Flooring Calculator
Estimate how many boxes of laminate, vinyl plank or hardwood flooring you need, with waste and optional cost.
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How to Calculate
Measure each room's length × width; split L-shaped rooms into rectangles and add them up.
Add 5–10% waste for straight installs and 15% for diagonal or rooms with many corners.
Check the box label for square feet per box — it varies widely between products.
See our methodology for how every calculator on this site is built.
Worked Example: An L-Shaped Living Room
The main room is 18 ft by 14 ft, with a 6 ft by 8 ft dining nook off one side. Luxury vinyl plank comes 23.4 ft² to a box, and we'll allow 10% for waste.
- Main room: 18 × 14 = 252 ft²
- Nook: 6 × 8 = 48 ft²
- Total: 300 ft²
- With waste: 300 × 1.10 = 330 ft²
- Boxes: 330 ÷ 23.4 = 14.1, round up to 15 boxes
- Actual coverage bought: 15 × 23.4 = 351 ft²
At $3.00 per ft², that's 351 × 3 = $1,053 for the flooring. Measure closets, the space under kitchen islands you aren't tiling around, and any hallway the floor continues into. It's easy to add another 30 or 40 ft² that way.
How Much Waste to Allow
| Situation | Waste allowance |
|---|---|
| Simple rectangular room, straight lay | 5–7% |
| Typical room with a closet and doorways | 8–10% |
| Several small rooms, hallways, many door jambs | 10–12% |
| Diagonal installation | 15% |
| Herringbone or chevron | 15–20% |
| Stairs | Count per tread; don't use area |
Before You Buy
Check the subfloor
Most click-lock floating floors require the subfloor to be flat within about 3/16 inch over 10 ft. High spots get ground down, low spots filled with patching compound. If you skip this, the planks flex and the joints open up or click under your feet. Budget a bag or two of floor patch for an average room.
Plan the first and last rows
Measure the room width and divide by the plank's face width. If the last row ends up less than about 2 inches wide, rip the first row narrower so both edges are balanced. A skinny last row is hard to lock in and looks like a mistake.
Leave the expansion gap
Laminate and floating floors need a gap at every wall and fixed object, usually around 1/4 to 3/8 inch, hidden under baseboard or quarter round. Butt it tight to a wall and it will buckle the first humid summer.
Other Materials
- Underlayment: some vinyl plank has a pad attached; laminate usually needs a separate roll. Over concrete, a vapor barrier is typically required.
- Transitions: T-molding at doorways to other flooring, reducers at carpet or tile, and stair nose if you're running onto steps.
- Baseboard or quarter round: measure the room perimeter minus door openings.
- Door jambs: undercut them with a jamb saw so the plank slides underneath. It's cleaner than scribing around the trim.
Rough Cost
Laminate and luxury vinyl plank typically run around $2 to $5 per ft² for material, engineered hardwood roughly $4 to $10, and solid hardwood higher. Professional installation for floating floors is often in the $2 to $4 per ft² range, more for glue-down or nail-down hardwood.
Sources
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra flooring do I need?
Typically 10%. Keep one spare box for future repairs.
Should closets be included?
Yes, measure closets and any area the flooring will run into.
Does underlayment need the same area?
Yes, underlayment rolls cover the same square footage without the waste factor for cuts.
Do I need to acclimate the flooring?
Solid hardwood and laminate usually need 48–72 hours in the room at normal temperature and humidity. Many rigid-core vinyl products need less; follow the box.
Which way should planks run?
Usually parallel to the longest wall or toward the main light source. Over plank subfloors, run hardwood perpendicular to the floor joists.