How Much Flooring Do You Need?

Measure each room's length and width in feet. Multiply length × width to get the square footage. Add up all rooms for the total.

Add a waste factor to account for cuts, fitting, and damaged pieces. Standard waste is 10% for rectangular rooms with straight installations. Bump to 15% for diagonal layouts or rooms with many corners and obstacles.

Check your flooring product's box coverage (printed on the packaging). Divide your total square footage (with waste) by the box coverage to find how many boxes to buy. Always round up— partial boxes don't exist.

Don't forget underlayment.Most floating floors (LVP, laminate, engineered hardwood) need underlayment beneath them. Some products have it pre-attached — check before buying separately.

For tile, you'll also need thinset mortar and grout. Plan on one bag of thinset per ~50 sq ft and one bag of grout per ~25 sq ft, though this varies by tile size and joint width.