Interior

Flooring Calculator: Square Footage, Boxes and Cost

Square footage, boxes to buy and an installed cost range for vinyl, laminate, hardwood, tile or carpet.

Your measurements

Flooring to buy

8boxes

Covers 181 sq ft including 8% waste

Floor area
168 sq ft
With waste allowance8% for a straight install
181 sq ft
Boxes to buy
8
Material cost$3–$7 per sq ft, material only
$504 – $1,176
Installed costMaterial plus typical labour
$840 – $2,016
UnderlaymentSkip if your plank has it pre-attached
168 sq ft
  • Carpet is sold from a 12 ft wide roll, so a room wider than 12 ft needs a seam — and the offcut from a 13 ft room is mostly waste. Measure the roll direction before ordering.
  • Acclimate hardwood and laminate in the room for 48–72 hours before installing. Skipping this is the single most common cause of buckling and gaps.
  • Keep one unopened box. Plank runs change colour between production batches and a future repair needs a match.

How this is calculated

  • Floor area is length × width. Add each alcove or bay separately and sum them rather than averaging an irregular room.
  • Waste is 8% for a straight plank install, 15% diagonal, 20% herringbone — driven by how many perimeter cuts leave an unusable offcut.
  • Boxes are the padded area divided by the carton coverage, rounded up. Carpet is reported in square yards instead, because it is sold from a 12 ft roll rather than in cartons.
  • Cost ranges are typical 2025–2026 US retail: material only, then material plus labour. Regional labour rates swing these by 20–40%.

Quantities are rounded up, because materials are sold in whole units and a second trip costs more than a spare box. Cost figures are typical US ranges and are not a quote — always price against your own supplier.

Frequently asked questions

How much extra flooring should I order?

8–10% for a straight install in a simple rectangular room, 15% for diagonal, and 20% for herringbone or a room with lots of doorways, closets and jogs. The waste is not padding — it is the offcuts that are too short to start a new row.

How many boxes of flooring do I need for 500 square feet?

At 8% waste that is 540 sq ft to cover. With a typical 24 sq ft carton, 23 boxes. Always check the carton — coverage varies from 18 to 30 sq ft between products.

Is the cost per square foot material or installed?

This calculator shows both. Material-only is what you pay at the store; installed adds roughly $2–$5 per sq ft for labour depending on the product and whether old flooring has to come up first.

Know the quantities. Now see the room.

You have the numbers for the job. Upload a photo of the room and see what it looks like finished, in any style, before you buy a single box.

Try the AI room designer

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