Flooring Calculator

Flooring for one room or a whole floor: area in ft² or m², extra for straight, diagonal or herringbone layouts, packs to buy, underlay and cost.

Laminate, vinyl plank, engineered and solid wood flooring are all sold in packs that cover a set area, so you need the floor area plus an allowance for cuts, divided by the pack coverage. A 14 × 12 ft room is 168 ft²; with 10% extra for a straight lay that's 184.8 ft², which is 10 packs at 20 ft² per pack. Diagonal and herringbone layouts waste more, so the calculator offers 15% and 20% presets. Enter each room, the pack coverage from the box and an optional price, and it gives the packs to buy, what's left over and the cost, with underlay rolls if you need them.

Units
Room
ft
ft
Feet and inches work too: type 12'6 or 12.5.
%
Packs
10

20 ft² each

Floor area
168 ft²

184.8 ft² with 10% extra

Flooring bought
200 ft²

whole packs

Left over
32 ft²

after the room is covered

How it was worked out
  1. Room: 14 ft × 12 ft = 168 ft²
  2. Plus 10% for cuts and offcuts = 184.8 ft²
  3. 184.8 ft² ÷ 20 ft² per pack = 9.24, rounded up to 10 packs (200 ft²)

Pack coverage varies a lot between products, so use the figure on the box. Measure into doorways and alcoves, and leave the expansion gap the maker specifies around the edges.

Common use cases

  • Order laminate, vinyl plank or wood flooring for a room or a whole floor
  • Compare the cost of different floors by price per ft², m² or pack
  • Work out extra for a diagonal or herringbone pattern
  • Add underlay at the same time

How to use

  1. Choose your units.
  2. Enter each room's length and width, or switch shapes for bay windows and odd corners.
  3. Pick a pattern for the extra (or type your own) and enter the coverage per pack from the box.
  4. Add a price and underlay if you want them, then read the packs to buy.

FAQ

How much extra flooring should I order?

Commonly 10% for a straight lay, 15% for diagonal layouts and 15 to 20% for herringbone or chevron. Rooms with lots of corners, doorways and short walls need more. Keeping a spare pack also helps with future repairs.

How do I measure a room for flooring?

Measure the longest length and width, including into doorways and alcoves, and split L-shaped rooms into rectangles. Enter each part as its own area and the calculator adds them.

Should flooring acclimatise before fitting?

Many wood and laminate floors should sit in the room for a set time before fitting so they adjust to its temperature and humidity. The time varies by product, so follow the maker's instructions.

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