How Much Flooring for 500 Square Feet?
Boxes to order
25 boxes
500 square feet of floor, ten percent waste, boxes of 22.5 square feet.
When the figures look right, the flooring material list downloads as a real PDF with your business details on it, built inside your own browser. Nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.
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 area500 sq ft
- Coverage per box or carton22.5 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Boxes to order25 boxes
| Floor area | 500 sq ft |
|---|---|
| With 10% waste | 550 sq ft |
| Boxes at 22.5 sq ft | 25 |
| Coverage bought | 562.5 sq ft |
| Left over | 62.5 sq ftkeep it for repairs |
The material list this produces
| Flooring, boxes | 25 |
|---|---|
| Underlayment, sq ft | 500 |
| Transition strips, each | 2 |
Waste allowance compared
Waste is set by how you lay it. Straight lay to herringbone, same room.
| Waste allowance | Boxes to order | With 10% waste | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 24 boxes | 525 sq ft | 40 sq ft |
| 10% | 25 boxes | 550 sq ft | 62.5 sq ft |
| 15% | 26 boxes | 575 sq ft | 85 sq ft |
| 20% | 27 boxes | 600 sq ft | 107.5 sq ft |
What else matters here
Five hundred square feet with ten percent is 550, twenty five cartons, 562.5 bought.
This is a good size to see what the waste allowance actually costs, because the answer is boxes rather than percentages. At five percent it is twenty four cartons, at ten it is twenty five, at fifteen twenty six, and at twenty percent twenty seven.
Ten percent covers a straight lay in a plain rectangular room. Fifteen is right for a diagonal lay. Twenty is not excessive for herringbone, chevron, or a floor plan cut up with closets, angles and transitions. Ordering short costs a second delivery and a dye lot risk, and ordering long costs one carton you keep anyway.
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 500 square feet?
About 25 boxes at 22.5 square feet each, covering 500 square feet with a ten percent waste allowance.
How much difference does the waste allowance make?
At 500 square feet it is 24 boxes at five percent and 27 at twenty.
What waste allowance is right for herringbone?
Fifteen to twenty percent, because every piece is cut twice.
The flooring calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.