About

Buying flooring is rarely as simple as measuring one wall. Rooms have nooks, closets, and irregular shapes, and flooring materials are sold in boxes of fixed coverage, not by the individual plank. Additionally, professionals always buy 10-20% extra to account for cutting mistakes and future repairs.

This calculator streamlines the process by allowing you to break a room down into rectangular sections (e.g., main area + closet). It automatically aggregates the total area, applies a configurable waste safety margin, and rounds up to the exact number of boxes required to ensure you don't run short mid-project.

Formulas

The calculator sums individual rectangular sections (i) to get the Net Area.

Area_net = n∑i=1 (L_i × W_i)

It then applies the waste factor and divides by the box coverage (C), always rounding up (ceil) to the nearest whole box.

Boxes = ceilArea_net × (1 + Waste%)C

Reference Data

Material Type	Typical Size (in)	Sq. Ft per Box	Rec. Waste %
Laminate	7 x 48	15 - 25	5 - 10%
Vinyl Plank (LVP)	6 x 48	18 - 24	5 - 10%
Ceramic Tile	12 x 12	10 - 15	10 - 15%
Hardwood	Random	20	10%
Diagonal Lay	Any	Varies	15 - 20%

Frequently Asked Questions

Divide the room into two separate rectangles. Calculate the main area first, then add a "New Section" for the remaining part. The calculator sums them automatically.

If you input the price per square foot or per box, the tool estimates the total material cost. Note that this does not include underlayment or labor costs.

You cannot buy half a box of flooring. If you need 101 sq. ft. and a box covers 20 sq. ft., you must buy 6 boxes (120 sq. ft.), not 5.05 boxes.