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Flooring Calculator
Flooring is sold by the box, but rooms are measured in square feet — and you always need extra for cuts and waste. Enter your room size and the size of each plank or tile to find out how many pieces and boxes to buy, what it will cost, and how much will be left over.
Check the box label — coverage per box varies by brand.
Waste covers offcuts at walls, damaged pieces and matching the pattern — it is not optional. Measure the longest and widest points of the room, including closets and alcoves, and add rooms together by area if you are flooring more than one. This calculator does not include underlayment, trim, adhesive or labour — budget those separately.
How it works
Flooring maths is area plus waste, then a division into pieces. Step 1 — room area: length × width. Step 2 — add waste: multiply by 1 + waste%, because cuts at walls and around doorways eat material (10% is the usual allowance). Step 3 — pieces: divide the area to buy by the area of one piece and round up. Step 4 — boxes: divide pieces by pieces per box and round up again. Worked example: a 12 ft × 15 ft room is 180 sq ft; with 10% waste that is 180 × 1.10 = 198 sq ft to buy. A 6 in × 48 in plank covers 6 × 48 ÷ 144 = 2 sq ft, so 198 ÷ 2 = 99 planks; at 20 per box that is 99 ÷ 20 = 4.95, rounded up to 5 boxes (100 planks, 1 spare). At $3.50 per sq ft the material costs 198 × $3.50 = $693.00. Worked example 2 (tiles): a 10 ft × 10 ft bathroom is 100 sq ft; with 15% waste, 115 sq ft; a 12 in × 12 in tile covers exactly 1 sq ft, so 115 tiles; at 10 per box, 12 boxes.
Frequently asked questions
How much extra flooring should I buy for waste?
5% for a simple square room laid straight, 10% for a standard room with a few cuts, 15% for an irregular room or a diagonal lay, and 20% for herringbone or another pattern. The waste is real material: offcuts too short to reuse, pieces cut around doorways, and a few damaged boards. Always keep the leftovers — a spare box is how you repair a damaged plank years later when the colour run has changed.
How do I measure a room for flooring?
Measure the longest length and the widest width, including closets, alcoves and the area under door thresholds. For an L-shaped room, split it into two rectangles, work out each area and add them — or just enter the total area in the calculator. Measure in feet and inches, and round each measurement up to the next inch.
What does pieces per box mean?
Flooring is sold in sealed boxes, and you cannot buy part of a box. A box of laminate might hold 8 planks covering about 20 sq ft; a box of tile might hold 10 tiles. The box label states the coverage — check it, enter the pieces per box here, and the calculator rounds up to whole boxes.
Should I price flooring per square foot or per box?
Compare both. A cheap per-square-foot price can hide a small box, and a cheap box can hide small pieces. Per square foot is the fair comparison between products; per box is what you actually pay at the till, since you buy whole boxes. This calculator shows both when you switch the price mode.
Does this include underlayment, trim and labour?
No — this is material only. Budget separately for underlayment (often $0.30–$0.70 per sq ft), skirting/baseboards and transition strips, adhesive or grout for tiles, and labour, which commonly runs $3–$8 per sq ft installed depending on the material and your area.
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