Perimeter

Definition of "Perimeter"

Written by

Huey Huynh

John Griffith Realty

You’ll find the most common definition and use of the term ‘perimeter’ in mathematics, more precisely geometry, to determine an item’s or land’s surface area. There are many real-life perimeter applications, such as housing and construction. For example, an architect will use a perimeter to define a building’s dimensions.

The use of perimeter in the physical world

Let’s see real-life examples where perimeter comes extremely in handy:

Real Estate Property Surveying

The perimeter is the most fundamental measure land surveyors use for land surveys. Also, it gives local real estate agents essential information about the property’s dimension. The gist is that the perimeter accurately describes where a real estate ends and the next one begins. Land surveyors will consider all of the side lengths, even sharp corners. That’s how they end up with the precise perimeter of a specific piece of land.

Area development

In construction, architects and workers use perimeter to reduce the usage of building materials. Graphing and calculus are the most typical ways to determine the area.

State border lengths

A state’s perimeter defines the distance you have to cover if you wish to go around said land. In other words, perimeter or boundary refers to a state border’s length. It also applies to a country’s border with access to the ocean.

Building a kennel or shed

Suppose you wish to assemble a doghouse or a shed in your backyard. Before building it, you’ll need to discover how much material, lumber, and wood you will require. The perimeter will show you the board length for its walls. 

Building a fence for gardening

Same as in our previous example, the perimeter will tell you the fence’s length you need to encircle the garden.

Calculate the perimeter at home!

You can use molding as home decor. First, you have to calculate the molding’s perimeter around your windows and doors without the bottom. For instance, when you wish to make your crown molding, you’ll first have to consider the perimeter of your ceiling. Crown molding is easy to install and creates a lasting impact on your visitors. 

Then again, you have to measure your walls’ perimeter and height to know how much wallpaper or paint to put on the surface!