Free calculator
Flooring calculator
Work out how much flooring you need in square metres, then how many packs to order. Add each room, pick how the floor is laid, and the wastage is added for you. Works for LVT, laminate and wood.
Not sure how to measure? Read our measuring guide
Measure your rooms
Measure at the widest points, in metres. Split an L-shaped room into two rectangles.
How will it be laid?
Patterns need more spare, because every piece that meets a wall is cut at an angle.
Which floor?
Pack sizes vary a lot, from about 1 m² to nearly 4 m². Check the product page if you are not sure.
Colour
Your answer
How to work out how much flooring you need
1. Measure each room in metres. Length times width gives square metres. Measure at the widest points and round each measurement up to the nearest 10 cm. Include bays, alcoves and doorways.
2. Add wastage. 10% for a straight lay in a normal room. 15% for herringbone at 45°, chevron, diagonal or awkward rooms. Up to 20% for small, narrow or broken-up spaces.
3. Divide by what one pack covers. The figure is on every product page. Herringbone packs usually cover less than plank packs of the same range.
4. Round up to whole packs. Always up. Running short means a second delivery, and the new packs may come from a different batch.
Worked examples
Living room, straight plank
- Room: 5.1 m × 4.2 m = 21.42 m²
- Plus 10%: 21.42 × 1.1 = 23.56 m²
- Daytona plank, 3.685 m² a pack: 23.56 ÷ 3.685 = 6.39
Round up: 7 packs, covering 25.80 m²
Hallway, herringbone at 45°
- Hallway: 6.4 m × 1.2 m = 7.68 m²
- Narrow space, so plus 20%: 7.68 × 1.2 = 9.22 m²
- Daytona herringbone, 2.926 m² a pack: 9.22 ÷ 2.926 = 3.15
Round up: 4 packs, covering 11.70 m²
Square metres: the quick way
A square metre (m²) is a square 1 m long and 1 m wide. To find the m² of a room, multiply its length by its width in metres. A room 4 m by 3.5 m is 14 m².
If you measured in feet, multiply square feet by 0.0929 to get square metres. If you measured in centimetres, divide each measurement by 100 first.
Common questions
How much extra flooring should I order for wastage?
10% for a straight lay in a normal room. 15% for herringbone at 45°, chevron, diagonal lays or awkward rooms. Up to 20% for small, narrow or broken-up rooms. The calculator adds the right amount for the pattern you pick.
How many packs of flooring do I need?
Take the area with wastage and divide it by the m² one pack covers, then round up to the next whole pack. For example, 23.56 m² of Daytona plank at 3.685 m² a pack is 6.39, so you order 7 packs.
Do I need to include cupboards and doorways?
Include doorways, bays and alcoves. Only deduct fitted units or islands if they are large. Deducting a small area saves less than one bad cut wastes.
How do I measure an L-shaped room?
Split it into two rectangles. Work out the m² of each, then add them together. Use the Add another room button above for each part.
Should I add wastage to each room or to the total?
If the rooms get the same floor, add the rooms together first, then add wastage once. Working room by room rounds up too many times. Use the higher wastage figure if the rooms are laid differently.
Does herringbone need more flooring than plank?
The floor area is the same, but you need more spare when herringbone is laid at 45°, because every piece at the wall is an angled cut. Herringbone laid square to the walls needs about the same as a plank floor.
Can I order one more pack later?
You can, but it may come from a different batch, and colour can shift slightly between runs. Order the whole job at once and keep a spare pack for repairs.
Does this work for laminate and wood?
Yes. The maths is the same for any floor sold in packs. Choose Another floor and type in the pack size from the product page.
Want the room checked? Order free samples first, or send us your measurements and we will check the packs for you.