SiteScope Tech
Skip the tape measure: scan the room with an iPhone Pro and get exact areas. See how it works.
Free Tool

Flooring Calculator

Add each room in feet and inches, choose your flooring and waste factor, and get the square footage, boxes to buy and material cost.

1 Room Sizes

Room 1
Length
ft
in
Width
ft
in

L-shaped room? Split it into two rectangles and add each one. Inches are optional: 12 ft 6 in or 12.5 ft both work.

2 Flooring & Waste

%
Quick set:

Recommended waste updates when you change the flooring type or layout. You can override it.

3 Box Coverage & Price (price optional)

sq ft

Printed on the carton. Every product is different.

$/sq ft

Material only. Leave blank to skip cost.

Results

Floor area
Waste
Area with waste
Boxes to buy
boxes
Coverage purchased

Buy every box from the same lot (dye lot or run number) so color and texture match.

Estimates only. Actual quantities depend on the room shape, the product and your installer. Check the manufacturer's instructions and your supplier before ordering.

How to calculate how much flooring you need

Multiply each room's length by its width to get square feet, add the rooms together, add a waste factor (10% for a straight layout), then divide by the square feet in one box and round up to a whole box.

Floor area = Length × Width (per room, then add rooms)
Area with waste = Floor area × (1 + waste %)
Boxes = Area with waste ÷ sq ft per box (round up)

Worked example

A living room measures 12 ft 6 in by 14 ft. You are installing LVP straight, and the carton says 22 sq ft per box.

  1. Convert inches to feet: 6 in ÷ 12 = 0.5, so 12 ft 6 in = 12.5 ft.
  2. Floor area: 12.5 × 14 = 175 sq ft.
  3. Add 10% waste: 175 × 1.10 = 192.5 sq ft.
  4. Boxes: 192.5 ÷ 22 = 8.75, round up to 9 boxes (198 sq ft).
  5. Cost at $3.00 per sq ft: 198 × $3.00 = $594.00. You pay for full boxes, not the exact area.

Tips that change the number

  • Measure wall to wall at the widest points. Don't subtract the expansion gap at the walls; the baseboard covers it.
  • Include closets and doorway thresholds that get the same floor.
  • Diagonal and herringbone layouts cut more planks. Raise the waste factor.
  • Carpet: convert to square yards by dividing square feet by 9, and plan seams around the roll width.

Want the full measuring walkthrough? Read how to measure a room for flooring. Need the area of an odd-shaped room first? Use the square footage calculator.

Skip the tape measure

Scan the room with your iPhone. Get every room's area.

SiteScope uses the LiDAR sensor on iPhone Pro and iPad Pro to scan a space and build a measured floor plan with walls, doors, windows and room areas. No sketching, no adding up rectangles by hand. Walk the rooms, then read the square footage off the plan.

  • Measured 2D floor plan with room areas, multi-room and multi-floor
  • Send a client a link to scan their own space. No site trip.
  • Same scan feeds paint, wallpaper and tile takeoffs
  • PDF plans to share, DXF for AutoCAD
Start for free How 3D room scanning works

Scanning needs an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro with LiDAR.

Room areas from a scan (example)
Living room · 12' 6" × 14' 0"175 sq ft
Bedroom · 11' 0" × 12' 0"132 sq ft
Closet · 3' 0" × 6' 0"18 sq ft
Total325 sq ft

Flooring Calculator FAQ

How much extra flooring should I buy for waste?
Add about 10% for LVP, laminate or hardwood laid straight in a simple room. Go to about 15% for a diagonal layout or a room with lots of jogs, closets and doorways, and about 20% for herringbone or chevron. Carpet waste depends on the 12 ft roll width and where the seams fall, so 10 to 20% is common. Many installers also keep one spare box for future repairs.
How do I calculate flooring for an L-shaped room?
Split the room into two rectangles, measure each one, and add them as two rooms in the calculator. The total square footage is the sum of the two rectangles. Do the same for closets, halls and bump-outs that get the same flooring.
Do I subtract cabinets and kitchen islands?
Subtract the footprint of anything the flooring will not go under, such as fixed cabinets or a built-in island. Leave it in if the flooring runs under the fixture. When in doubt, leave it in: the extra material becomes your waste and repair stock.
How many square feet are in a box of flooring?
It depends on the product and plank size, so there is no single answer. The carton label lists the square feet per box. Enter that number in the calculator and it rounds up to whole boxes.
How do I convert square feet to square yards for carpet?
Divide square feet by 9. A 175 sq ft room is 175 / 9 = 19.4 sq yd before waste. Add waste, then round up to what the store sells.
Can I measure a room for flooring without a tape measure?
Yes. With SiteScope you scan the room with the LiDAR sensor on an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro and get a measured floor plan with each room's area. Room-scale LiDAR scans typically land within a couple of centimeters over a normal room, which is fine for a flooring order. Check critical dimensions before you cut. See how 3D room scanning works.

More Free Calculators

📐 Square Footage Calculator Rectangles, L-shapes, triangles and circles in feet and inches. Also sq m and sq yd. 🧱 Drywall Calculator Sheets for walls and ceiling with openings removed, plus screws, tape and mud. 📏 Baseboard Calculator Linear feet from room perimeter minus doorways, then pieces of stock to buy. 🎨 Paint Calculator Gallons by room or wall, with coats, surface texture and primer. ◧ Tile Calculator Boxes of tile from area and box coverage, with layout waste built in.

Related Guides

Measuring

How to Measure a Room for Flooring

Odd shapes, closets, transitions and when to scan instead.
Estimating

How to Turn a Floor Plan into a Material Estimate

From a room scan or blueprint to quantities and a quote.