Free tool
How much flooring do I need?
Work out how many packs of laminate, vinyl or wood flooring to buy.
Your room
Your product2.2 m²/pack · 10% wastageChange
Check the pack label - it varies by product.
10% for a straight lay, 15%+ for diagonal or herringbone.
7 packs
- Floor area
- 13 m²
- × 10% wastage
- 14.3 m²
- ÷ 2.2 m² per pack
- 7 packs
about 1.1 m² spare
How we work it out
- We use the plain floor area of your room - length times width - regardless of what's on the walls.
- A wastage allowance is added for cuts, offcuts and awkward corners before working out packs.
- Diagonal or herringbone lays waste more material than a straight lay, so their wastage allowance should be higher.
- Pack coverage is taken from the figure printed on the product's own label, since it varies by brand and plank size.
Frequently asked questions
How much wastage should I allow for flooring?
10% is standard for a straightforward straight lay in a rectangular room. Diagonal or herringbone patterns typically need 15-20% because more offcuts are unusable elsewhere.
How many packs of laminate flooring do I need?
Divide your floor area (plus wastage) by the coverage per pack printed on the box - usually around 2-2.5 m² per pack for laminate. We do that division and round up to a whole pack for you above.
Do I need extra flooring for a hallway or alcove?
Yes - measure any connected areas as part of the same floor area, since offcuts from the main room rarely suit an oddly-shaped extension. If in doubt, treat awkward shapes as a separate calculation and add the two totals.
Should I buy flooring packs from the same batch?
Where possible, yes. Wood tones and pattern repeats can vary slightly between production batches, and it's much easier to check this before you start than to source a matching top-up pack later.
Want to see this in your actual room? Try it with DreamDIY