Flooring and laminate calculator
Estimate parquet or laminate to buy: area, cutting waste, packs, underlay, skirting boards, surplus and budget.
This choice applies to every calculator; amounts are not converted.
Flooring / laminate calculation
Turn your floor area into the number of packs to buy, including underlay, skirting and surplus.
Skirting & budget
Underlay rolls
Skirting length required
Number of skirting boards
Budget
Calculation details
Was this tool useful?
How does this tool work?
Wood and laminate flooring is sold in packs whose coverage is printed on the label, rarely by the loose square metre. This calculator turns the room area into the number of packs to buy after the cutting allowance, then adds underlay rolls, the skirting length and number of boards, the surplus left over and, if you enter a price, the flooring budget.
The area is calculated from the room dimensions or entered directly. The cutting allowance increases it, then the area to plan is divided by one pack’s coverage and rounded up. The purchased area is the number of packs multiplied by their coverage.
Underlay is counted on the net area, roll by roll. Skirting follows the room perimeter, 2 × (length + width), minus door widths; that length divided by one skirting board’s length gives the number of pieces, rounded up.
Flooring is usually ordered in full packs, so the calculated surface plus waste must still be rounded up to the available pack size. Diagonal layouts and rooms with many corners generally create more offcuts than a straight layout in a rectangular room.
How to use this tool
Measure the room
Enter length and width, or a known area if the room is not rectangular.
Choose the cutting allowance
Use a lower value for straight laying in a simple room, a higher one for diagonal laying or an awkward room.
Copy the pack label
Enter the area one pack covers and, if needed, the area of an underlay roll.
Add skirting
In dimensions mode, enter the total door width and the length of one skirting board.
From square metres to packs
The pack count depends on area, allowance and pack size, never on area alone.
Packs
N = ⌈A × (1 + allowance) ÷ Cp⌉
Cp is the area of one pack.
Surplus
Surplus = N × Cp − A
Purchased area minus actual room area.
Skirting boards
P = ⌈(2 × (L + W) − doors) ÷ Ls⌉
d is the total door width, Ls the length of one board.
- A
- room area (m²)
- a
- cutting allowance as a fraction
- L, W
- room length and width (m)
- Ls
- length of one skirting board (m)
Skirting is only calculated in dimensions mode, because an area alone does not give the perimeter. Mitre cuts and skirting offcuts are not added: plan one extra board if the room has many corners.
Use cases
Bedroom laminate refit
Know how many packs, underlay rolls and skirting boards to buy in one trip.
Compare two products
See how a 1.8 m² or 2.22 m² pack changes the surplus and the budget.
Diagonal or herringbone laying
Raise the allowance to see how many extra packs a pattern with more offcuts needs.
Examples
5 × 4 m bedroom
21.6 ÷ 2.22 = 9.73, rounded to 10 packs. The 18 m perimeter minus the door gives 17.1 m, or 7.1 lengths of 2.40 m.
Input
5 m × 4 m, 8% allowance, 2.22 m² packs, 15 m² underlay rolls, 0.90 m door, 2.40 m skirtingResult
20 m², 21.6 m² to plan, 10 packs, 22.2 m² bought, 2.2 m² surplus, 2 rolls, 17.1 m of skirting, 8 boards6 × 3.5 m living room laid diagonally
The higher allowance for diagonal laying takes the count from 13 to 14 packs compared with a 5% allowance.
Input
6 m × 3.5 m, 12% allowance, 1.8 m² packs, 10 m² underlay rolls, 1.70 m of doors, 2.20 m skirtingResult
21 m², 23.52 m² to plan, 14 packs, 25.2 m² bought, 4.2 m² surplus, 3 rolls, 17.3 m of skirting, 8 boardsTips and best practices
- Buy every pack from the same production batch to avoid shade differences between deliveries.
- Let the packs acclimatise flat in the room before laying, for the time the manufacturer specifies.
- Keep at least one spare pack to replace a damaged board later: the product line may be discontinued.
- Leave the perimeter expansion gap the instructions require; the skirting is there to hide it.
Sources and references
Frequently asked questions
What waste allowance should I add?
Manufacturers often recommend 5 to 10% extra for straight laying. Diagonal, chevron or herringbone patterns, or a room with many recesses, justify a higher allowance.
How many packs for 20 m²?
With an 8% allowance and 2.22 m² packs, plan 21.6 m², which is 10 packs. With 1.8 m² packs you would need 12.
Does underlay need an allowance?
The calculator counts it on the net area because strips are butted edge to edge. If the instructions require overlaps or upstands at the walls, add a roll.
How do I count skirting boards?
Work out the room perimeter, subtract door widths and divide by one board’s length, rounding up. The calculator does this in dimensions mode.
Can I calculate an L-shaped room?
Yes: split it into rectangles, add their areas and enter the total in known-area mode. For skirting, measure the actual perimeter separately.
Which installation rules apply?
Floating floors follow the manufacturer’s instructions and national practice standards, such as BS 8201 in the UK or NF DTU 51.11 in France. They define underlay, expansion gaps and acceptable subfloors; the calculator does not check them.
Related tools
Keep going with these tools
Tools similar or complementary to this one.
Similar tools
Calculate tiles, boxes and quantities to order.
Construction & renovationFeaturedUse this tool
Calculate paintable area, litres required and paint containers to buy.
Construction & renovationFeaturedUse this tool
Estimate decking boards, joists, fixings and waste.
Construction & renovationUse this tool
Read next
GuideBest practicesBeginner
How much flooring: packs, underlay and skirting
How much flooring: packs, underlay and skirting
30 August 20261 min
GuideBest practicesIntermediate
Wall, roof and framing materials: studs, rafters, rebar and mortar
A practical guide to dimensions, spacing, lengths and waste allowances when estimating studs, rafters, rebar and mortar.
21 September 20263 min
GuideBest practicesBeginner
How much concrete for a slab, foundation or posts?
Calculate concrete volume, site allowance and the quantity to order for slabs, footings, walls or cylindrical posts.
30 August 20262 min
TutorialBest practicesBeginner
Plan a construction project: calculate materials before buying
A practical method for estimating concrete, screed, bricks, render, fencing, decking and other materials before you order.
30 August 20264 min