Enter your room dimensions and get the exact amount of flooring to buy — no guesswork, no waste, no surprises at the hardware store.
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Includes acclimation time (24–48 hrs before installation). Time above is active installation only.
Enter your room's length and width in feet, then subtract any areas you won't be covering (cabinets, a hearth, large closets). Choose your flooring box coverage and price from the label, set the waste percentage using the slider, and click Calculate. You'll instantly get the number of boxes to buy, a full cost estimate, and a ready-to-print shopping list.
Buying too little laminate is a much bigger headache than buying too much. Run out mid-project and you may find that dye lot is discontinued — leaving you with mismatched planks in the middle of your living room. Buying a couple extra boxes protects you, and most home improvement stores allow returns on unopened boxes.
On the other hand, buying 30% extra when you only needed 10% waste adds up fast. At $42 per box for a 200 sq ft room, over-ordering by 4 boxes costs an unnecessary $168. This calculator gives you the right number so you can walk into the store confident, not guessing.
Diagonal and herringbone patterns waste significantly more material because planks are cut at angles, leaving bigger off-cuts. A 45° diagonal installation typically wastes 15–20% versus 10% for a straight run. This calculator adjusts automatically based on your pattern choice.
The ceiling function (⌈⌉) means we always round up to the next full box — you can't buy half a box. The underlayment is calculated on net area, not the waste-adjusted area, since you're covering the actual floor, not the off-cuts.
For straight installations in rectangular rooms, 10% is the standard recommendation. Bump that to 15% for rooms with lots of angles, doorways, or bay windows, and 15–20% for diagonal or herringbone patterns. If your room is L-shaped, treat it as two separate rectangles and add 10% to each.
Almost always, yes. Underlayment provides cushioning, reduces noise, and acts as a moisture barrier — critical if you're installing over concrete. Some laminate planks come with pre-attached underlayment, so check the box first. If yours does, skip the separate underlayment purchase.
Often yes, but with conditions. You can float laminate over existing vinyl, hardwood, or tile as long as the existing floor is clean, flat, and firmly attached. Never install over thick carpet or multiple layers of flooring that would raise the height too much — this can cause door clearance issues and unstable planks.
Break the room into rectangles, calculate each separately, add them together, then apply your waste factor to the total. Use the "Subtract Obstacles" field to remove areas like built-in cabinets or a fireplace hearth from the total. When in doubt, overestimate slightly — leftover boxes are much easier to deal with than running short.