Laminate flooring calculator
Laminate, engineered wood and click vinyl are sold in packs that cover a fixed area — usually between 1.5 and 2.5 m². The job is to turn the room's area into a whole number of packs, with a margin for cutting the ends of each row.
Enter the room's dimensions and the coverage printed on the pack. The calculator also estimates the underlay and the running length of skirting boards, which are easy to forget when ordering.
Your measurements
Printed on the pack label — usually 1.5–2.5 m².
Result
- Net floor area
- 12.00 m²
- Area incl. waste
- 12.84 m²
- Packs to buy
- 6 pcs
- Area you will buy
- 13.32 m²
- Underlay (net area + 10%)
- 13.2 m²
- Skirting boards (perimeter − doors + 5%)
- 13.8 m
Leave the flooring in the room for about 48 hours before fitting so it adjusts to the temperature and humidity.
How the calculation works
- Net area = length × width, minus areas permanently covered (fitted wardrobes, kitchen units).
- Area incl. waste = net area + 7% for a straight layout, or 12% for a diagonal layout or a room with many corners.
- Packs = area incl. waste ÷ coverage per pack, rounded up.
- Underlay = net area + 10% for overlaps. Skirting = room perimeter − door openings, + 5% for joints and corners.
Worked example
For a 4 × 3 m room (12 m²) with 7% waste you need 12.84 m². With packs of 2.22 m² that is 12.84 ÷ 2.22 = 5.8, so 6 packs — 13.32 m² in total, with a small reserve. You'll also need about 13.2 m² of underlay and 13.8 m of skirting (14 m perimeter minus a 0.9 m door, plus 5%).
What the calculator assumes
- The calculation works the same way for laminate, engineered wood, solid wood and click vinyl; only the coverage per pack changes.
- 7% waste covers cutting the row ends; herringbone and diagonal layouts need much more.
- Thresholds and transition strips are not included.
When to adjust the result
- Leave the flooring in the room for about 48 hours before fitting so it acclimatises to the temperature and humidity.
- Check the subfloor: most floating floors require it to be flat to within a few millimetres over 1–2 m — the exact tolerance is in the manufacturer's instructions.
- Over underfloor heating, use an underlay and a flooring approved for it, and respect the maximum thermal resistance given by the manufacturer.
Frequently asked questions
How much extra laminate should I buy?
About 7% for a straight layout in a simple room and 10–12% for diagonal layouts, rooms with many corners or very short rooms. Keeping one spare pack from the same batch makes later repairs easier.
Do I need underlay under laminate?
Almost always: it evens out small irregularities and reduces footstep noise. Some floors have it pre-attached. On a concrete or screed floor, a vapour barrier is usually required as well — follow the flooring manufacturer's instructions.
Which way should laminate be laid?
Usually parallel to the main source of light, so the joints are less visible, or along the longest wall in narrow rooms. The direction doesn't change the quantity much, but a diagonal layout does.