Laminate Flooring Calculator
This laminate flooring calculator shows how many boxes you need. For a room of 5 × 4 m with 7% waste and 1.98 m² per box, that is 11 boxes, plus 21 m² of underlay and 18 m of skirting.
Source: Wikipedia – Laminate flooring: construction, sizes and installation. Updated: .
How it is calculated
How to calculate laminate flooring
The floor area is length times width. On top of that comes waste, because planks are cut at the edges and offcuts often do not fit. The number of boxes is area × (1 + waste) ÷ coverage per box, always rounded up. For 20 m² with 7% that is 21.4 m², and at 1.98 m² per box, 11 boxes.
How much waste?
- 5 to 7% for straight laying in a simple rectangular room.
- 10 to 15% for diagonal laying, alcoves, bay windows or stairs.
- Better buy one box too many: later you often cannot reorder the same batch.
Underlay and skirting
Underlay covers the floor area, with about 5% allowance for overlaps. Skirting runs along the room’s perimeter; door openings are deducted, plus a 5% allowance for mitres.
Honest limits
The calculator assumes a rectangular room. Expansion gaps at the edge, heating pipes and cut-outs are not included. The figures are rules of thumb; the manufacturer’s instructions prevail.
Frequently asked questions
How much laminate do I need for 20 m²?
With 7% waste, 21.4 m². At 1.98 m² per box that is 11 boxes.
How much waste should I allow for laminate?
For straight laying allow 5 to 7%, for diagonal laying or awkward rooms 10 to 15%.
How do I calculate skirting?
The room’s perimeter minus door widths, plus about 5% allowance. The calculator shows the length directly.
Do I need underlay?
For floating laminate an underlay is usually needed. The area equals the floor area plus about 5%.
How do I calculate a room that is not a rectangle?
Split it into rectangles, calculate each area separately and add the boxes, or use the largest rectangle plus waste.
Sources and legal basis
As of: · Editorial policy
Related tools
- Tile CalculatorTile calculator: how many tiles you need with grout joints and waste, the boxes to buy and the grout in kg for a floor or wall, from room and tile size.
- Square Footage CalculatorSquare footage calculator for rooms and whole homes: enter feet and inches or metres, add rooms and L-shapes, get sq ft, m², sq yd, acres, waste and cost.
- Wallpaper Calculator – How Many Rolls Do I Need?Wallpaper calculator by strips: enter room size, roll size, pattern repeat and drop match to see how many rolls to buy – with the working shown.
- Stair calculatorStair calculator: enter the total rise to get the number of steps, riser height, tread depth, total run and angle – checked against US IRC or UK Part K.
- Roof area calculatorRoof area calculator for gable, shed and hip roofs: from building size, pitch and overhang get roof area, rafter length, ridge height and squares of roofing.
- Gravel calculatorGravel calculator: cubic meters and tons needed for a driveway, bed or drain from length, width and depth – with allowance, gravel or sand, wet or dry, cost.
- kg to lbs converterConvert kg to lbs and back: 1 kg = 2.2046 lb. Shows pounds and ounces, stone and pounds, grams, tons and a kg to lbs chart – exact to the legal definition.
- Average daily gain calculatorAverage daily gain calculator: ADG of cattle, pigs, sheep or goats from two weighings, predicted weight on show day and days to reach a target weight.
- Rainwater harvesting calculatorRainwater harvesting calculator: how much your roof collects a year, how much you use for toilets, laundry and garden, and what size tank to buy.