Flooring Calculator

This flooring calculator works out how much laminate, engineered or hardwood flooring you need for any room. Enter the room size and waste allowance to get the floor area, the number of packs and underlay, plus an optional latex screed estimate.

Part of:Flooring hub
m
m
%
mm

How to Use This Calculator

What This Flooring Calculator Does

This flooring calculator turns your room size into a shopping list. It works out the floor area, adds your chosen waste allowance for cuts, then divides by the pack coverage to tell you how many packs of laminate, engineered or hardwood flooring to buy — plus the underlay rolls and an optional latex screed estimate for levelling the subfloor.

How to Use

  1. Enter your room length and width.
  2. Select the flooring type.
  3. Set a waste percentage, and optionally a latex screed depth if the subfloor needs levelling.

Typical Waste Allowance by Layout

LayoutSuggested waste
Straight / brick bond10%
Diagonal15%
Herringbone / chevron15–20%
Room with many alcoves15%

Worked Example

A living room 5 m long and 4 m wide is 20 m². Add 10% waste for a straight lay and you need about 22 m². If each pack covers 2.2 m², that is 22 ÷ 2.2 = 10 packs. The flooring calculator rounds up to whole packs and adds the underlay automatically.

Tips

  • Laminate and engineered boards are sold in packs covering roughly 2.2 m² (about 23.7 sq ft).
  • Add 10% waste for straight layouts and 15% for diagonal or herringbone.
  • Latex screed is usually applied at 2–5 mm to level an uneven subfloor before laying.

Related Calculators

Choosing a floor finish? Compare with the carpet calculator and the tile calculator, or level the base first with the screed calculator.

Common Questions

How does this flooring calculator work?

This flooring calculator measures your room area, adds a waste allowance, then divides by the pack coverage to give the number of flooring packs and underlay rolls you need, rounding up to whole packs.

How much flooring do I need for a room?

Measure length × width and add about 10% for waste. An average 4×5 m room needs roughly 22 m² of flooring.

Do I need underlay?

Yes for laminate and engineered wood. It is not usually needed for solid hardwood or vinyl click flooring.

How much extra flooring should I buy for waste?

Allow about 10% for straight layouts and up to 15–20% for diagonal or herringbone patterns and rooms with many cuts.

What is latex screed used for?

Latex screed is a self-levelling compound poured over an uneven subfloor before laying flooring. Typical depth is 2–5 mm.

Related Calculators

Further Reading