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Flooring Calculator

How many boxes of laminate, vinyl or hardwood a room needs, what it costs, and the installed price to quote with labor and markup.
Room size

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

%

Enter a number from 0 to 100%

10% is the usual start for straight plank layouts. Use more, up to about 15%, for diagonal, herringbone or rooms with many corners.

Enter a number from 0 to 1000

Printed on the carton and on the product spec sheet. It varies by product, so check it before you order.

$

Enter a number from 0 to 500

$

Enter a number from 0 to 100000

Lump sum for everything other than the flooring itself.

On: the answer is the price to quote. Off: the material list only.

Enter a number from 0 to 10000

$

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$

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Use instead of hours or on top of them. 0 to skip.

%

Enter a number from 0 to 500%

Covers overhead and profit. A 25% markup is a 20% margin.

Price to quote
$1,236.00
10 boxesFlooring to buy
180 sq ftroom area
198 sq ftwith waste
$0job price $1,236.00
  • Materials
  • Labor
  • Profit
Room area · 15 × 12 ft180 sq ft
With waste · +10%198 sq ft
Boxes · 200 sq ft × $2.50 = $500.0010
Underlayment, trim & transitions$80.00
Materials$580.00
Labor · 180 sq ft × $2.50$450.00
Markup · 20.0% on cost = 16.7% margin$206.00
Price to quote$1,236.00

Let laminate and wood acclimate in the room for a couple of days before installing, and keep one spare box for repairs.

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A one-page PDF for your customer, filled in from the numbers above. Your markup isn't shown.

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How the flooring calculation works

  1. Measure length × width

    A 15 × 12 ft room is 180 sq ft. For L-shaped rooms, split them into rectangles and add the areas.

  2. Add 10% for cuts and waste

    180 sq ft plus 10% is 198 sq ft. Use more, up to about 15%, for diagonal layouts or rooms with many doorways and closets.

  3. Divide by the coverage per box and round up

    At 20 sq ft per box, 198 sq ft is 9.9, so you buy 10 boxes covering 200 sq ft.

  4. Add labor and markup for the quote

    Enter installation as a price per sq ft or as hours × rate, then your markup for overhead and profit.

Worked example. A 15 × 12 ft room is 180 sq ft. With 10% waste you need 198 sq ft, or 10 boxes of 20 sq ft. At $2.50 per sq ft that is $500, plus $80 of underlayment and trim. Labor at $2.50 per sq ft adds $450 and a 20% markup adds $206, so the installed price is $1,236.

Flooring FAQ

How much flooring do I need?

Multiply the room's length by its width, add 10% for waste, and divide by the square feet per box. A 15 × 12 ft room needs about 198 sq ft, or 10 boxes of 20 sq ft.

How much extra flooring should I buy for waste?

Bruce calls 10% the usual starting point for a straight plank layout, with more for diagonal installs, busy patterns, stairs and irregular rooms. Mannington adds 5–15% depending on the product. Follow the waste figure in your product's installation guide, and keep a spare box for repairs.

How many boxes of laminate flooring do I need?

Divide the area plus waste by the coverage printed on the box and round up. Coverage differs between products, so read it off the carton or spec sheet. At 20 sq ft per box, 198 sq ft is 9.9, so you buy 10 boxes.

How do I calculate flooring square footage for an L-shaped room?

Split the room into rectangles, multiply each length by its width and add them. A 15 × 12 ft area plus a 6 × 8 ft nook is 180 + 48 = 228 sq ft. With 10% waste that is 250.8 sq ft, or 13 boxes of 20 sq ft.

How much does a box of flooring cost?

Multiply the price per sq ft by the coverage per box. At $2.50 per sq ft, a 20 sq ft box costs $50, so 10 boxes cost $500 before underlayment, trim and labor.

How much should I charge to install flooring?

Add materials, your labor per sq ft or per hour, and a markup for overhead and profit. Removing old flooring, leveling the subfloor and moving furniture are usually priced as extras.

Can I use this for carpet?

Yes for the area: carpet is often priced per square yard, and one square yard is 9 sq ft. Carpet comes off wide rolls (Shaw sells many styles in 12 ft widths), so seams and room shape can add more waste than plank flooring.

Sources: Bruce: How to buy flooring (waste allowance) · Mannington: What to expect from your floor installation (5–15% waste factor) · Shaw Floors: Live On Comfort carpet spec (12 ft width)

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