Flooring Calculator
Work out the square footage and how many boxes of flooring to buy, with waste included.
- Boxes to buy10 boxes
- Floor area180 sq ft
- Area incl. waste198 sq ft
How to use
- Enter the room length and width in feet.
- Enter the coverage printed on the flooring box (sq ft per box).
- Set a waste allowance (10% is typical) and read the boxes to buy.
About this calculator
This flooring calculator finds the room's square footage and divides it by the coverage of one box to tell you how many boxes to buy. It adds a waste allowance (default 10%) for cuts, mistakes and future repairs - use 15% for diagonal or herringbone layouts, and 5% for simple straight runs in a square room. Always round up to whole boxes, and buy from the same batch/lot number so colors match. Keep one spare box for repairs down the road.
🧮 How it's calculated
- 1Step 1 — Room area: Area = Length × Width
- 2Step 2 — Add waste: Area with waste = Area × (1 + Waste% ÷ 100)
- 3Step 3 — Divide by box coverage: Boxes = ⌈Area with waste ÷ Coverage per box⌉
Boxes = ceil( Room area x (1 + Waste%) / Coverage per box ).
Frequently asked questions
How much waste should I add for flooring?+
10% is a good default. Use 15% for diagonal or herringbone patterns and complex room shapes, or 5% for a simple square room.
Why buy extra flooring?+
Cuts and mistakes happen, and dye-lots change over time. A spare box from the same batch lets you repair damage later with a perfect match.