Flooring Calculator

Area entry. Choose whether you already know the floor area or want to enter the length and width of a rectangular room. For an irregular room, divide it into rectangles and total their areas before using the area option.

Floor area (sq ft). Enter the floor surface that will receive this flooring, in square feet. Include closets or connected spaces being installed with the same material, and exclude areas receiving a different finish. Cutting allowance is added separately.

Room length (ft). Measure one side of the rectangular floor area. Use the actual installation boundary, including any recess that belongs in the rectangle. An L-shaped room should be split into smaller rectangles instead of using its largest overall dimensions.

Room width (ft). Measure the rectangular floor perpendicular to its length. The two measurements describe floor area, not the dimensions of an individual plank. Keep waste out of these measurements so it is not counted twice.

Waste allowance (%). Enter the percentage you want to add for cutting, handling loss or other conditions specific to this work. Apply it to the measured quantity rather than enlarging the measurements as well. The suggested value is editable, not a universal recommendation; enter zero when no allowance is needed.

Coverage per carton (sq ft). Read the square-foot coverage on the carton for the flooring being purchased. Cartons can contain different plank sizes and quantities, so do not assume another product has the same coverage.

Cost per carton (USD). If you want a material-price estimate, enter the price of one complete carton. Leave this blank to omit cost. The result uses the whole cartons needed; it does not add labor, tax, delivery, underlayment or accessories.

Net floor area is the surface being covered. Material area includes the cutting allowance, while cartons and purchased coverage reflect whole packages. Use the carton count for purchasing and the net area when discussing the size of the floor. Optional cost is based on those complete cartons, without additional charges.

Net area = length × width, or entered area.
Required area = net area × (1 + waste ÷ 100).
Cartons = round up(required area ÷ carton coverage).
Material cost = whole cartons × cost per carton.

Worked example: A 12 × 10 ft room is 120 sq ft. With 10% waste, allow 132 sq ft. At 20 sq ft/carton, 6.6 rounds up to 7 cartons, covering 140 sq ft. At $45/carton, material cost is $315.

Quantity estimate only. Room complexity, installation pattern, cuts, and manufacturer packaging affect actual quantities. No installation labor, tax, or accessory costs are included.