Parquet flooring calculator: how much parquet do I need?
Floor area plus waste, divided by the square feet per pack, rounded up. For 200 sq ft in a straight third bond and packs of 20.67 sq ft that is 11 packs, in herringbone 12. The waste per room comes from our simulation study of 5,811 layout plans.
Parquet calculator
Each room gets the waste for its size; the packs are rounded up only once, over all rooms.
Default: the oak parquet plank from the layout planner
printed on the box, for example 20.67 sq ft
You need
Enter the length and width of a room.
Packs of parquet by room size
For packs of 20.7 sq ft and rectangular rooms, from the typical figure to the awkward case in one plan in ten:
| Floor area | Straight, third bond | Diagonal | Herringbone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 6 | 6 | 6 – 7 |
| 150 sq ft | 8 – 9 | 9 | 9 – 10 |
| 200 sq ft | 11 | 12 | 12 – 13 |
| 250 sq ft | 13 – 14 | 14 – 15 | 14 – 16 |
| 300 sq ft | 16 – 17 | 17 – 18 | 17 – 19 |
| 400 sq ft | 21 – 22 | 23 – 24 | 22 – 24 |
Straight and herringbone: median and awkward-case figure of our simulation study by room size. Diagonal: rule of thumb of 15 to 20 %. No reserve pack.
Worked example: a 20 × 10 ft living room
- Area: 20 × 10 ft = 200 sq ft, oak parquet planks of about 47¼ × 7⅞ in, 8 planks per pack = 20.67 sq ft per pack.
- Straight, third bond: 6.1 % waste for rooms of 160 to 320 sq ft, so 200 × 1.061 = 212.2 sq ft. 212.2 ÷ 20.67 = 10.27, so you order 11 packs.
- Herringbone: 15.3 % waste, so 200 × 1.153 = 230.6 sq ft. 230.6 ÷ 20.67 = 11.16, so you order 12 packs – one pack more.
- Diagonal by the rule of thumb: 15 to 20 %, so 230 to 240 sq ft and 12 packs either way.
- On top, one reserve pack from the same batch for breakage and later repairs.
The herringbone waste for your room size and shape is on the page herringbone waste percentage. For laminate, the laminate flooring calculator counts every plank and every cut, and how to lay parquet step by step is in the guide how to install parquet flooring.
For the edges, the baseboard calculator counts the boards, the corners and the end caps for the same rooms.
Floating parquet needs an underlayment: the underlayment calculator gives the rolls and the vapor barrier film for the same rooms.
Frequently asked questions
- How much parquet do I need for 200 square feet?
- In a straight third bond about 212 sq ft, that is 200 sq ft plus 6.1 % waste; with packs of 20.67 sq ft that makes 11 packs. In herringbone it is about 231 sq ft and 12 packs. Add one reserve pack either way.
- How much waste should I allow for parquet?
- In our simulation study a straight third bond came to a median of 5.7 %, 8.4 % in small rooms under 160 sq ft and 4.3 % in large rooms from 320 sq ft. Herringbone came to 14.8 %. For diagonal laying, calculators and flooring forums give 15 to 20 %.
- How do I work out the number of packs?
- Floor area times (1 + waste in percent ÷ 100), divided by the coverage per pack, always rounded up. With several rooms each room gets the waste for its size and you round once over the total, because offcuts travel from one room to the next.
- Does herringbone parquet need more material?
- Yes, in the study's median about 9 percentage points more than a straight third bond, because every edge piece is cut at an angle. Short blocks lose less: oak blocks of 20 × 2¾ in came to 8.5 % in herringbone, long planks of about 50 × 7½ in to 20 %.
- Should I buy an extra pack of parquet?
- Yes. The waste covers only the offcuts that can no longer be used, not breakage, a plank damaged while laying or a repair in a few years. Keep one pack from the same batch, because a later purchase often comes in a different shade.
Count the exact waste for your room
Upload your floor plan and the free planner works out the exact packs and waste before you order.
create a layout planSources: Autolay simulation study, 5,811 layout plans, October 2026; diagonal: rule of thumb from calculators and flooring forums; pack size: oak parquet plank from the layout planner.