How many boxes of flooring do I need?

Flooring is sold by the box, and every box lists how many square feet it covers. Here's how to turn your room size into a box count.

Boxes = room sq ft × 1.10 ÷ sq ft per boxAlways round up. The 1.10 adds 10% for cuts and mistakes.

1. Measure the floor

Multiply length by width. A 12×14 bedroom is 168 sq ft. For odd shapes, see how to measure square footage.

2. Add waste

You'll lose pieces to cuts at walls, doorways and around vents. Add 10% for a straight layout and 15% for diagonal or patterned layouts. The waste factor guide explains why.

168 × 1.10 = 184.8 sq ft.

3. Divide by box coverage and round up

If a box covers 20 sq ft: 184.8 ÷ 20 = 9.24. Round up to 10 boxes.

Typical box sizes

Flooring type	Common sq ft per box
Laminate	18 to 25
Luxury vinyl plank	20 to 30
Engineered hardwood	20 to 30
Porcelain or ceramic tile	10 to 16

Box sizes vary by brand. Use the number printed on the box you're buying.

Buy from the same batch

Color can shift slightly between production runs. Buy all your boxes at once and check that the lot numbers match, and keep one spare box for future repairs.

What you'll need

Vinyl plank flooring · Underlayment · Install kit · Tape measure

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