To set up the multiplication expression for the total length of the boards needed, we have:
\[ 7 \times \frac{3}{4} \text{ feet} \]
Now, we multiply the numerator of the fraction (3) by the whole number (7):
\[ 7 \times 3 = 21 \]
So we can write the expression as:
\[ \frac{21}{4} \text{ feet} \]
To make it easier to interpret, we can convert \(\frac{21}{4}\) into a mixed number:
\[ 21 \div 4 = 5 \quad \text{remainder} \quad 1 \]
This means:
\[ \frac{21}{4} = 5 \frac{1}{4} \text{ feet} \]
Thus, they will need a total of:
\[ \frac{21}{4} \text{ feet} \text{ or } 5 \frac{1}{4} \text{ feet of board for the job.} \]