Flooring
Flooring Calculator
Enter your room size and the coverage printed on the pack to get the packs to buy and what you will have left over.
Results update as you type. Nothing to sign up for.
Measurements
Material
Sets a sensible waste allowance for that material.
Printed on the pack, for example 2.2 m².
You need approximately
10packs
of laminate to buy
Floor area
20m²
With waste
21.6m²
Per pack
2.2m²
You will have
22m²
Area
- Floor area
- 20 m²
- With 8% waste
- 21.6 m²
Packs
- Coverage per pack
- 2.2 m²
- Packs needed
- 9.82before rounding
- Packs to buy
- 10
- Total coverage bought
- 22 m²
- Left over
- 2 m²keep a board or two for repairs
What to buy
Laminate
10 packs
covers 22 m²
Want a cost too?
Add your prices in the cost section of the form. We never guess prices — a made-up figure is worse than none.
How to measure a room for flooring
- Measure wall to wall at the widest points, then multiply length by width for each rectangular part of the room.
- Split L-shaped rooms, bay windows and alcoves into rectangles and add their areas.
- Read the pack coverage from the product label; it is more reliable than counting boards by eye.
Metric: Enter room dimensions in metres and pack coverage in square metres.
Imperial: Enter dimensions in feet and pack coverage in square feet; the calculator keeps both in the same system.
How to work out how much flooring you need
- Measure the length and width of the room and multiply them for the floor area.
- Add a waste allowance — about 8% for laminate and vinyl, 10–12% for wood.
- Find the coverage per pack, printed on the packaging in square metres or square feet.
- Divide the area including waste by the pack coverage and round up. Shops sell whole packs.
- Keep a spare board or two after fitting, in case of damage later.
Assumptions
These are the defaults behind a new calculation. You can change the relevant values in the calculator; the result always shows the assumptions it used.
Waste allowance: 8%
Industry rule of thumb — Suitable for laminate or vinyl in a straightforward room; wood, patterns and complex cuts need more.
Underlay overlap: 5%
Industry rule of thumb — Allows for trimming and overlaps where the selected flooring needs underlay.
The flooring formula
Floor area = length × width
Area with waste = floor area × (1 + waste %)
Packs = area with waste ÷ coverage per pack, rounded up
Coverage bought = packs × coverage per pack
Example: a 5 × 4 m room in laminate
The floor is 20 m². With an 8% allowance you need 21.6 m². At 2.2 m² a pack that is 9.82 packs, so you buy 10 packs — 22 m², leaving 2 m² spare.
Frequently asked questions
How much extra flooring should I buy?
Around 8% for laminate and vinyl plank, 10% for engineered wood and 12% for solid wood. Go higher for diagonal or herringbone patterns, or for a room with lots of alcoves and corners.
How do I measure an L-shaped room?
Split it into rectangles, calculate each one separately and add them together. Measure at the widest points and include any doorway recesses you plan to floor.
Do I need underlay?
Most floating floors — laminate, engineered wood, some LVT — need underlay for comfort, sound and moisture. Turn on the underlay switch above and we size it to the room area with a small overlap.
Why buy whole packs?
Flooring is sold in sealed packs with a fixed coverage, so the practical answer is always a whole number of packs. Rounding up is what leaves you the spares you need for cuts.
Should I acclimatise the flooring first?
Wood and laminate usually need 48 hours in the room they will be fitted in, still in their packs. Check the manufacturer instructions — fitting straight from a cold van is a common cause of gaps later.