Square Footage Calculator

Measure the space, enter the dimensions in feet, inches, yards, meters or centimeters, and get the area in square feet and square meters. Add a waste percentage and a price to estimate materials.

Area of a space

Optional — for a material estimate.

Area120 sq ft
In square meters
11.148 m²
In square yards
13.333 yd²
With 10% extra
132 sq ft (12.263 m²)

Working

  1. Area of one rectangle: 12 × 10 = 120 ft²
  2. Add 10% for cuts and waste: × 1.1

How to measure a room

  1. Measure the longest length and the width at floor level, wall to wall.
  2. Write down feet and inches as decimal feet (10 ft 6 in = 10.5 ft), or switch the unit to inches.
  3. For an L-shaped or irregular room, split it into rectangles, calculate each, and add them up.
  4. Subtract permanent fixtures you will not cover, such as a kitchen island, if needed.

Formulas

rectangle: area = length × width

circle: area = π × (diameter ÷ 2)²

triangle: area = base × height ÷ 2

1 m² = 10.7639 sq ft; 1 sq ft = 0.092903 m²; 1 sq yd = 9 sq ft

Worked example

A 12 ft × 10 ft bedroom with 10% waste

  1. Area: 12 × 10 = 120 sq ft
  2. With 10% extra: 120 × 1.10 = 132 sq ft
  3. In square meters: 120 × 0.092903 = 11.15 m²

Buy enough flooring for about 132 sq ft.

How much extra to allow

  • Around 5–10% is a common allowance for straightforward rooms with square walls.
  • Diagonal layouts, patterned materials and rooms with many corners usually need more — often 15% or so.
  • Flooring is sold in whole boxes, so round the result up to full boxes, and follow the manufacturer’s guidance for the product you choose.