Finishes
Flooring Calculator
Turn a room measurement into a whole-pack flooring estimate. The calculator deducts areas you will not cover, adds the allowance you choose and divides by the coverage stated for one pack. It suits products sold by coverage, including many laminate, vinyl and wood flooring packs.
The calculation
Calculate the net floor area and apply a waste allowance for cuts and spare stock. Divide by the coverage printed on one flooring pack, then round up to complete packs. Pack coverage varies by product.
A 20 m² floor with 10% waste needs 22 m² of flooring. If one pack covers 2.2 m², the estimate is 10 complete packs. A different laying pattern may need a different allowance.
- Room length
- 5 m
- Room width
- 4 m
- Floor area to subtract
- 0 m²
- Area covered by one pack
- 2.2 m²
- Waste allowance
- 10 %
Packs to buy10
Net floor area20 m²
Detailed guide (English)
How pack rounding works
Net floor area = length × width − excluded area. Required coverage = net area × (1 + waste percentage ÷ 100). Packs to buy = required coverage ÷ coverage per pack, rounded upward. Enter the coverage of a full pack, not the size of a single plank.
Pack rounding can create extra material beyond the selected allowance. For example, a result of 8.05 packs still means nine complete packs. Keep the required coverage and purchased coverage separate when reviewing the budget or discussing returns with the retailer.
Use the right product coverage
Look for m² or ft² per pack on the carton or product listing. Products with similar-looking boards may contain different numbers of boards and different covered areas. A pack’s length and width on the shipping label describe the package, not the installed coverage.
Use the area unit displayed by the calculator. When a supplier quotes square feet but your form uses square metres, convert the pack coverage as an area. One square foot is 0.09290304 m². Changing the room’s measurement unit does not make an unlabelled pack value safe to assume.
Plan for cuts and separate accessories
Quick-Step’s guidance gives 5% extra as an example for a regular room and 10% for more difficult shapes. Those figures belong to that guidance, not every flooring product or pattern. Follow the chosen product’s instructions and review the layout with the installer.
Underlay, trims, thresholds and skirting require their own quantities. An area calculation also cannot determine expansion details, subfloor suitability or moisture preparation. For several rooms, total the required coverage of the same product before rounding to packs if the supplier allows the order to be shared across rooms.
Worked example
Example: flooring sold in 2.2 m² packs
A 5 m × 4 m room has 20 m² of floor. A chosen 10% allowance raises the required coverage to 22 m². At 2.2 m² per pack, you need 10 packs. If the requirement were 22.1 m², rounding upward would mean 11 packs.
Common questions
Can I subtract fitted furniture?
Subtract only areas that the intended installation will leave uncovered. Confirm the flooring layout around fixed furniture before making that deduction.
Is a pack the same as a box or carton?
Suppliers use those terms differently. The calculation needs the actual covered area of the unit they sell; check its product label rather than relying on the name.
Sources and references
Manufacturer and measurement references for the assumptions described above.