How this calculator works
Laminate, vinyl plank and engineered hardwood are sold by the box, and each box states the floor area it covers. The room area is multiplied by the waste allowance and divided by that coverage, then rounded up, because a dealer sells whole boxes. The waste covers cuts at walls and doorways, the offcut at the end of a plank run and the odd damaged board.
Formula
A = L × W; boxes = ceil(A × (1 + waste%) ÷ coverage per box). Coverage may be entered in ft² or m²; the room area is converted to the same unit first.
Worked example
A 15 × 12 ft room is 180 ft² (16.72 m²). At 20 ft² per box and 7% waste, 192.6 ft² of flooring is needed, so 10 boxes. A 4.0 × 5.0 m room at 2.22 m² per box and 5% waste also needs 10 boxes.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I add more for a herringbone pattern?
Yes. Angled and herringbone layouts waste more at every wall and around every doorway, so use 10 to 15% rather than the 5 to 7% for a straight lay.
What about underlay?
Underlay covers the same floor area as the planks, so order it for the measured area, not the box-adjusted area, plus a small overlap at the seams.
Why is the area shown as well as the boxes?
Area is what you measure and what underlay is sold by; boxes are what the flooring is sold by. Showing both keeps the two orders separate and avoids mixing the waste allowance into the underlay figure.