Flooring calculator for laminate, vinyl, hardwood and carpet
This flooring calculator adds up every room you are flooring, applies a waste allowance for cuts, and converts the total into boxes of laminate, vinyl plank, engineered wood or carpet tiles using the coverage printed on the carton. Enter the price per box, underlay and fitting rates and you get a complete material and labour estimate in ₹, $, £ or €.
Flooring is sold by the box, not by the square metre, so the real question is how many cartons to order — and how much extra to allow so you do not run short on the last row. Presets for each flooring type fill in a typical box size and waste figure; replace them with the numbers from the product you have chosen.
Metric (m²) and imperial (ft²) are both supported, rooms can be added or removed freely, and the calculation runs in your browser.
How to use the Flooring Calculator
- Choose metric or imperial, then enter each room as a name, length and width. Use “Add room” for more rooms, hallways and closets; split L-shaped rooms into two rectangles.
- Pick the flooring type. The coverage per box and waste allowance are filled with typical values — overwrite them with the figures on your carton.
- Enter the price per box. Add an underlay price per m² or ft² (0 for planks with an attached pad) and a fitting rate if you are paying someone to lay it.
- Read the boxes to buy, the total floor area, the area to order with waste and the cost breakdown.
- Copy or share the summary table to take to the store or send to the fitter.
Flooring Calculator features
Multiple rooms
List as many rooms as you like; the table shows each one’s area and the total.
Type presets
Laminate (2.2 m² / 24 ft², 8%), vinyl plank (2.0 m², 10%), hardwood (1.8 m², 12%) and carpet tiles (5 m², 5%), all editable.
Whole boxes
The area with waste is rounded up to full cartons, and the table shows how much flooring that actually gives you.
Underlay and fitting
Underlay is priced on the ordered area, fitting on the floor area, and both are added to a total estimate.
Metric or imperial
Switch between metres and feet; room sizes, box coverage and rates convert automatically.
Shareable summary
Copy a plain-text breakdown or share it from your phone.
How the boxes are calculated
Boxes are rounded up because you cannot buy half a carton. If the rounding leaves you with almost a full spare box, keep it: matching a discontinued laminate years later is nearly impossible.
- Floor area = Σ (room length × width). A 5 × 4 m living room and a 3 × 3 m bedroom give 29 m².
- Area to order = floor area × (1 + waste %). At 10%: 29 × 1.10 = 31.9 m².
- Boxes = area to order ÷ coverage per box, rounded up: 31.9 ÷ 2.2 = 14.5 → 15 boxes (33 m²).
- Cost = boxes × price per box, plus underlay × area ordered and fitting × floor area.
How much waste to allow
Waste covers the piece cut off at the end of each row, planks damaged in fitting and the spares you should keep. Broadloom carpet and sheet vinyl are sold from rolls, so their waste depends on how the room width fits the roll width rather than a simple percentage.
| Situation | Waste |
|---|---|
| Simple rectangular room, planks laid straight | 5–8% |
| Several rooms, doorways and closets | 10% |
| Diagonal layout or wide planks in a narrow room | 15% |
| Herringbone / chevron parquet | 15–20% |
| Carpet tiles (straight lay) | 5% |
| Broadloom carpet (roll widths 3.66 m / 12 ft) | Depends on roll width — plan the seams first |
Buying tips
- Check the carton’s coverage carefully — a laminate box can hold anywhere from 1.5 to 2.6 m² depending on the plank size.
- Order every box at once from the same batch; colour and texture vary between production runs.
- Leave a 10 mm expansion gap at the walls for floating floors; it is covered by skirting or beading and does not change the box count.
- Tiling instead? Use the tile calculator, which accounts for grout gaps. Outdoor decking has its own deck board calculator.
Flooring Calculator FAQ
How many boxes of laminate do I need for a 12 × 12 ft room?
144 ft² plus 8% waste is 155.5 ft². With 24 ft² per box that is 6.5 → 7 boxes. The flooring calculator rounds up and shows the exact figure for your box size.
How much flooring do I need for 1,000 sq ft?
Order about 1,100 ft² (10% waste) — 46 boxes of 24 ft² laminate, or 55 boxes of 20 ft² hardwood. Enter your rooms and the real box coverage for an exact count.
Should I include closets and hallways?
Yes. Add each as a small room. They often need more cuts than their area suggests, so keep the waste allowance at 10% or more when there are many of them.
Does the calculator subtract the kitchen island or built-in furniture?
No. Floors are laid under islands and fixed furniture in most installations, and the extra planks are useful as spares. If a large area really will not be floored, add it as a separate room and subtract it by hand.
What underlay do I need and how much?
Floating laminate and engineered wood need an underlay over the whole area; vinyl plank often has an attached pad. The calculator prices underlay on the ordered area so the overlap at joins is covered.
Is the price estimate accurate for India?
It uses the price per box and rates you enter, so it is as accurate as your quotes. Laminate in India is often quoted per sq ft fitted; multiply by your box coverage to convert to a box price, or enter the fitted rate under fitting.