Flooring Calculator — How Much Flooring Do I Need?
Calculate how much flooring to buy. Enter room dimensions and waste percentage to get square footage plus the number of boxes needed for hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl, or carpet.
10% for standard layouts, 15% for diagonal or pattern installs, 20%+ for very small or odd-shaped rooms.
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Frequently asked questions
Why add a waste percentage?
Cut-offs at walls, around doorways, and at the edges of every row of flooring add up. A 10% waste factor covers standard straight-lay installations. Diagonal installs and intricate patterns can waste 15–20%. Tile installations should also account for breakage during cutting (~5% beyond layout waste). Buying short means a trip back to the store and the risk of dye-lot mismatch.
How do I handle an irregular room?
Break the floor plan into rectangles and triangles using the Square Footage Calculator, sum them, then add the same waste percentage. For very irregular shapes (lots of corners, alcoves, angled walls), bump waste to 15%. Most home-improvement stores will calculate flooring needs for free from a sketch you bring in — but their estimate often skips waste, so always add it yourself.
How does hardwood coverage compare to laminate?
Box coverage is similar — most hardwood and laminate planks ship 18-24 sq ft per box, with hardwood usually 20 sq ft and laminate 22-24 sq ft. The bigger difference is price: hardwood runs $5-12 per sqft installed, laminate $3-7 per sqft. Vinyl plank (LVP) typically ships in larger 24-28 sq ft boxes at $3-6 per sqft installed and is the fastest-growing residential category.