Flooring Calculator
Find out the floor area, waste allowance, and exact boxes of laminate, LVT, or hardwood flooring you need to buy.
Floor area is 208 sq ft; with 10% waste that's 229 sq ft. At 24 sq ft 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 add?▾
10% is the industry-standard waste figure for laminate or LVT laid square. For: diagonal installation, herringbone, strong wood-grain pattern matching, or rooms with bay windows / multiple obstacles, bump it to 15%. For ceramic or porcelain tile, especially with patterned cuts, plan on 15–20% to cover breakage during cutting.
Where is the box coverage on the label?▾
On the side of every box, usually in sq ft (and sometimes also m²). Typical figures: laminate ~22–28 sq ft/box, LVT ~28–38 sq ft, engineered hardwood ~17–26 sq ft, solid hardwood ~15–25 sq ft, ceramic tile varies widely (often 10–20 sq ft per box). The box label is the authoritative number — manufacturer websites often use 'nominal' figures.
Do I need underlayment?▾
For floating floors (most laminate, LVT, engineered hardwood) yes — sold separately by the roll, calculated from the same square footage. Some premium products come with attached underlayment; check the box. Solid hardwood typically uses a moisture barrier instead of underlayment.
Should I buy an extra box for repairs?▾
Worth considering. Dye lots vary between production runs, so having a sealed extra box from the same lot is invaluable if you damage a plank in 3 years. Most retailers refund unopened boxes, so the downside is small. Add one box to the order on top of the calculator's figure for any installation worth the labor cost.
What about transitions and trim?▾
Calculated separately. Transition strips, t-moldings, quarter-round, and stair nosing are sold by the linear foot — measure your doorways, transitions, and edges. Plan on $2–6/linear foot for transitions, $1–3 for quarter-round (depending on whether matched to your floor).
Does this work for area rugs or carpet?▾
No — carpet is sold by the linear yard at a fixed roll width (typically 12 ft). Calculate: linear yards = ceil(longer-dimension / 12 ft) × shorter-dimension / 3 (yards). This calculator handles tile/plank flooring sold by box-coverage; carpet needs a different calculation.