Crown Molding Angle Chart

Enter the corner angle and the molding's spring angle and get the miter and bevel settings for cutting crown flat on a compound miter saw, with a full angle chart.

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Corner (wall) angle, degrees

Spring angle of the molding

Or: sides of a regular shape

The corner angle is the angle between the two walls: 90° for a square corner, 135° for a 45° bay. Inside and outside corners use the same numbers. The result updates as you type.

90° corner · 38.0° spring angle · molding cut lying flat

Miter 31.6° · Bevel 33.9°

Crown molding angle chart (miter / bevel)

Corner angle	38.0° spring	45.0° spring
60°	46.8° / 43.0°	50.8° / 37.8°
72°	40.3° / 39.6°	44.2° / 34.9°
90°	31.6° / 33.9°	35.3° / 30.0°
100°	27.3° / 30.4°	30.7° / 27.0°
108°	24.1° / 27.6°	27.2° / 24.6°
112.5°	22.4° / 26.0°	25.3° / 23.1°
120°	19.6° / 23.2°	22.2° / 20.7°
128.57°	16.5° / 20.0°	18.8° / 17.9°
135°	14.3° / 17.6°	16.3° / 15.7°
144°	11.3° / 14.1°	12.9° / 12.6°
150°	9.4° / 11.8°	10.7° / 10.5°
157.5°	7.0° / 8.8°	8.0° / 7.9°
160°	6.2° / 7.9°	7.1° / 7.1°
170°	3.1° / 3.9°	3.5° / 3.5°

What this page cannot tell you

Which way to tilt and swing the saw — that depends on whether it is an inside or outside corner, which piece you are cutting, and your saw’s scales. The angles are exact geometry; real corners are rarely exactly the angle you enter and a molding’s actual spring angle can differ from its label, so a test cut on scrap shows the fit. Cutting the molding nested upside down at the spring angle uses a single miter instead and is not covered here.

How to find crown molding miter and bevel angles

Measure the corner. The angle between the two walls — 90° for a square corner. An angle finder or protractor gives odd corners.
Find the spring angle. The angle the molding sits off the wall; most crown is sold as 38° (52/38) or 45° (45/45).
Read the saw settings. The miter and bevel for cutting the molding lying flat on a compound miter saw.
Bay windows and polygons. Enter the number of sides of a regular shape to get its corner angle.
Test on scrap. Real corners and moldings vary; a test cut confirms the fit.

10 situations where a crown molding angle chart helps

Out-of-square corners

A 92° corner needs different settings from a 90° one; type the measured angle.

Bay windows

A three-sided bay has 135° corners; the chart lists them.

Octagonal rooms and turrets

Enter 8 sides for a regular octagon's 135° corners.

Cutting flat instead of nested

Cutting crown flat needs a miter and a bevel; the page gives both.

45° crown profiles

Not all crown is 38°; 45/45 crown needs different settings.

Cabinet crown

Small cabinet crown uses the same geometry at the cabinet's corners.

Vaulted-ceiling transitions

Wide-angle corners like 150° or 160° are in the chart.

Checking a saw's detents

Many compound saws carry 31.6° and 33.9° detents for 38° crown at 90°; the chart shows where those come from.

Uncommon spring angles

Type any spring angle for moldings that are not 38° or 45°.

Printing a shop chart

The full table covers common corners for both standard spring angles.

How the angles are worked out

The settings come from the compound-miter formulas for crown molding given in the Wikipedia article 'Crown molding': miter = arctan(sin(spring angle) ÷ tan(wall angle ÷ 2)) and bevel = arcsin(cos(spring angle) × cos(wall angle ÷ 2)), where the wall angle is the angle between the two walls and the spring angle is the molding's angle off the wall.

Checked by hand: a 38° spring at a 90° corner gives a 31.6° miter and 33.9° bevel — the settings many compound miter saws mark with detents — and a 45° spring at 90° gives 35.3° and 30.0°. A straight wall (180°) gives 0° and 0°, as it should. For a regular polygon, the corner angle is 180° × (sides − 2) ÷ sides.

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Limits: the angles are exact geometry for the angles entered. Real corners are rarely exact, drywall and plaster are not flat, and a molding's real spring angle can differ from its label, so cuts may need adjusting. The page does not say which direction to tilt or swing a particular saw, which depends on the corner, the piece and the saw. Coped joints and the nested (upside-down) method are not covered.

Sources

Wikipedia — Crown molding — Miter and bevel formulas from spring angle and wall angle

Frequently asked questions

What angle do I cut crown molding for a 90° corner?

For 38° (52/38) crown cut flat: miter 31.6°, bevel 33.9°. For 45° crown: miter 35.3°, bevel 30.0°.

What is the spring angle?

The angle the back of the molding makes with the wall when installed. Most crown is sold as 38° or 45°; if unsure, hold it in place and measure.

Are inside and outside corners different angles?

The numbers are the same; what changes is which side of the blade the piece sits and which way the saw swings and tilts.

What about a 135° corner?

For 38° crown: miter 14.3°, bevel 17.6°. For 45° crown: miter 16.3°, bevel 15.7°.

Why don't my cuts close up?

Corners are often not exactly the angle assumed, and moldings vary. Measure the corner with an angle finder and test-cut scrap.

Does this work for cutting crown nested upside down?

No. Nested cutting uses only a miter. These settings are for cutting the molding flat on a compound miter saw.