Hardwood Floor Calculator
Calculate board feet and number of planks needed for hardwood flooring installation.
Results
Visualization
How It Works
Hardwood flooring is sold by the square foot or in boxes of ~20 sq ft. Plank widths range from 2-1/4" (traditional) to 5"+ (wide plank). Always add waste.
The Formula
Sq Ft Needed = Room Area x (1 + Waste%) | Boxes = Sq Ft / 20
Variables
- Room Area — Length x Width in square feet
- Waste% — 5-10% for straight runs, up to 15% for diagonal
- Box Coverage — Typically ~20 sq ft per box (varies by manufacturer)
Example
15x12 room (180 sq ft) with 10% waste = 198 sq ft needed = 10 boxes of hardwood.
Tips
- Acclimate hardwood in the room for 3-7 days before installation.
- Leave a 1/2" expansion gap around all walls — covered by baseboard.
- Nail-down on plywood subfloor; glue-down or float on concrete.
- Run planks parallel to the longest wall for best appearance.
- Buy from one dye lot to ensure color consistency.