Crown Molding Angle Calculator
Compound miter and bevel saw settings for crown molding at any spring angle and corner angle.
Corner type:
Common Crown Molding Settings
| Spring° | Corner° | Miter° | Bevel° |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 90 | 31.6° | 33.9° |
| 45 | 90 | 35.3° | 30.0° |
| 52 | 90 | 38.8° | 25.2° |
| 38 | 135 | 16.5° | 18.4° |
| 45 | 135 | 18.4° | 16.1° |
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How Crown Molding Compound Angles Work
Crown molding sits at an angle between the wall and ceiling, called the spring angle. Because the molding is tilted, a simple 45-degree miter cut won't create a tight joint at corners. Instead, you need compound angles — a miter setting and a bevel (blade tilt) setting used together.
The spring angle is measured from the wall to the back of the molding. Most standard crown molding has a 38-degree spring angle (also called 38/52, meaning 38° from the wall, 52° from the ceiling). Larger crown profiles often use 45 degrees.
For a standard 90-degree inside corner with 38° spring angle, set your miter saw to 31.6° miter and 33.9° bevel. For outside corners at the same settings, the miter direction reverses but the angles stay the same.
This calculator handles any combination of spring angle and corner angle, including non-90° corners found in bay windows, angled walls, and custom trim work.
Crown molding sits at an angle between wall and ceiling, creating the "spring angle" — typically 38° or 45° from horizontal. The spring angle determines the miter and bevel cuts needed for inside and outside corners. Most manufactured crown is 38° spring; verify yours by holding a scrap against the wall-ceiling junction and measuring the angle to horizontal.
For 90° inside corners with 38° spring angle crown: miter angle = 31.6°, bevel angle = 33.9°. For 45° spring angle crown: miter angle = 35.3°, bevel angle = 30°. These are the theoretical angles; real rooms have walls that aren't exactly 90°, so expect to fine-tune cuts with test pieces.
Linear feet needed: measure all wall lengths where crown will run. Add 10–15% for waste from corners and test cuts. Crown typically comes in 8, 10, 12, and 16-foot lengths; longer pieces have fewer joints. Joints at outside corners are less visible than at inside corners; plan your cuts to minimize joints at outside corners on prominent walls.
Coping vs. mitering inside corners: coped joints (one piece cut square to the wall, the other cut to overlap the profile of the first) are more forgiving of walls out of square and create a tighter fit that doesn't open over time as miters can. Most professional finish carpenters cope inside corners rather than miter them.
See also: Miter Angle Calculator · Board Foot Calculator