Flooring Calculator
Work out the floor area, waste allowance, and exact packs of laminate, LVT, or vinyl flooring you need to buy.
Floor area is 20.00 m²; with 10% waste that's 22.00 m². At 2.20 m² per pack, you need 10 packs.
Results update as you type. The pack count rounds up because partial packs aren't sold; modest leftover stock is useful for future repairs.
Formula
Floor area is the simple multiplication
length × width. Add a waste allowance:
area × (1 + waste% / 100). Divide by the
pack's coverage and round up — partial packs don't sell, and a small surplus is invaluable
for future repairs.
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Frequently asked questions
How much waste should I allow?▾
10% is the standard rule of thumb for laminate and LVT laid square in a rectangular room. Bump to 12–15% for: diagonal lay, herringbone, strong pattern matching, or rooms with awkward features (alcoves, bay windows, lots of obstacles). For tiles in a complex space, allow 15–20%. The waste covers offcuts you can't reuse, plus a small reserve for future repairs.
Where do I find pack coverage?▾
On the side of every flooring pack, usually in m². Typical figures: laminate ~2.0–2.5 m²/pack, LVT (luxury vinyl tile) ~2.6–3.5 m², engineered hardwood ~1.6–2.4 m², ceramic tiles vary widely (often 0.9–1.5 m² per box). Don't trust a 'rough' figure off a website — the box label is the only one that counts.
What's the difference between m² and linear metres?▾
Floor area is m² (square metres). Some carpet and roll vinyl is sold in linear metres at a fixed roll width (typically 4 m or 5 m). For roll goods, calculate: linear metres = ceil(longer-room-dimension / roll-width) × shorter-dimension. This calculator handles tile/plank flooring sold by m² coverage; linear-metre roll goods need a different calculation.
Should I buy an extra pack 'just in case'?▾
Probably yes, especially for laminate or LVT. The 10% waste figure assumes typical losses; if a plank gets damaged in 5 years and you need a replacement, having a sealed pack from the same dye batch saves a lot of grief. Stores often won't take back opened packs but will refund unopened ones — so adding one pack to the order is low-risk insurance.
Does this work for tiled floors?▾
Yes, with a higher waste allowance — bump it to 15–20% for tiles. Tile breakage during cutting is more common than plank or LVT, and matching dye lots is harder. Pack coverage on tiles is usually given per box on the manufacturer label.
Do I need underlay?▾
Underlay is sold separately for laminate and engineered floors (and sometimes LVT). Calculate it from the same floor area — typically one roll covers 8–15 m² depending on type. Some products are 'integrated underlay' with a backing already attached; check the box.