Rule of Thumb

• Generally speaking, a chair rail should be placed one-third of the way from the floor to the ceiling. To determine this height, measure from floor to ceiling and divide by three.
  
  

Chair Height

• An alternative to the one-third rule of thumb is to place one of your chairs against the wall and determine where it will hit. This is a practical method if you will be keeping your existing furniture but is impractical if you plan to buy new chairs.
  
  

Bottom Line

• The most practical method is to use your chairs to determine where to place a chair rail. If you plan to replace your chairs, place the chair rail one-third of the way from the floor to ceiling, as a general rule of thumb.