How it works
Room size and the square footage printed on the carton.
Measure the room
Length and width in feet. Add closets and doorways you are flooring through.
Enter the box coverage
It is printed on every carton and varies by plank size, so use your own figure.
Get the box count
Square feet, square feet with waste, and boxes to buy.
Buy the extra box now, not later
The arithmetic is the easy part: room area divided by the coverage printed on the box, plus an allowance, rounded up. A 12 by 15 foot room is 180 ft², and at 20 ft² per box with 10% waste that is ten boxes.
The allowance is not padding. Laminate and vinyl plank are laid in rows, and the offcut from the end of one row can only start the next row if it is long enough — most instructions call for at least 8 to 12 inches, otherwise the seams line up too closely and the floor looks wrong. The pieces that fall short go in the bin. 10% covers a straight lay in a rectangular room; use 15% for a diagonal layout or a room with several doorways and angles.
Buy it all at once, and buy it from the same batch. Laminate is printed, and the print run shifts between batches — a box bought two months later can be visibly different in tone under daylight. The box carries a batch or lot number; check that they match before you leave the store.
Keep the leftovers. A spare plank or two is what lets you swap a damaged board in three years, and by then the exact product will almost certainly be discontinued. It is the cheapest insurance in the whole job.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes of laminate for a 12x15 room?
Ten boxes at 20 ft² per box, including a 10% allowance. Check your own box coverage, as it varies widely.
How much extra flooring should I buy?
10% for a straight lay in a simple room, and 15% for diagonal layouts or rooms with lots of corners and doorways.
Does the calculator work for vinyl plank?
Yes. LVP, laminate and engineered wood are all sold by square feet per box, so the same calculation applies.
Why buy all the boxes at once?
Print batches vary in tone. Boxes from different lots can be visibly different, and the product may be discontinued later.
More material calculators
Estimates are for planning only. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.