for it.

The second is buying pipe and forgetting solvent, primer, or the right fittings count. The run length is one line of a plumbing order; the connections are the line that stalls the job when short.

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