Calculate how much laminate, vinyl or carpet you need including wastage. Get pack and cost estimates.
By Konstantin Iakovlev · Founder, Calks.uk
Last updated: · Verified against UK building regulations 2026
Area Needed
22.0 m²
Room Area
20.0 m²
Packs (2.2 m²)
10
Est. Cost
£550.00
Cost is for the whole packs you buy: 10 × 2.2 m² = 22.0 m² at £25.00/m². Underlay, fitting and trims are extra.
Disclaimer
This calculator is for guidance only. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering, and use a qualified tradesperson for structural work. Rates and figures come from manufacturer coverage data and UK building regulations and are reviewed for 2026. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to our servers.
How It Works
Flooring quantity is calculated by measuring the room area (length × width) and adding a waste allowance. For laminate and engineered wood, 10% extra is standard for straight layouts and 15% for diagonal or herringbone patterns. Tiles also need about 10% for cutting waste, while large vinyl sheets get away with 5%. Vinyl and carpet are sold by the linear metre from rolls (typically 2 m or 4 m wide), so you calculate based on roll width and room dimensions rather than on area alone. A 4m × 3m room comes to 12 m², and with 10% waste you would need 13.2 m² of flooring.
This calculator works on one rectangle at a time. For an L-shaped or irregular room, split the floor into rectangles, run each one separately and add the results together. Enter the length, width, waste allowance, pack coverage and price per m², and the results show the room area, the area including waste, the number of whole packs and what those packs cost. Laminate usually comes in packs of about 2.2 m² and engineered wood 1.5-2.0 m², so copy the figure from the box. Carpet and sheet vinyl are sold by the linear metre from rolls, and underlay is bought separately, so the calculator does not work those out. Buy complete packs from the same batch, because colour varies between production runs.
The calculator takes a single price per m², and the spread in the UK is wide. Carpet runs from £8-£40/m² (a budget Berber at one end, wool at the other), vinyl sheet £10-£25/m², LVT (luxury vinyl tile) £20-£60/m² fitted, laminate £8-£35/m² with £15-£25 covering the mid-range, engineered wood £25-£80/m² and solid hardwood £40-£120/m². Ceramic tiles cost £15-£60/m², porcelain £25-£70/m² and natural stone such as limestone or slate £40-£120/m². Underlay adds £3-£8/m². Fitting labour is £15-£30/m² for laminate, £20-£40 for engineered wood and £40-£80 for tiling, though carpet fitting is usually included in the price.
Subfloor preparation is the cost most people forget. The existing subfloor must be flat, with no more than 3mm of variance over 2m, dry (moisture below 2.5% before any wood goes down) and clean. Self-levelling compound costs £12-£18 a bag and covers roughly 4 m². Moisture testing on a concrete subfloor is not optional before wood flooring, and skipping it is a false saving if damp ruins £2,000 of timber. Uneven floorboards can be covered with a 6mm plywood overlay at £15-£25/m² installed, and suspended floors should have their joists checked and any rotted timber replaced. If a plumber or electrician might need access later, loose-laid floors lift easily, whereas nailed or glued boards mean pricier rework.
The right product depends on the room. Bathrooms need water resistance, so vinyl, LVT or ceramic tiles are the sensible picks, and laminate should be avoided because it swells with moisture. Kitchens suit LVT, tiles or sealed engineered wood. In living rooms carpet wins on comfort, engineered wood on looks and LVT on practicality. Carpet remains the most common UK choice for bedrooms, although wood or laminate is easier to keep clean. Hallways and other high-traffic areas want the hardest-wearing option: laminate with an AC4 rating, engineered wood with a wear layer of 3mm or more, or LVT with a wear layer of at least 0.5mm. On stairs carpet is safest for grip and sound. Wood looks good there but is slippery, and non-slip strips are required.
Underlay is required beneath laminate and engineered wood in a floating installation and is optional (a touch of luxury) under carpet. Standard foam underlay costs £3-£6/m², while rubber or felt at £8-£15/m² cuts sound transmission. Acoustic underlay reduces impact noise and matters in flats above other flats, where the lease may require it. Underfloor heating changes the picture: it needs a thin, conductive underlay with a tog value under 1.0, because most thick underlays insulate against the very heat you are paying for. A damp-proof membrane is required over concrete subfloors. Wickes, Screwfix and B&Q stock all the standard underlays, and independent flooring shops are sometimes cheaper for premium products.
Example: Living room 5 m × 4 m, laminate flooring
- Room area: 5 × 4 = 20 m²
- Add 10% waste: 20 × 1.10 = 22 m²
- Packs (2.2 m² per pack): 22 ÷ 2.2 = 10 packs
- Cost at £25/m²: 10 packs × 2.2 m² × £25 = £550
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much extra flooring should I buy to cover wastage?
- Add 10% on top of the room area for a straight laminate or engineered wood layout, rising to 15% for diagonal or herringbone patterns or rooms with many corners. Tiles need about 10% for cuts, and large vinyl sheets only 5%. Vinyl and carpet come off rolls (usually 2 m or 4 m wide), so the amount you need depends on roll width against your room size rather than a simple percentage.
- How do I work out how many packs or tiles to order?
- Measure the room in metres and multiply length by width to get the area in m², then add your waste allowance. Most laminate and vinyl plank packs cover 2-2.5 m² each, so divide the area including waste by the pack coverage and round up. For tiles, a standard 600×600mm tile covers 0.36m². Underlay is bought separately in rolls of around 10-15m², and you will need one door bar or transition strip per doorway.
- How long do laminate, LVT, engineered wood and carpet last?
- Laminate typically lasts 10-20 years. LVT is waterproof and lasts 20-30 years. Engineered wood gives a real timber surface that can be sanded and refinished 2-3 times, while solid wood can be refinished many times over. Carpet is the warmest underfoot but is usually replaced every 8-12 years, so a cheaper product does not always work out cheaper across the life of the room.
- Can I fit laminate or LVT myself, or should I hire a fitter?
- Click-together laminate, click LVT and click engineered wood are realistic DIY jobs for a confident amateur. Around £100 buys the tools (saw, cutter, spacers and hammer), and a 20m² room is a 1-2 day project. Solid wood that has to be nailed or glued is better fitted professionally at £15-£30/m² labour, carpet is nearly always laid by a professional with a free measure, and tiling is a job for a tiler. Whichever route you take, match the underlay to the floor: a vapour barrier over solid floors, foam under laminate, stick-down under vinyl.
- Can I lay laminate or wood flooring over underfloor heating?
- Yes, provided the underlay is chosen for it. Underfloor heating needs a thin, conductive underlay with a tog value under 1.0 so the warmth reaches the room. Most thick foam or felt underlays are designed to insulate, which means they hold the heat in the floor and make the system slow and expensive to run. Over a concrete subfloor you still need a damp-proof membrane beneath everything.