Household Figures

Flooring Calculator

Enter your room size, waste allowance and the box coverage to see how many boxes to buy and what it costs.

About 10% is common for straight layouts.
Printed on the box or product page.
Example value. Use the store price.
Boxes to buy: —
Room area
—
Area with waste
—
Square feet you will buy
—
Material cost
—

Where to find your numbers

Not sure what to enter? Here is where to find each value for your own home. If you cannot find one, leave the example value and treat the result as a rough estimate.

Room length and width

Measure the floor area you plan to cover.

  1. Measure wall to wall in feet, to the nearest half foot, using a tape measure.
  2. For an L-shaped room or one with alcoves, split it into rectangles. Run the calculator for each and add the square feet, then divide by the box size once at the end.
  3. Closets, doorways and any built-in areas you also want covered count too. Do not subtract kitchen islands or cabinets unless you are sure you will not need flooring under them.

Extra for waste (%)

Extra material for cuts, mistakes and boards or tiles that are damaged.

  1. About 10% is a common allowance for a straight layout.
  2. Plan for 15% or more for diagonal layouts, patterned or large-format tile, and rooms with many corners.
  3. Ask the installer or the product instructions. Some manufacturers give their own recommendation.

Coverage per box (sq ft)

How many square feet one box covers.

  1. It is printed on the box and on the store or website product page, as "coverage per carton" or "sq ft per box".
  2. Many laminate and vinyl plank boxes cover roughly 20 to 25 square feet, but it varies by product.
  3. If you are mixing products, run the calculator separately for each.

Price per sq ft ($)

The material price per square foot.

  1. Check the price tag or the product page.
  2. If you only see a price per box, divide it by the coverage of the box in square feet.
  3. This is for the flooring only. Underlayment, trim, adhesive, tools and installation cost extra.

How it works

Room area is length x width. Add your waste percentage, divide by the square feet in one box, and round up to whole boxes. Cost is the square feet in those boxes times your price per square foot. Planning to repaint too? Try the paint calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How much extra flooring should I buy?

A common allowance is about 10% for straight layouts, to cover cuts, mistakes and defects. Diagonal or patterned layouts, tile, and rooms with many corners often need 15% or more. Check with the manufacturer or installer.

Why do I have to buy whole boxes?

Flooring is sold in boxes that each cover a set number of square feet, so the quantity is rounded up to a whole box. The tool shows the square feet you actually pay for.

How do I measure an L-shaped or odd room?

Split the room into rectangles, run this calculator for each one, and add the boxes. Do not round each part separately if you can help it. Add the square feet first, then divide by the box size once.

Does the price include installation?

No. It only covers the flooring material. Installation, underlayment, trim, adhesive and removing old flooring are extra.

Related tools

How the numbers are produced: see our methodology.