How to Measure a Room for Flooring or Tile

Measure the true floor area

Area is width × length. For an L-shaped or broken-up room, split it into rectangles, measure each, and add them together. Include closets and doorways you're flooring, and measure the widest points.

Try it Flooring Calculator → Find how many boxes of laminate, vinyl plank or hardwood you need for a room, with a waste allowance and rough cost.

Add a waste allowance

You always lose material to end cuts, and the first and last rows are rarely full width. Add waste on top of the measured area:

• 8% for straight-laid planks or standard tile.
• 10% for tile or angled rooms with more cuts.
• 15% for diagonal or herringbone layouts, and for large-format tile that can't be salvaged.

Convert to boxes

Flooring is sold by the box, so divide the area-with-waste by the box's coverage and round up. A 12 × 14 room (168 sq ft) with 8% waste is about 182 sq ft; at 20 sq ft per box that's 10 boxes. Luxury vinyl plank boxes cover more, so you'd buy fewer.

• Check the actual coverage printed on the box — it varies by product.
• Buy it all up front and confirm the lot numbers match; shade drifts between runs.
• Keep one full box after the job — discontinued lines are impossible to match later.