Work out how many boxes of flooring to order — area plus the right cutting-waste allowance for your layout, divided by the coverage on the box label.
Coverage per box is printed on the label (typically 18–24 sq ft for planks, ~10 for tile). Get the floor area from the square footage calculator if the room is not a simple rectangle.
Order
28 boxes
500 sq ft + 10% cutting waste = 550 sq ft to order ÷ 20 sq ft per box.
Estimated on your device — measurements never leave your browser.
Turn a floor area into an order quantity: area, plus the honest waste allowance for your
layout, divided by the coverage printed on the box — rounded up to whole boxes, because that’s
how flooring is sold.
How to size a flooring order
Get the floor area in sq ft — for anything beyond one rectangle, sum it in the
square footage calculator first.
Pick the waste allowance that matches the layout (straight 10% · diagonal/stairs 15% ·
herringbone 20%).
Enter the coverage per box from the product label.
Order the box count shown — the breakdown sentence shows exactly how it was computed.
The formula
boxes = ⌈(area × (1 + waste%)) ÷ coverage per box⌉. The rounding is always up: 27.5 boxes
of need is 28 boxes of order. Waste isn’t pessimism — every row ends in a cut, every doorway
and vent needs a notch, and defective boards exist in most batches.
Ordering notes from the trade
Buy all boxes from one dye lot (printed on the box) — color shifts subtly between runs.
Let planks acclimate in the room 48 hours before laying. And the leftover-box advice in the
FAQ is real: a repair five years out will match only if the boards came from your original
batch. Painting the same room? The paint calculator does
walls the same honest way.
Private by design
Everything computes on your device as you type — no measurements are uploaded or stored.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
How much extra flooring should I order?
The standard cutting-waste allowances: 10% for a straight lay in a simple room, 15% for diagonal layouts or rooms with many corners and stairs, 20% for herringbone and other intricate patterns. Below 5% you will be counting offcuts and praying; installers rarely go under 7–8% even on big simple floors.
Why order by boxes instead of exact square feet?
Flooring sells in sealed boxes, and coverage per box varies by product (planks typically 18–24 sq ft, tile often ~10). The calculator divides your waste-inclusive area by the coverage printed on the label and rounds UP — a part-box needed means a whole box bought.
Should I keep the leftover boxes?
Keep at least one unopened box (or a few planks) for future repairs — dye lots change between production runs, so a board bought two years later will not quite match. Unopened extra boxes are usually returnable; check before you assume.
Does waste percentage depend on plank direction?
Yes — running planks parallel to the longest wall wastes least; a diagonal (45°) lay cuts every edge board at an angle and pushes waste toward 15%. Pattern floors (herringbone, chevron) sacrifice the most because both ends of many boards get angle-cut.