Flooring planning guide

How Much Flooring Do I Need?

Measure the installation area, add an allowance for cuts and waste, then round up to complete cartons using the coverage printed on your flooring package.

Flooring quantity by room size

Room sizeRoom areaWith 10% extra18 ft² / box20 ft² / box24 ft² / box
8 × 10 ft80 ft²88 ft²5 boxes5 boxes4 boxes
10 × 10 ft100 ft²111 ft²7 boxes6 boxes5 boxes
10 × 12 ft120 ft²132 ft²8 boxes7 boxes6 boxes
12 × 12 ft144 ft²159 ft²9 boxes8 boxes7 boxes
12 × 15 ft180 ft²199 ft²12 boxes10 boxes9 boxes
12 × 20 ft240 ft²264 ft²15 boxes14 boxes11 boxes
15 × 15 ft225 ft²248 ft²14 boxes13 boxes11 boxes
15 × 20 ft300 ft²330 ft²19 boxes17 boxes14 boxes
20 × 20 ft400 ft²441 ft²25 boxes23 boxes19 boxes

These examples use 10% extra. Use the actual carton coverage and an allowance appropriate for your flooring, layout and installation method.

How to calculate flooring

Multiply room length by room width to get square footage. Add your waste allowance, divide by the coverage per carton, and round up to a whole carton.

Example: 12 × 15 room

A 12 × 15 ft room is 180 ft². With 10% extra, plan for 198 ft². If each carton covers 20 ft², you need 10 cartons, giving 200 ft² of purchased coverage.

Calculate your exact room

Enter your room dimensions, waste allowance and the coverage printed on your flooring carton.

Open Flooring Calculator →

How much waste should you add?

Waste depends on the material, room shape, pattern, plank or tile size, installer method and whether you want spare material for future repairs. Ten percent is a useful planning example, not a requirement for every project.

For tile quantities and related tools, browse the Flooring & Tile Planning Hub.