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Floor area calculator

Work out the floor area of one room or a whole house in square metres or square feet. Add a waste allowance and pack size to see how much laminate, LVT or tile flooring to buy. It's a planning figure: a home measure confirms the real quantities.

Floor area calculator

Estimate your floor area and packs

Add your rooms and we'll work out the total area, add a waste allowance for cuts and pattern matching, and estimate the number of packs. It runs entirely in your browser — nothing is sent or stored. Treat the result as a planning estimate; a home measure confirms the real quantities.

Measurement units

Planning estimate

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Total floor area

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Including 10% waste

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Packs required

Packs are rounded up to the next whole pack. Add your pack coverage to estimate packs.

Send these figures with my enquiry Book a home measure

How this is worked out

  • Each room's area = length × width. Imperial inputs are converted to metres first.
  • Total area is the sum of all rooms. The waste allowance is added on top of the total.
  • Packs = area including waste ÷ pack coverage, rounded up to the next whole pack.
  • This is a rough planning figure only. It is not a cutting plan or a stair measurement, and it doesn't allow for pattern repeats, thresholds or awkward shapes.

How to calculate floor area

Floor area is length multiplied by width. Measure each room wall to wall at its longest and widest points, multiply the two figures and you have the area in square metres (m²). Round your measurements up to the nearest 10 cm rather than down, so you never come up short.

Worked example

A lounge measures 5.1 m by 3.8 m. The floor area is 5.1 × 3.8 = 19.38 m². With a 10% waste allowance that becomes about 21.3 m². If the laminate you like covers 2.22 m² per pack, you need 21.3 ÷ 2.22 = 9.6, so you'd buy 10 packs.

L-shaped and irregular rooms

Split the room into simple rectangles, measure each one and add them together. Include alcoves, bay windows and the floor inside door openings, because flooring usually runs to the centre of the door or to a threshold strip. Add each section as a separate row in the calculator.

Square feet and square metres

Flooring in the UK is sold by the square metre, but older plans and some tape measures use feet and inches. One square metre is about 10.76 square feet, and one square foot is about 0.093 square metres. The calculator takes either and shows both.

Waste allowance by flooring type

  • Laminate and click LVT, straight lay: often around 5 to 10%, more in small or awkward rooms.
  • Diagonal, herringbone or chevron layouts: commonly 10 to 15% or more.
  • Carpet and sheet vinyl: bought by roll width, so plan the cut rather than adding a percentage.
  • Stairs: measured per tread and riser, not by floor area. See our guide to measuring carpet for stairs and landings.

Every product is different, so check the manufacturer's guidance. Our guide onhow much extra flooring to allow for wastegoes into more detail, and how to measure a room for flooringcovers measuring step by step.

From floor area to a quotation

If you're in or around Burton-on-Trent, you can send your calculator results straight to us with the button below for an indicative estimate on carpet,sheet vinyl, laminate or LVT. A home measure then confirms the quantities before a written quotation.

Floor area questions

How do I calculate the floor area of a room?
Measure the length and the width of the room at their longest points, in metres, and multiply them. A room 4.2 m long and 3.5 m wide has a floor area of 14.7 m². For an L-shaped or irregular room, split it into rectangles, work out each one and add them together.
How do I convert square feet to square metres?
Multiply square feet by 0.0929 to get square metres, or divide square metres by 0.0929 to get square feet. One square metre is about 10.76 square feet. The calculator above accepts feet and inches and shows the result in both units.
How much extra flooring should I allow for waste?
Around 5 to 10% is a common allowance for laminate and LVT laid in a straight pattern in a simple room. Allow more for awkward rooms with lots of corners, diagonal layouts and patterns such as herringbone, which can need 10 to 15% or more. Always check the manufacturer's guidance for the product you're buying.
Does floor area tell me how much carpet or sheet vinyl to buy?
Not on its own. Carpet and sheet vinyl come off a roll in fixed widths, commonly 4 m and sometimes 5 m, so the amount you buy depends on how the roll is cut to fit the room and where any joins fall. A room can need noticeably more than its floor area. An on-site measure works out the actual cut.
How do I work out how many packs of laminate or LVT I need?
Take the floor area plus your waste allowance, divide it by the coverage printed on one pack (for example 2.0 m² per pack) and round up to the next whole pack. Enter the pack coverage into the calculator and it does this for you.
Should I include the area under kitchen units or fitted furniture?
Usually not. Most floating floors and sheet floors are not laid under fitted kitchen units, so measure the open floor up to the plinths. If the units are coming out as part of a refit, measure the whole room.

Helpful next

Guide

How to measure a room for flooring

A simple, reliable way to measure a room for carpet, laminate, vinyl or LVT, including which measurement to record and how much extra to allow.

Read more

Guide

How much extra flooring should you allow for waste?

How much waste to add when ordering flooring, why the figure changes with the room and pattern, and how to avoid running short.

Read more

Calculator

Flooring budget planner

Turn your area into an indicative budget.

Read more

Tell us about your flooring project

Send your room details, rough sizes and what you're considering. We'll review the information and respond with an indicative estimate or recommend a home measure.

Start your flooring enquiryBook a home measure