Vinyl plank flooring calculator

Cartons = floor area plus extra ÷ the coverage on the carton, rounded up: a 12 × 10 ft room in 48 × 6 in planks is 120 sq ft, or 7 cartons of 20 sq ft with 10% extra. Counting every cut plank as a whole one, the layout needs 8: order the larger.

Your measurements

Example

Use the unit shown for each box, or type another one: 12 ft 6 in, 150 in, 3.8 m and 600 mm all work, as do the marks on a tape measure.

Room 1

Room length (ft) Room width (ft) Area left uncovered (sq ft) Surface shape L: one corner missing. U: a gap in one side, between two arms. T: a bar across the top with a stem below. For any other shape, type its corners. Area left uncovered, by its corners A kitchen island, a hearth or any shape the flooring goes around, written like the outline, from the same first corner. Leave blank when there is none. Second uncovered area, by its corners Where two areas overlap, the shared part is left out once.

Extra for cuts (%) Your extra is added to both counts: by area and by cut layout. Check the direction, alternating offset and carton coverage first. Adhesive is counted separately when you choose a glued installation. Installation method

Details Package sizes, prices and materials

Installation rules from Choose your flooring to fill in its maker’s gap, end-joint offset and shortest piece; typing your own replaces them. Planks run along Plank length Plank face width Perimeter gap from product instructions Offset of alternating rows Shortest end-joint offset your flooring allows From the installation instructions: how far apart end joints in neighboring rows must be. Shortest piece your flooring allows From the installation instructions: the shortest piece allowed at the start or end of a row. Carton coverage (sq ft) Doorways where the floor meets another floor Each takes a transition strip: T-molding to a floor of the same height, a reducer to a lower one, an end molding at a door threshold. Your price per carton ($)

Example: replace these measurements

Your material list

8 cartons by cut layout, the larger count (7 by area)

120 sq ft measured

Your measured layout

First room, turned so the planks run across. Rows show your board widths and the offset of alternating rows. Each cut uses a new plank; offcuts are not reused. Very large rooms show the first 1,800 planks.

Your shopping list

8 cartons by cut layout, the larger count (7 by area)

Already have some? See what it covers

How many cartons you have

Quantities and package details

Net room area: 120 sq ft
Area with allowance: 132 sq ft
Coverage bought beyond the floor area: 20 sq ft
Cartons by cut layout: 8 cartons; offcuts not reused
Whole plank positions: 50
Cut plank positions: 20
Offcut area before reuse: 20 sq ft
Room 1: 120 sq ft · 20 rows · 70 plank positions
Room edges, for base shoe or quarter round: 44 ft, less the doorways (none if the baseboard comes off and goes back over the gap)
Transition strips: 1 strip, one a doorway
End joints in neighboring rows: 16 in apart
Shortest piece at a row end: 16 in
Adhesive containers: Not counted for floating mode
Price of the cartons to order: Enter your unit price

Area cartons and the conservative cut allowance answer different questions. The cutting layout follows the room’s shape and any area left uncovered that you outline by its corners; an excluded area typed in square feet changes only the area count.

The calculation

120 × (1 + 10/100) ÷ 20, rounded up = 7
Cut allowance: 70 plank positions with 20 sq ft offcut; no reuse assumed.

Common questions

Should vinyl plank be floating or glued down?

The product and the floor under it decide; the maker’s instructions say which methods are allowed. Choose the method in the calculator: adhesive is counted only for glue-down.

How far apart should vinyl plank end joints be?

Your flooring’s instructions decide. LifeProof rigid core asks for at least 8 inches, with first and last planks at least 8 inches long; Pergo Extreme asks for at least 12 inches. Both leave a 1/4 inch gap at the walls. Choose yours under Details and the list checks the layout.

Source: LifeProof rigid core luxury vinyl plank flooring: installation instructions; Pergo Extreme rigid vinyl installation instructions (Uniclic Multifit), Mohawk. Listed on the Sources page.

How much adhesive do I need?

Divide the floor area by the coverage on the adhesive label. That coverage depends on the trowel the label names.

How many boxes of vinyl plank do I need?

Add the rooms, add your extra for cuts and divide by the square feet on the carton, rounding up. The cut layout gives a second figure that counts each cut plank as whole. Order the larger; the answer leads with it.

How to plan the quantity

A floating floor and a glue-down floor can use the same room dimensions but require different supplies. Adhesive is calculated only in glue-down mode and only from the coverage you provide.

The drawing uses your plank direction and alternating row offset. A cut piece consumes a full plank in the conservative cut allowance; do not assume an end offcut has the right locking edge for another position.

Cartons round after rooms are combined. Keep different products or colors on separate receipts.

For an L-shaped floor, enter the widest length and width, then the size of the missing top-right corner. The plank layout removes that corner in either plank direction and allows the perimeter gap at its inner edges. A U, a T or any outline typed by its corners is laid the same way: rows run across the whole floor, the gap follows every wall and every uncovered area you outline, and each plank is cut where the floor ends. An excluded area typed in square feet affects the area order only.

Before you order

No adhesive, substrate or moisture limit is selected by this tool. Choose your flooring under Details, or type the gap, end-joint offset and shortest piece from its instructions.
An excluded area typed in square feet changes the cartons, not the drawing: outline a large obstacle by its corners when you need it in the cutting plan.

Before ordering, read the guide: How much flooring do I need? Square feet, boxes and waste. Or choose another calculator.