<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-12
<SEQUENCE>4
<FILENAME>dex12.txt
<DESCRIPTION>COMPUTATION  OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
<TEXT>
<PAGE>

                                                                      EXHIBIT 12

                LEGGETT AND PLATT, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES
                COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
                        (Amounts in millions of dollars)



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           Nine Months                             Twelve Months Ended
                                              Ended                                    December 31,
                                      9/30/02      9/30/01        2001        2000        1999        1998        1997
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                      <C>           <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>


Earnings

  Income from continuing operations
      before income tax                  $287.8        $241.2      $297.3      $418.6      $462.6      $395.6      $333.3

 Interest expense (excluding
   amount capitalized)                     31.9          46.2        58.8        66.3        43.0        38.5        31.8

 Portion of rental expense under
   operating leases representative
   of an interest factor                    9.1           8.1        10.6         9.4         8.2         6.7         6.1
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total earnings                           $328.8        $295.5      $366.7      $494.3      $513.8      $440.8      $371.2
                                    ======================================================================================


Fixed charges
 Interest expense
   (including amount capitalized)         $33.0         $47.3       $60.2       $67.7       $44.0       $39.2       $32.7

 Portion of rental expense under
   operating leases representative
   of an interest factor                    9.1           8.1        10.6         9.4         8.2         6.7         6.1
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total fixed charges                       $42.1         $55.4       $70.8       $77.1       $52.2       $45.9       $38.8
                                    ======================================================================================

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges          7.8           5.3         5.2         6.4         9.8         9.6         9.6
                                    ======================================================================================

</TABLE>

Earnings consist principally of income from continuing operations before income
taxes, plus fixed charges. Fixed charges consist principally of interest costs.

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
