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Laminate chart
Put your floor area, sq ft per box and waste in: 200 square feet at 20 per box needs 220.00 sq ft to cover, order 11 boxes.
★ CONSTRUCTION · LAMINATE · COVERAGE
Laminate Chart: 11 Boxes for 200 Sq Ft at 10% Waste
On the defaults — a 200-square-foot floor, 20 square feet per box, and 10% waste — you need 220.00 square feet of laminate to cover, so order 11 boxes. This is the LAMINATE version — boxes by floor area, box size and waste — the tile-chart page is the TILE version — boxes of 20 tiles by area and coverage rate; the hardwood-vs-laminate-flooring page is the HARDWOOD version — 25-year cost of hardwood against laminate; the vinyl-plank-vs-laminate-flooring page is the VINYL version — 25-year cost of vinyl plank against laminate; and the diy-vs-hire-laminate-installation page is the INSTALL version — doing the laminate job yourself against hiring it out.
What does 220.00 sq ft to cover mean?
It means a 200-square-foot floor needs two hundred and twenty square feet of laminate once 10% waste is added: the floor is 200 × 1.10, which is 220.00, and 220.00 ÷ 20 is exactly 11 boxes. The 1.10 is the whole story in miniature — cuts at the edges, a few damaged planks, and a little spare for later repairs all eat laminate, so the bare area alone understates the order: without waste the same floor needs exactly 200 square feet, and the extra 20 square feet are what keep the last row complete. The part people get wrong is ordering the exact figure when it is not a whole number of boxes: 220.00 square feet happen to divide evenly here, but a figure like 230 square feet cannot be delivered as 230 square feet by most suppliers, and ordering 11 boxes leaves 10 square feet short.
Three things to check before you trust the number
Is the area really 200 square feet? Floors are rarely plain rectangles, so the measured area is where most orders go wrong: the 100-square-foot branch needs 110.00 square feet to cover, order 6 boxes, while the 300-square-foot branch needs 330.00, order 17 boxes, for the same box size and waste. Measure each section separately, length times width, add them, and subtract large fixtures — a guessed area is the most expensive guess on the job.
Is the box really 20 square feet? The box size depends on the product, and the count follows it exactly: the 15-square-foot branch needs 220.00 square feet to cover but orders 15 boxes, while the 25-square-foot branch orders 9 boxes for the same floor and waste. Check the box label rather than remembering a figure from a previous job — a different plank width or length changes the coverage, and a remembered box size can move the order by several boxes on a large floor.
Is 10% waste enough? Waste is the smallest input and the easiest to skimp on: the 0% branch needs 200.00 square feet to cover, order 10 boxes, while the 20% branch needs 240.00, order 12 boxes, for the same floor and box size — on this floor the waste choice decides the box count by 2 boxes. For a floor laid diagonally, with many corners or an irregular shape, allow 15% or 20% instead of 10%: the extra boxes are cheaper than a second delivery, and spares are worth keeping for repairs.
Worked example
On the defaults: 200 square feet, 20 square feet per box, 10% waste.
- Sq ft to cover: 200 × 1.10 is 220.00 sq ft.
- Boxes: 220.00 ÷ 20 is exactly 11 boxes.
And the other way: the area behind 220.00 sq ft to cover is 200 square feet, the sq ft per box behind 11 boxes is 20, and the waste behind 220.00 sq ft to cover is 10%.
Laminate coverage lookup: area × waste at 20 sq ft per box
| Area | Waste | Sq ft to cover | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0% | 100.00 sq ft | 5 boxes |
| 100 sq ft | 10% | 110.00 sq ft | 6 boxes |
| 100 sq ft | 15% | 115.00 sq ft | 6 boxes |
| 100 sq ft | 20% | 120.00 sq ft | 6 boxes |
| 200 sq ft | 0% | 200.00 sq ft | 10 boxes |
| 200 sq ft | 10% | 220.00 sq ft | 11 boxes |
| 200 sq ft | 15% | 230.00 sq ft | 12 boxes |
| 200 sq ft | 20% | 240.00 sq ft | 12 boxes |
| 300 sq ft | 0% | 300.00 sq ft | 15 boxes |
| 300 sq ft | 10% | 330.00 sq ft | 17 boxes |
| 300 sq ft | 15% | 345.00 sq ft | 18 boxes |
| 300 sq ft | 20% | 360.00 sq ft | 18 boxes |
| 400 sq ft | 0% | 400.00 sq ft | 20 boxes |
| 400 sq ft | 10% | 440.00 sq ft | 22 boxes |
| 400 sq ft | 15% | 460.00 sq ft | 23 boxes |
| 400 sq ft | 20% | 480.00 sq ft | 24 boxes |
Sq ft to cover are area × (1 + waste %); boxes are sq ft to cover divided by 20 and rounded up, with a value landing exactly on a box boundary ordering that many boxes and not one more — so exactly 400 sq ft to cover order exactly 20 boxes.
Every branch, checked
- 100 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 100 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 110.00 sq ft to cover — order 6 boxes.
- 300 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 300 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 330.00 sq ft to cover — order 17 boxes.
- 200 sq ft area, 15 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 200 sq ft area, 15 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 15 boxes.
- 200 sq ft area, 25 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 200 sq ft area, 25 sq ft per box, 10% waste: 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 9 boxes.
- 200 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 0% waste: 200 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 0% waste: 200.00 sq ft to cover — order 10 boxes.
- 200 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 20% waste: 200 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 20% waste: 240.00 sq ft to cover — order 12 boxes.
The reverses, worked backwards
- Area behind 220.00 sq ft to cover: 200 sq ft — at 200 sq ft the figures are 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 198.00 sq ft to cover — order 10 boxes.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 242.00 sq ft to cover — order 13 boxes..
- Sq ft per box behind 11 boxes: 20 sq ft per box — at 20 sq ft per box the figures are 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 15 boxes.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 9 boxes..
- Waste behind 220.00 sq ft to cover: 10% waste — at 10% waste the figures are 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 210.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 230.00 sq ft to cover — order 12 boxes..
What the defaults assume
The defaults are a 200-square-foot floor, 20 square feet per box and 10% waste, so the headline is a medium living room at a common box size. The model is one multiplication and one round-up: area times 1.10 for sq ft to cover, divided by 20 and rounded up for boxes — with a tiny epsilon subtracted before the ceiling so a value landing exactly on a box boundary, like exactly 400 square feet to cover, orders that many boxes and not one more. The area reverse is checked at 20 square feet either side, because 20 square feet with 10% waste is 22 square feet to cover; the box-size reverse is checked at 5 square feet either side, because 5 square feet changes the box count even though the cover stays at 220.00; the waste reverse is checked at 5 points either side, because 5 points on 200 square feet is 10 square feet to cover. The model does not include underlayment, trim, or waste beyond the allowance — for a diagonal layout or an irregular floor, allow 15% or 20% waste instead of 10%.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Sq ft to cover | floor area × (1 + waste %) | 220.00 sq ft — 200 × 1.10. |
| Boxes | sq ft to cover ÷ sq ft per box, rounded up | 11 boxes — 220.00 ÷ 20, exactly. |
| Area behind a target sq ft to cover | target sq ft to cover ÷ (1 + waste %) | 200 sq ft — 220.00 ÷ 1.10. |
| Sq ft per box behind 11 boxes | sq ft to cover ÷ boxes | 20 sq ft per box — 220.00 ÷ 11, exactly. |
| Waste behind a target sq ft to cover | (target sq ft to cover ÷ floor area − 1) × 100 | 10% — (220.00 ÷ 200 − 1) × 100. |
| 100 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 10% waste | same model | 110.00 sq ft to cover — order 6 boxes. |
| 300 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 10% waste | same model | 330.00 sq ft to cover — order 17 boxes. |
| 200 sq ft area, 15 sq ft per box, 10% waste | same model | 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 15 boxes. |
| 200 sq ft area, 25 sq ft per box, 10% waste | same model | 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 9 boxes. |
| 200 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 0% waste | same model | 200.00 sq ft to cover — order 10 boxes. |
| 200 sq ft area, 20 sq ft per box, 20% waste | same model | 240.00 sq ft to cover — order 12 boxes. |
| Area behind 220.00 sq ft to cover | reverse | 200 sq ft: 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes. |
| Sq ft per box behind 11 boxes | reverse | 20 sq ft per box: 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes. |
| Waste behind 220.00 sq ft to cover | reverse | 10% waste: 220.00 sq ft to cover — order 11 boxes. |
| 0 sq ft area | same model | 0.00 sq ft to cover — order 0 boxes. |
| Negative area | same model | Area — 0 or more. |
| 400 sq ft, 20 sq ft per box, 0% waste — exactly 20 boxes | same model | 400.00 sq ft to cover — order 20 boxes. |
| Negative waste | same model | Waste — 0% or more. |
Who uses this
- A homeowner ordering laminate for a living room — 200 square feet at 20 per box is 220.00 sq ft to cover, order 11 boxes.
- A builder checking a supplier quote — the lookup table gives sq ft to cover and boxes for four areas and four waste levels.
- Someone choosing a laminate product — the 15 and 25 branches show what a smaller or larger box is worth on the same floor.
- A buyer checking a delivery quote — the reverses give the area, box size or waste behind any quoted cover figure.
Accuracy & limitations
Figures are the model’s own arithmetic on the numbers you type, computed from unrounded values and displayed rounded HALF_UP to 2dp, with boxes rounded up to whole boxes. The main limitation is the job itself, not the arithmetic: fixtures, corners, diagonal layouts and breakage all move the real order, and the 10% waste figure is a standard allowance, not a measurement of your floor. This page is a calculation tool, not a materials quote.
Cite this calculator
A 200 sq ft floor at 20 sq ft per box needs 220.00 sq ft of laminate with 10% waste, so order 11 boxes. Source: Bright Side Kit, https://brightoolbox.com/laminate-chart/, accessed 29 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes of laminate do I need?
Multiply the floor area by one plus the waste rate, then divide by the sq ft per box and round up: 200 times 1.10 is 220.00, divided by 20 is exactly 11 boxes.
What does sq ft per box mean?
How many square feet one box of laminate covers, printed on the box label. It already accounts for plank size, so enter that figure directly — do not enter the area of a single plank.
Why add 10% waste?
Cuts at the edges, a few damaged planks, and a little spare for later repairs all consume laminate. Without waste the same floor needs exactly 200 square feet; the extra 20 square feet are what keep the last row complete.
Why does the order round up to whole boxes?
Laminate is sold by the box by most suppliers, and a partial box cannot finish a partial floor. Rounding 230 square feet down to 11 boxes would leave 10 square feet short; rounding up to 12 boxes covers the floor with a little spare.
When should I allow more than 10% waste?
For a floor laid diagonally, with many corners or an irregular shape, allow 15% or 20% waste instead of 10%. The extra boxes are cheaper than a second delivery, and spares are worth keeping for repairs.
Does the box count include underlayment?
No: underlayment, trim and transition strips are separate. This page counts laminate boxes only, so order those items on their own figures.