How Much Flooring for a 16x20 Room?
Boxes to order
16 boxes
320 square feet of floor, ten percent waste, boxes of 22.5 square feet.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Floor area320 sq ft
- Coverage per box or carton22.5 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Boxes to order16 boxes
| Floor area | 320 sq ft |
|---|---|
| With 10% waste | 352 sq ft |
| Boxes at 22.5 sq ft | 16 |
| Coverage bought | 360 sq ft |
| Left over | 40 sq ftkeep it for repairs |
The material list this produces
| Flooring, boxes | 16 |
|---|---|
| Underlayment, sq ft | 320 |
| Transition strips, each | 2 |
Waste allowance compared
Waste is set by how you lay it, not by how careful you are. Straight lay to herringbone, same room.
| Waste allowance | Boxes to order | With 10% waste | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 15 boxes | 336 sq ft | 17.5 sq ft |
| 10% | 16 boxes | 352 sq ft | 40 sq ft |
| 15% | 17 boxes | 368 sq ft | 62.5 sq ft |
| 20% | 18 boxes | 384 sq ft | 85 sq ft |
What else matters here
Three hundred and twenty square feet plus ten percent is 352, sixteen cartons, 360 bought.
On a room this size that is taking real traffic, the number on the spec sheet that predicts how it will look in five years is the wear layer, not the total thickness. For luxury vinyl plank the wear layer is measured in mils: 6 mil is builder grade and will scuff in a hallway, 12 mil is a reasonable residential floor, and 20 mil and above is the commercial range that survives a family and a dog.
Laminate uses an AC rating instead, which runs AC1 through AC5 and is an abrasion class rather than a thickness. AC3 is the sensible residential minimum and AC4 is worth the difference in a kitchen or an entry. Total plank thickness affects how solid the floor feels and how well it bridges a slightly imperfect subfloor, but it says nothing about how long the surface lasts.
What this calculator assumes
- 10 percent waste covers a straight lay in a simple rectangle. Go to 15 for a diagonal or herringbone lay, and 20 if the room is cut up with closets and angles.
- Buy the whole job in one delivery. Dye lot and batch shade move between production runs, and a single replacement box six months later will not match.
Questions people ask
How many boxes of flooring for a 16x20 room?
About 16 boxes at 22.5 square feet each, covering 320 square feet with ten percent waste.
What wear layer do I need on vinyl plank?
12 mil for normal residential rooms and 20 mil or more for heavy traffic, pets or a rental. 6 mil is builder grade and scuffs quickly in a hallway.
What does the AC rating on laminate mean?
It is an abrasion class from AC1 to AC5. AC3 is a sensible residential minimum and AC4 is worth it in a kitchen or entry. It is not the same as thickness.
The flooring calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.