Flooring calculator
How much flooring to buy for a room, with extra for cuts and waste. Enter the room, the pattern and the coverage printed on the box.
The editor opens with this room, inside sizes and wall height, ready to draw the rest of the home.
Our own starting values; no public source yet.
Our own starting value. Use the number on your box.
- Area first, then boxes
- Check the label on the box
Multiply the length by the width for the square feet, add extra for cuts (we start at 10% for a straight layout and 15% for a diagonal one), and divide by the coverage on the box. Round up to whole boxes. Updated · How we calculate
How we calculate
How we calculate
We found no public, neutral source for how much extra flooring to buy. The calculator uses our own starting values: 10% for a straight layout and 15% for a diagonal one. Ask your installer what your floor needs.
The square feet come from our calculation core: length times width, exactly as for a room. The number per box is up to you: it is printed on the box and differs per product.
| What | Figure |
|---|---|
| Extra for a straight layout | 10%, our own starting value · No public source yet |
| Extra for a diagonal layout | 15%, our own starting value · No public source yet |
| Coverage per box | 20 sq ft, our own starting value; use your box · No public source yet |
No public, neutral source found yet; the starting values in the calculator are our own and you can change them.
Before you buy
Before you buy
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Measure closets too
Flooring usually runs into closets. Add them as separate rooms.
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Round up, keep a spare
Buy whole boxes and keep one for repairs. Dye lots can differ later.
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Check the box
Coverage is printed on each box and differs per product and brand.
Other materials
Other materials
- Work it out →
Tile calculator
How much floor tile to buy for a room.
- Work it out →
Carpet calculator
How much carpet to buy for a room.
- Work it out →
Paint calculator
How many gallons of paint a room takes.
- Open the calculator →
Room square feet
The area of every room, and the total for the home.
How much extra flooring should I buy?
We found no public, neutral source for a rule. The calculator starts at 10% for a straight layout and 15% for a diagonal one, our own starting values; ask your installer for your floor. Round up to whole boxes and keep one spare.
How many boxes of flooring do I need?
Take the square feet of the room, add the extra for cuts, and divide by the square feet printed on the box. Round up to a whole box.
How do I calculate flooring for an L-shaped room?
Split the room into two rectangles, work out each one, and add them up before you add the extra for cuts.
How do I measure a room for flooring?
Measure wall to wall at floor level, the longest way and the widest way, and include closets the flooring runs into.
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