How Much Flooring for an 8x10 Room?
Boxes to order
4 boxes
80 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 area80 sq ft
- Coverage per box or carton22.5 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Boxes to order4 boxes
| Floor area | 80 sq ft |
|---|---|
| With 10% waste | 88 sq ft |
| Boxes at 22.5 sq ft | 4 |
| Coverage bought | 90 sq ft |
| Left over | 10 sq ftkeep it for repairs |
The material list this produces
| Flooring, boxes | 4 |
|---|---|
| Underlayment, sq ft | 80 |
| 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% | 4 boxes | 84 sq ft | 10 sq ft |
| 10% | 4 boxes | 88 sq ft | 10 sq ft |
| 15% | 5 boxes | 92 sq ft | 32.5 sq ft |
| 20% | 5 boxes | 96 sq ft | 32.5 sq ft |
What else matters here
Eighty square feet plus ten percent is 88, which is four cartons and 90 square feet bought. Ten square feet spare, which is thin, so if this room has a closet or a bay measure it and add it.
On a floor this small the subfloor decides the result, and the requirement is flatness rather than level. Most manufacturers want no more than about 3/16 of an inch of deviation over ten feet, and a floating floor laid over a hump or a dish will click, flex and eventually open at the joints no matter how good the planks are.
Check it with a straightedge or a long level laid in several directions and mark what fails. High spots in a plywood subfloor come down with a belt sander, low spots and any concrete get self leveling compound. It is an hour and a bag of material before the floor goes down, against pulling the floor back up afterwards.
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 an 8x10 room?
About 4 boxes at 22.5 square feet each, covering 80 square feet with a ten percent waste allowance.
How flat does a subfloor need to be?
Usually within about 3/16 of an inch over ten feet, though the manufacturer's instruction is the one that governs the warranty. Flat matters, level does not.
How do I fix an uneven subfloor?
Sand down high spots in plywood and fill low spots and concrete with self leveling compound. Do it before the floor goes in, not after.
The flooring calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.