Flooring is sold by the box, and every pattern wastes a different amount on cuts. This calculator turns your room measurements into planks and boxes for hardwood, laminate or vinyl, using waste allowances that match the way the boards will actually be laid.
Flooring Calculator
Work out how many planks and boxes you need for hardwood, laminate or vinyl, waste allowance included.
Assumptions: the room is treated as one rectangle, so measure alcoves and connected spaces separately and add them together. Waste covers cuts, damaged boards and pattern matching. Buy all boxes from the same production batch where possible, and keep the leftover boards for future repairs.
How it works
- Enter the room length and width, in feet or metres.
- Pick a plank size from the presets or enter a custom board size.
- Choose the laying pattern, straight, staggered, diagonal or herringbone, each with its own waste level.
- Enter the coverage per box from your supplier to get boxes to buy and the spare coverage left over.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the pattern change how much flooring I need?
Diagonal and herringbone layouts cut far more boards at angles, and many of those offcuts cannot be reused. Straight and staggered layouts reuse most offcuts at the next row, so they waste much less.
Can I just measure the room and divide by the box coverage?
That gives the minimum with no allowance, which nearly always runs short in practice. Adding the waste percentage for your pattern first is what keeps the job moving without an emergency order.
What should I do with leftover boards?
Keep them. A damaged board can be replaced years later only if you have the same product and batch, and product lines are discontinued often. A part box stored flat in a dry place is worth keeping.