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Flooring Calculator

Use this flooring calculator to find how many boxes of flooring a room takes from its area, with an extra for cuts, for laminate, vinyl plank and wood.

  • Instant answer as you type
  • Nothing you type is sent anywhere
  • Worked example with clear steps

Your measurements

ft
ft
ft²
A kitchen island or built-in, in square feet
%
10 is an example value, not a recommendation: see the table below. The limits are ours.
ft²
Printed on the carton. 20 is an example value. The limit of 10,000 is ours.
Price (optional)

The price is yours: we state none, and we store and show no prices.

$ per box

Result

Calculated live
Boxes to order 9.24 before rounding up, 20 ft² each
10 boxes
Area to buy 168 ft² with 10% extra
184.8 ft²
Area to cover
168 ft²

Based on NIST SP 811 Flooring Clarity Full list of sources

Assumptions and constants

You can change

Fixed values (exact definitions and references)

These are exact definitions and cannot be edited.

How to use the flooring calculator

  1. Pick Rectangle, Circle or Triangle, then enter the room's size in feet.
  2. Enter Area not to be covered, then check Extra to order.
  3. Enter the Area one box covers, printed on the carton.
  4. Read Boxes to order and Area to buy.
  5. Use Copy result or Print, and confirm the count with your flooring seller.

How many boxes of flooring do I need?

Boxes = the area x (1 + the extra) / the area one box covers, rounded up. The area one box covers is printed on the carton, so this calculator gives no standard value: the 20 it opens on is an example.

Flooring Clarity gives the same formula, Total Flooring Needed = (Measured Square Footage) x (1 + Overage %), and says that since flooring is sold in full cartons, you should round up to the next full carton size. [2]

Worked example

A room 14 ft long and 12 ft wide is 14 x 12 = 168 square feet. With an example extra of 10%, 168 x 1.1 = 184.8 square feet. If one box covers 20 square feet, 184.8 / 20 = 9.24, which rounds up to 10 boxes.

Room for flooring: length 14 ft, width 12 ft A room seen from above, a rectangle a little longer than it is wide. Its length, 14 ft, is marked under it and its width, 12 ft, along the right side. From above Length 14 ft Width 12 ft
Drawn to scale for a room 14 ft long and 12 ft wide, seen from above. The calculator counts the boxes from the area and the coverage of one box.

What is the flooring waste factor?

Flooring Clarity lists the extra to order by material and by layout, and says herringbone, diagonal or chevron patterns require more cuts and thus more waste. [2]

Extra flooring by material and layout (Flooring Clarity)
Material Simple layout Complex layout Diagonal or patterned
Hardwood 10%12 to 15%15%
Laminate 7%10%10 to 12%
Luxury vinyl plank or tile 5%7 to 10%10%
Ceramic or porcelain tile 10%15%20%
Carpet 5%7 to 10%10%

This is one site's table, not a standard. Your flooring's maker or installer may give another figure: enter it under Extra to order.

How much laminate, vinyl or wood flooring do I need?

The sum is the same for every material, with a different extra. Boxes for the example room, 168 square feet with boxes of 20 square feet, at the simple-layout extra in the table above.

Boxes for the example room, by material, at the simple-layout extra
Material Extra (%) Boxes before rounding Boxes
Hardwood 109.2410
Laminate 78.999
Luxury vinyl plank or tile 58.829
Ceramic or porcelain tile 109.2410
Carpet 58.829

How do I measure a room for flooring?

Measure the length and the width of the floor, in feet, at the longest and widest points. For a room of several parts, run the calculator once for each part and add the boxes. If you measured in inches, divide by 12 to get feet. [1]

How much does flooring cost?

We state no price. Ask local sellers for the price of one box, then enter it under Price per box, in the section Price (optional) above, to see the total for the boxes to order. The site does not store the prices you type.

Common mistakes and limits

  • Using the example box size. Read the area one box covers from the carton and enter it.
  • Mixing units. Enter the room in feet and the box coverage in square feet.
  • Keeping no spare. Flooring Clarity says to always save extra flooring for future repairs, insurance claims or home sale negotiations. [2]
  • What this tool does not cover: underlayment, trim, stairs, carpet by the roll and the layout of the cuts.

Frequently asked questions

How much does flooring cost per square foot?

We state no price. Ask local sellers for the price of one box, then enter it under Price (optional) above to see the total for the boxes to order.

How much vinyl flooring do I need?

Enter the room and the box coverage. With the 5% that Flooring Clarity lists for a simple layout of luxury vinyl, the example room takes 168 x 1.05 / 20 = 8.82, which rounds up to 9 boxes.

How many packs of flooring do I need?

Enter the area one pack covers, printed on it, under Area one box covers. The calculator rounds up to whole packs.

Can I use this for carpet?

Carpet is usually sold by the roll. We found no source for roll widths, so this tool counts the area and the boxes: use the area to ask your seller how many linear feet of roll you need.

Should I keep a spare box?

Flooring Clarity says to always save extra flooring for future repairs, insurance claims or home sale negotiations, and that batches from the original installation will match perfectly for future repairs. [2]

Sources and references

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically (SP 811, accessed November 2026). Used for: the inch and foot relationship.
  2. Flooring Clarity. How Much Extra Flooring To Buy (2025, accessed November 2026). Used for: the formula, rounding up to cartons, and one flooring site's extra by material and layout.

How we use sources: methodology.

Estimates only. Confirm quantities with your supplier. See the disclaimer. Found a wrong result? Report an error.