1. Measure outer rectangle
Measure outer length and width including the border in feet.
Calculator workspace
Enter the inner dimensions and border width to calculate the border area around a rectangular space.
Use the Rectangle Border Square Foot Calculator to find the area of a border or frame around a rectangular space. Enter the inner dimensions and border width to calculate the border-only area in square feet. Perfect for walkways, garden borders, picture frames, trim bands, and decorative edging.
Choose a specialized calculator for your exact project — rooms, shapes, materials, outdoor areas, and unit conversions.
Rectangle border square footage equals total outer rectangle area minus inner rectangle area. Apply Area = (outer length × outer width) − (inner length × inner width). For full-area rectangles, use the rectangle calculator; for a walkway around the border, see the driveway calculator.
Getting started
To calculate rectangle border square footage, measure the outer rectangle length and width and the inner rectangle dimensions in feet. Subtract inner area from outer area. Useful for picture frames, garden borders, and room moldings.
Measure outer length and width including the border in feet.
Measure the inner empty rectangle dimensions in feet.
Border area = outer area − inner area.
Quick reference
Material pricing
Rectangle border area times price per unit equals material cost. Apply to picture frames, garden edging, or wall trim.
There are 2 steps to calculate material cost:
Borders have 4 corners that need miter cuts. Add 10-15% extra material for angled joins.
FAQ
Calculate the outer rectangle area, subtract the inner rectangle area. Outer dimensions = inner dimensions + (2 x border width) on each side.
Enter the pool dimensions as the inner rectangle and the walkway width as the border. The calculator gives you the walkway area for material ordering.
Border Area = (L + 2B)(W + 2B) - (L x W), where L = length, W = width, and B = border width. This subtracts the inner area from the outer area.
Yes, enter the picture dimensions and frame width to find the frame material area. The calculator works for any rectangular border or frame.
Enter the garden bed dimensions and the edging width. The border area tells you how much edging material you need.
This calculator uses uniform border width. For borders with different widths on each side, calculate each border strip separately as a rectangle and add the areas.
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