Shopping prep
Room measurement tips
Get a solid square-footage estimate as you plan how to install vinyl plank flooring — or before you choose vinyl plank vs tile. These steps work with a tape measure and a notepad — no special tools required.
- Measure length and width of each room in feet. Measure the longest wall for length and the adjacent wall for width. Round up to the nearest inch, then convert to decimal feet if needed (e.g. 12 ft 6 in ≈ 12.5 ft).
- Multiply for square feet. Square feet for one room = length × width.
- Add 10–15% waste. Extra material covers cuts, mistakes, pattern matching, and future repairs. Use closer to 10% for simple rectangular rooms; use closer to 15% for diagonal layouts, lots of angles, or busy patterns.
- Measure rooms separately and sum. Do not treat an open plan as one blob if you’ll buy by room or phase the install. Add each room’s (length × width) total, then apply waste to the grand total (or per room if you’re ordering separately).
- Note doorways and closets. Include closet floors if they’ll get the same flooring. Measure doorway openings for transition strips. Don’t double-count a shared doorway when summing adjacent rooms — count the floor area once.
Simple example
Bedroom: 12 ft × 11 ft = 132 sq ft
Closet: 5 ft × 3 ft = 15 sq ft
Subtotal = 132 + 15 = 147 sq ft
Waste at 10%: 147 × 0.10 = 14.7 → round up to ~15 sq ft
Waste at 15%: 147 × 0.15 ≈ 22 sq ft
Order about 162–169 sq ft (147 + 10–15% waste). Buy a little extra if the product is a special order or may be discontinued.
This is a planning aid only — not a contractor takeoff. Confirm measurements with your installer before ordering, especially for stairs, irregular shapes, and radiant heat or moisture-prone slabs.