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Laminate Flooring Calculator

A laminate flooring calculator works out how many boxes of laminate to buy for a room, plus the underlayment that every floating laminate floor needs. Enter your room size and the box coverage and it adds a waste allowance for cuts.

Your measurements

Result

Laminate clicks together and floats over an underlayment — it isn't glued or nailed — so the two things to buy are the planks and a foam underlayment (with a built-in vapour barrier over concrete). Transition strips finish the doorways.

How it is calculated

Boxes = area divided by box coverage, times one plus the waste, rounded up. Laminate floats, so you also buy underlayment equal to the floor area (with a vapour barrier over concrete). An 'AC' rating on the box shows durability — AC3 for homes, AC4+ for heavy traffic.

Steps

Choose room length × width, or total area.
Enter the measurements.
Set the box coverage from the laminate's label (often ~20 sq ft).
Allow 10% waste for a straight lay, more for diagonal.
Add underlayment to match the area, plus transition strips for doorways.

Worked example

A 15 × 12 ft room (180 sq ft) with 20 sq ft boxes and 10% waste needs 10 boxes, plus about 180 sq ft of underlayment.

Common questions

How much laminate do I need?

Floor area divided by the box coverage, plus 10% waste. The calculator rounds up to whole boxes.

Does laminate need underlayment?

Yes — laminate floats and needs a foam underlayment for sound and feel, with a vapour barrier when going over concrete.

How big an expansion gap?

About 1/4 to 3/8 inch around the perimeter; spacers hold the gap while you click planks together, and the skirting hides it.

What is the AC rating?

A durability scale: AC3 suits most homes, AC4 and AC5 handle heavy or commercial traffic.