By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
A diagonal brace is cut to the angle its rise and run describe. The saw is set to 90° minus that angle, and the member length is the diagonal itself — the two numbers that matter when you are cutting a brace to fit between a post and a beam.
Cut angle for knee braces and diagonal members.
angle = atan(rise ÷ run) saw setting = 90° − angle length = √(rise² + run²)
The saw setting assumes the fence is perpendicular to the blade and you are cutting one end square to the face. For a compound cut, both the miter and bevel change; test on scrap first.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rise | Vertical distance covered. |
| run | Horizontal distance covered. |
| θ | Angle from horizontal. |
The angle is 45°, the saw setting is 45°, and the brace length is 33.94 inches.
Continue with the Angle of Depression Calculator, Bolt Circle Calculator, Bowl Segment Calculator, or the Countersink Depth Calculator — or browse more layout & geometry and all construction calculators.
Use a digital angle finder against the post face after clamping the brace in place, or calculate from rise and run and verify with a test cut.
Results use standard construction estimating arithmetic: volumes from measured area and depth, unit weights from published material densities, and code-referenced spans or clearances where the page names a code. Quantities are rounded up to whole saleable units and include the stated waste allowance. These tools are planning aids, not structural design, and do not replace a licensed engineer, a local code check, or a contractor's site measurement.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026