Flooring Calculator
Enter your room size and plank or box coverage to find out how much flooring — and how many boxes — to order.
How to use the flooring calculator
- Choose metric or imperial units.
- Enter the length and width of the room.
- Enter the coverage area of a single box of flooring.
- Set a waste allowance for cuts around edges and obstacles (10% is typical).
- See the total area, boxes, and leftover coverage update instantly.
How it works
Room area is Length × Width. We add your waste percentage to account for cuts, offcuts, and mistakes: Total area needed = Room area × (1 + Waste%). That figure is divided by the coverage per box and rounded up, since flooring is sold in full boxes: Boxes needed = ROUND UP(Total area needed ÷ Coverage per box).
Examples
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| 20 m² room, 2.2 m² per box, 10% waste | ≈ 22 m² → 10 boxes |
| 220 ft² room, 24 ft² per box, 10% waste | ≈ 242 ft² → 11 boxes |
Frequently asked questions
How much extra flooring should I order for waste?
10% is standard for a simple rectangular room. Increase to 15% for rooms with lots of alcoves, diagonal layouts, or herringbone patterns.
Does plank direction affect how much flooring I need?
Laying planks along the longer dimension of the room can slightly reduce offcut waste, but the difference is usually within your waste allowance.
Should I measure closets and alcoves separately?
Include them in your total floor area — it's simpler to measure the full footprint than to add small alcoves back in later.
What if my flooring is sold by the plank, not the box?
Enter the coverage of a single plank in the "coverage per box" field and the calculator will treat each plank as one unit.
How do I account for a hallway or connected room?
Add its area to the total by calculating it separately and summing the two areas before entering waste and coverage.