How to Measure Your Room for Flooring: A Step-by-Step Guide

At the Wooden Floor Store we like to get your measurements right before ordering flooring, as we believe it is one of the most important steps in any flooring project. Order too little and you'll face delays, potential discontinuation issues, or visible joins where batches don't quite match. Order too much and you're spending money unnecessarily. The good news is that measuring a room for flooring is straightforward once you know what you're doing and this guide will walk you through everything you need to know, room by room.

What You'll Need

Before you start, gather the following:

• A steel measuring tape (at least 5 metres)
• A pencil and notepad, or your phone to record measurements
• A rough sketch of the room's layout
• A calculator

Avoid using a fabric tape measure, they can stretch slightly and give inaccurate readings. A steel tape measure is always more reliable.

The Basic Principle: Length x Width

For a simple square or rectangular room, the calculation is straightforward. Measure the longest length of the room and the widest width, then multiply the two figures together to give you the floor area in square metres.

For example: A room that measures 4.5 metres long by 3.8 metres wide gives you a floor area of 17.1 square metres (4.5 x 3.8 = 17.1m²).

Always measure at the widest points of the room, including any alcoves, bay windows, or recesses that will be floored. Take measurements from wall to wall, not from skirting board to skirting board, the flooring will run underneath the skirting board or up to the wall, and you need the full dimension.

Always Add a Wastage Allowance

This is the step that catches people out most often. You should never order the exact square meterage of your room. Flooring needs to be cut to fit around the edges, doorways, and any awkward angles and those cut pieces cannot be reused. You also need boards to run in the same direction, which means some lengths will inevitably be wasted.

As a general rule:

• Add 10% for a standard rectangular room with a straight lay pattern
• Add 15% for rooms with lots of corners, alcoves, or irregular shapes
• Add 15–20% for diagonal or herringbone patterns, which require significantly more cutting

So for our example room of 17.1m², you would order at least 18.8m² for a straight lay (17.1 + 10% = 18.81m²), rounding up to the nearest pack size.

It is always better to have a little flooring left over than to run short. Offcuts are also valuable to keep for future repairs, if a board is ever damaged, having a spare from the same batch ensures a perfect colour and texture match.

Measuring Irregular and L-Shaped Rooms

Not every room is a neat rectangle, and open-plan spaces or L-shaped rooms require a slightly different approach. The simplest method is to divide the room into separate rectangles, calculate the area of each one individually, and then add the totals together.

For an L-shaped room:

Imagine the L-shape divided into two rectangles, measure each rectangle's length and width separately, calculate both areas, and add them together. Then apply your wastage allowance to the combined total.

For very irregular rooms with lots of angles and protrusions, it can help to sketch the room on squared paper and count the squares to estimate the area, or simply divide the space into as many rectangles as needed to cover the whole floor.

Measuring for Doorways and Thresholds

When measuring a room, include the floor area that runs under the door frame and into the doorway. Flooring typically extends to the centre of the doorway or to a threshold bar where it meets the flooring in the next room, so make sure this area is included in your measurements.

If you're laying flooring in multiple connecting rooms and the floor will run continuously through without a threshold bar, measure the combined area of all connected rooms together and apply a single wastage allowance.

Bay Windows and Alcoves

Bay windows and alcoves should always be included in your measurements, even if they will be partially covered by furniture. Measure into the full depth and width of any bay or alcove and include this area in your total. It is far better to have slightly too much flooring than to find you've run short when you reach the bay window.

Tips for Getting Accurate Measurements

Measure twice, order once. It sounds obvious, but always double-check every measurement before placing your order. A small error at the measuring stage can result in a costly shortfall.

Measure at multiple points. Rooms are rarely perfectly square, and walls are not always perfectly parallel. Measure the length of the room at both ends, and the width at both ends, and use the largest measurement in each case. This ensures you have enough material to account for any irregularity in the room's shape.

Account for any fixed obstacles. If there is a chimney breast, a structural pillar, or a hearth in the room, you still need to measure the full floor area including these features, the flooring will run around them, and material will be cut and wasted in doing so.

Note your pack sizes. Most flooring is sold in packs that cover a set number of square metres. When you have your total figure including wastage, round up to ensure you have enough complete packs. It's always worth calling our team if you're unsure, we can help you calculate exactly how many packs you'll need. 0141 887 0422.

Putting It All Together: A Simple Checklist

Before placing your order, run through this checklist:

1. Measure the length and width of the room at the widest points
3. Multiply length x width to get your base area in m²
5. Divide any irregular rooms into rectangles and add the areas together
7. Include bay windows, alcoves, doorway areas, and any connecting spaces
9. Add your wastage allowance - 10% for standard rooms, 15% for irregular shapes, 15–20% for herringbone or diagonal patterns
11. Round up to the nearest full pack
13. Double-check every measurement before ordering
15. Keep your leftover flooring for future repairs

Need Help? We're Here for You

If you're unsure about any aspect of measuring your room, our team is always happy to help. Bring your measurements, even rough ones, into any of our stores across the UK and Ireland, or get in touch online, and we'll make sure you order exactly the right amount. info@thewoodenfloorstore.com

We'd much rather spend five minutes helping you get it right than have you run short on installation day.

You can also order free samples from thewoodenfloorstore.com before you commit to your full order so you can see exactly how your chosen floor will look in your home before you take the plunge.