Flooring Calculator
Find how many boxes of laminate, vinyl, engineered or hardwood flooring a room needs, from the area and each pack's coverage — with a waste allowance and optional cost.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the room area in m².
- Enter the coverage per box printed on the pack.
- Use 10% waste for straight-lay rooms; more for diagonal layouts or many alcoves.
Formula used
Always round boxes up — you can't buy a fraction. The waste allowance covers the offcut at the end of each row (which often can't start the next row), plus damaged planks and future repairs.
Example calculation
A 20 m² room, boxes covering 2.2 m² each, 10% waste: need 22 m² → 22 ÷ 2.2 = 10 boxes exactly.
That gives 22 m² of coverage — 2 m² spare, enough for repairs and awkward cuts.
Why flooring needs its waste factor
Plank and tile flooring wastes material at every row's end: the offcut is frequently too short to legitimately start the next row (staggering rules require a minimum plank length), so it's discarded. Rooms with bays, alcoves, or a diagonal layout compound this — which is why 10% is the floor and 15% is safer for anything irregular.
Two practical habits save grief: acclimatise wood and laminate in the room for a couple of days so it expands/contracts before laying (preventing gaps and buckling), and keep a spare plank or two — a scratched board years later is trivial to swap only if you have a match from the same batch.
Why use this calculator?
- Round up to whole boxes automatically — no under-ordering.
- See your spare coverage for repairs and awkward cuts.
- Add price per box for an instant materials total.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes of flooring do I need?
Divide your room area (plus ~10% waste) by the coverage per box, then round up. A 20 m² room with 2.2 m²/box packs and 10% waste needs 10 boxes. Enter your figures above for the exact count.
How much flooring waste should I allow?
10% for simple rectangular rooms laid straight, 15% for diagonal layouts or rooms with many corners and alcoves. The offcut ending each row often can't start the next, which is the main source of waste.
Should I buy extra flooring for later?
Yes — keep at least one or two planks. Manufacturers change or discontinue designs, and dye lots vary, so a future repair is only seamless if you have material from the original batch.