In most cases, your installer or contractor will calculate the total square footage needed for your flooring project, including the appropriate amount of overage for waste and layout cuts. However, if you’re calculating it yourself, the process is fairly straightforward for standard rooms.
To determine the square footage, measure the length and width of each room or area you plan to floor, then multiply those two numbers together to get the surface area in square feet. For example, a room that is 15′ X 12′ feet wide would be 180 square feet.
Once you’ve measured each area, add all the totals together for your complete project size. Then, add an additional 10% to account for waste, which covers things like trimming, fitting around corners or for future repairs. In some cases—such as when using wider widths, complex layouts, or irregularly shaped rooms—you may want to increase the waste factor.
Here’s a simple formula:
(Length × Width) + 10% waste = Total square footage to order