Enter the floor dimensions and the coverage printed on a box of your chosen flooring. Add any small adjoining areas, then choose an allowance for cuts and spare planks.
For an L-shaped room, split it into rectangles and put the additional area in the extra-space field. Always follow the product’s acclimation and installation instructions.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the room at its longest and widest points — old rooms are rarely perfectly square.
- Measure closets and connected areas separately and add them in the extra area field.
- Read the coverage per box from the actual product you are buying; it ranges from about 14 to 30 sq ft.
- Set waste honestly for your layout, then round up to whole boxes.
How flooring boxes are calculated
Boxes = (room area + extra area) x (1 + waste) / coverage per box, rounded up. The waste covers end cuts, damaged planks and the starter pieces of each row, whose offcuts start the next row when the layout allows.
A 12 ft x 12 ft room is 144 sq ft. With 10 percent waste the requirement is 158.4 sq ft, and at 20 sq ft per box that is 7.92 boxes — so 8 boxes, giving 160 sq ft of flooring.
A few things worth checking
- Measuring wall to wall in an out-of-square room at only one point, then discovering the far end is three inches wider.
- Forgetting doorways, closets and the strip under radiators, which together can add a full box.
- Opening every box at once — unopened boxes are returnable, opened ones usually are not.
Your questions, answered
How much flooring should I buy beyond my room area?
The calculator starts with a 10 percent allowance and lets you change it. Choose an allowance for the actual layout, cuts and spare planks you want. It then rounds the required coverage up to the number of whole boxes.
Does the result include underlay?
No. The result is for the flooring boxes only. Some products have an attached backing and others specify a separate layer. Check the instructions for the flooring you choose before adding any underlay or preparation materials.
Does the calculator plan the plank direction?
No. It calculates coverage from room area, extra areas, waste and coverage per box. It does not lay out individual planks, end joints or trims. Check the installation plan separately.
How long should flooring acclimatise before laying?
Storage, acclimation and subfloor requirements differ between products. Follow the current instructions for the exact flooring you buy. This material-quantity calculator does not choose an acclimation time.
Buy Flooring with Room for the Real Job
Plan boxes, cuts and preparation before the first plank comes out of its pack.