Tile Calculator
Choosing tile for a wet area instead of planks.
Laminate, vinyl & wood
How many boxes of flooring do I need?
Enter the room length and width, pick the box coverage and layout, and the flooring calculator returns the number of boxes. A 12 × 14 ft living room is 168 sq ft; with the 10% waste used for plank layouts you need about 185 sq ft → 10 boxes at 20 sq ft per box.
Order your floor around the box coverage printed on the carton, not an assumed one-size number. The calculator works in both feet and meters, handles more than one room (or several rectangular sections of an L-shaped space), and applies the waste that matches your layout — 5% for straight runs, 10% for staggered planks, 15% for diagonal or herringbone — so the job is finished without a second trip to the store.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes of flooring do I need for a 12×14 room?
A 12 × 14 ft room is 168 sq ft. With 10% waste for a staggered layout you need about 185 sq ft — that's 10 boxes at 20 sq ft per box. Adjust the box coverage field to your exact carton size.
Should I buy an extra box of flooring?
Yes — keep one full unopened box for future repairs. Laminate and vinyl runs are discontinued frequently, and a matching plank later can be impossible to find. The waste allowance in this calculator does not replace that spare box.
What's the difference between 5% and 10% flooring waste?
Straight-laid boards waste only the end cut of each row — about 5%. Staggered layouts alternate start pieces, so more material is trimmed per row — figure 10%. Diagonal and herringbone patterns waste 15% or more.
Does the calculator include underlayment?
No — this tool counts finished floor area and cartons only. Many laminate and vinyl products have the underlayment pad attached; if yours doesn't, buy the same square footage of underlayment plus the same waste percentage.
How do I measure an L-shaped room or a room with a closet?
Split an L-shape into two rectangles and enter each one as its own room in the calculator — the totals add up automatically, and the layout waste you choose also covers the extra end cuts around the corner and the closet opening.
How many square feet are in a box of laminate flooring?
Most boxes cover between 15 and 25 sq ft, but the number varies by brand and plank width — never assume. Read the coverage on the carton and enter that exact figure in the "box coverage" field for a precise box count.
Flooring Calculator
Imperial
ft
ft
Used for the default box coverage below.
sq ft / box
Cartons cover ~15–30 sq ft. Check the label.
Layout / waste
Enter your room size to see the result.
–
sq ft
Boxes can't always be split — plan on full cartons when ordering.
How it works
How to use this flooring calculator
1Measure the room
Length × width in feet. For closets that share the same flooring, measure them and add the square footage to the main room.
- Measure to the back of every closet, not the door frame.
- For L-shaped rooms, split into two rectangles and add them.
- For a whole floor, add all rooms before applying waste once.
2Find the box coverage
Flooring is sold by the carton and every brand covers a different area — 15, 18, 20, 25 sq ft are all common. Look on the end label before ordering.
- Laminate & vinyl plank cartons: usually 18–30 sq ft.
- Engineered hardwood: often 20–30 sq ft.
- Wide planks and shorter boards = more waste per box.
3Match waste to the layout
Straight planks laid parallel waste about 5%, staggered plank layouts 10%, and diagonal or herringbone patterns 15% or more. The calculator also assumes you keep a full box for future repairs — always a good idea with laminate and vinyl.
The math
Flooring quantity formula
Flooring needed = room area × (1 + waste)
Boxes needed = flooring needed ÷ sq ft per box (rounded up to whole cartons)
Worked example — 12 × 14 ft room = 168 sq ft; staggered planks at 10%; boxes of 20 sq ft:
168 × 1.1 = 184.8 sq ft; ÷ 20 = 9.24 → buy 10 boxes.
168 × 1.1 = 184.8 sq ft; ÷ 20 = 9.24 → buy 10 boxes.
Waste guide
Flooring waste by layout
| Layout | Waste | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Straight, planks run parallel | 5% | End cuts only |
| Staggered brick / random | 10% | Most common for laminate |
| Diagonal to the wall | 15% | Angled cuts at every wall |
| Herringbone / parquet | 15–20% | Short pieces, lots of cuts |
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