How to calculate flooring boxes
Flooring is sold by the box, and boxes of the same plank size often hold different amounts. The math has four steps: measure the area, add waste for your layout, divide by the sq ft printed on the carton, and round up to whole boxes. Measure each room wall to wall, split L-shapes into rectangles, and include closets — the floor runs into them.
Worked example — a 12 × 14 ft bedroom in LifeProof vinyl plank: 12 × 14 = 168 sq ft. Add 10% for a straight layout: 168 × 1.10 = 184.8 sq ft. A LifeProof 8.7 × 47.6 in case holds 20.06 sq ft, so 184.8 ÷ 20.06 = 9.2 → 10 boxes, covering 200.6 sq ft. Price it as boxes × price per box, not area × price per sq ft — you pay for the whole box.
Square feet per box for popular lines
These are the coverages printed on the cartons (or derived from Floor & Decor's box and per-sq-ft prices), checked October 2026:
| Product | Sq ft per box | Pad attached |
|---|---|---|
| LifeProof rigid-core vinyl plank 8.7 × 47.6 in (6/22/30 mil) | 20.06 | Yes |
| LifeProof rigid-core vinyl plank 8.7 × 59 in | 25 | Yes |
| NuCore Cedar Point 7 × 48 in, 22 mil, cork pad | 23.66 | Yes |
| NuCore Everwood Falls 7 × 48 in, 22 mil, cork pad | 19.02 | Yes |
| COREtec Originals 7 × 72 in, 12 mm WPC, cork back | 21.27 | Yes |
| Pergo Outlast+ 7.48 × 47.24 in, 10 mm + 2 mm pad | 19.63 | Yes |
| TrafficMaster Grey Oak 7 mm, 8 × 47.64 in | 23.91 | No |
| Bruce solid oak 3/4 × 3-1/4 in (Plano / American Originals) | 22 | No |
| Home Decorators Regal Ridge White Oak 3/8 × 7.5 in, T&G | 42.95 | No |
Two traps: NuCore's 7 × 48 in planks come in boxes of 19.02, 23.66 or 23.76 sq ft depending on the color, and a few 12 mil LifeProof SKUs hold 20.02 sq ft instead of 20.06. Read the number on your carton.
How much waste to add
| Layout | Vinyl & laminate | Hardwood |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | 10% (LifeProof, Floor & Decor) | 5% (Bruce, includes grading) |
| Diagonal 45° | 15% (Pergo) | 10% (Bruce) |
| Herringbone / chevron | 15–20% (LifeProof) | 15–20% |
Small rooms waste more because every row starts and ends with an offcut — LifeProof's minimum end piece is 8 in — so the calculator adds 5% under 100 sq ft, plus up to 5% for closets, angles and cut-outs. Glue-down hardwood runs higher, 10–15% per Bruce. Retailer pages that print "add 10%" on herringbone products are boilerplate; LifeProof says 15–20%, and only its dedicated herringbone planks may be laid that way without voiding the warranty.
Underlayment, vapor barrier and expansion gaps
- Attached pad: LifeProof, NuCore, COREtec, Shaw Paragon Plus, Pergo Outlast+ and RevWood Plus come with the pad attached. Don't add foam: LifeProof approves only its own Universal Underlayment, COREtec allows a second layer only up to 3 mm, and Pergo only FloorMate/Gold.
- Concrete: Pergo requires 6 mil polyethylene with seams overlapped 8 in. LifeProof doesn't require it but recommends it on basement slabs prone to moisture. COREtec says never lay sheet plastic over a wood subfloor.
- Gaps: 1/4 in for vinyl plank (COREtec and Shaw: 1/2 in at 2,500 sq ft and up), 3/8 in for Pergo laminate, 3/4 in for solid hardwood, and 1/4 in (nailed) or 1/2 in (floating) for engineered. Quarter round is about 0.8 in wide, which hides a 1/4–3/8 in gap but not a 3/4 in one — reset the baseboards for solid hardwood.
Transitions, trim and stairs
Vinyl and laminate transitions come in 94 in sticks, so one T-molding or reducer covers two 32–36 in doorways; many hardwood moldings are 78 in. Pergo requires a T-molding in every doorway under 32 in and in rooms 50 ft or longer, and LifeProof in any run over 100 ft. For quarter round, take the wall length minus doorways and add 10% for miters. LifeProof planks on stairs void the warranty, which is why the calculator switches to matching stair treads.
Acclimation
The "acclimate 48 hours" rule is laminate advice. LifeProof and COREtec require no acclimation. Pergo asks for 48 hours at 60–85°F unless the cartons were stored at room conditions. Solid hardwood is acclimated by moisture readings — within 3% of the subfloor for strip, 2% for plank (Bruce).
What installation costs in 2026
This Old House puts vinyl plank labor at $3–$10 per sq ft and hardwood at $3–$8; published laminate figures range from $1–$2 (floating, RealCostIQ) to $4–$8. Tear-out adds about $1–$2 per sq ft. The calculator starts at $3.50 for vinyl and laminate and $5.50 for hardwood — change it to your quote.
Common mistakes
- Pricing the net area instead of whole boxes, then coming up short at checkout.
- Buying one box too few and getting a different dye lot later — keep leftovers or one spare box.
- Adding foam under a plank that already has a pad.
- Forgetting closets, transitions and quarter round, or butting a floating floor tight to cabinets and walls.
Next steps: baseboard and trim, carpet for the bedrooms, tile for the bath and paint for the walls. Quick answers for common sizes: 12×12 vinyl plank, 12×14 laminate, 1,000 sq ft.