Flooring Calculator
Sq ft, boxes and planks — including the cuts you'll actually need.
Room area:
Boxes to buy:
Total sq ft with waste:
How to use this calculator
Enter the room length, width, waste allowance and square feet per box, then press Calculate. Room area, boxes to buy and total square feet are shown.
Worked example
A 12 ft by 14 ft room is 168 square feet. At a 10% waste allowance that becomes about 185 sq ft of material. If each box of planks covers 20 sq ft, you need 185 / 20 = 9.25, so round up to 10 boxes. Never buy exactly 9 - you will run short at the last row.
Why waste allowance matters
Every room has cuts at walls, doorways and corners, and planks rarely break on your mark. Straight lays use 5-10%; diagonal and herringbone patterns can use 15% or more because of angled cuts at every wall.
What the result means
The tool returns the total square footage to buy and the number of boxes. Boxes hold a fixed area, so always round the box count up - leftover unopened boxes can usually be returned.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy extra for future repairs?
Yes if you can - a spare box of the same dye lot is the cheapest insurance against a stain or plank damage years later when the style is discontinued.
Slightly overestimating is always cheaper than underestimating: a second trip to the store for one more box means a separate dye lot that may not match, plus a wasted afternoon. Round up to the nearest box and keep the receipt for returns.