Flooring Estimators
Carpet Calculator
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Estimate broadloom or carpet tiles for any space. Factor in roll width to find the required linear length, or calculate pieces for tile-based flooring with a professional waste allowance.
Carpet Calculator
Broadloom roll goods or carpet tiles with waste allowance
Results
Order area
22.00 m²
Square yards
26.31 yd²
Broadloom layout is a simplified estimate that chooses the lower of two orientations. Pattern repeats, stair work, and complex room shapes can increase waste.
Step-by-Step Calculation
Step 1 — Net floor area
20.00 m² − 0.00 openings = 20.00 m²
Step 2 — Add waste
20.00 × (1 + 10.0%) = 22.00 m²
= 26.31 yd² (÷ 0.8361)
Step 3 — Roll length
1 run of 4.00 m roll per room, 0 seams
layout length 5.00 m × (1 + 10.0%) = 5.50 m
Result — buy 5.50 m off a 4.00 m roll
How Broadloom is Calculated
Broadloom comes in fixed widths. The calculator suggests the best orientation to minimize seams and waste while ensuring the entire room is covered.
Common Broadloom Roll Widths
| System | Roll Width | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial | 12 feet | Standard residential US |
| Imperial | 15 feet | Wide-width commercial |
| Metric | 3.66 metres | Standard UK/Aus/NZ |
| Metric | 4.00 metres | Standard European |
Step-by-Step Formulas
1. Net Floor Area
Begin by measuring the total footprint of the room. Subtract any areas that will not be carpeted, such as a fireplace hearth or a built-in cabinetry base.
2. Waste Allowance
Waste covers trimming, fitting into doorways, and pattern matching. 10% is standard. For patterned carpet or high-traffic areas where seams must be minimized, budget 12–15%.
3. Broadloom Roll Planning
Broadloom is sold by the linear foot or yard from a fixed-width roll (usually 12 ft or 4 m). The calculator accounts for total coverage and suggested orientation to minimize waste.
4. Carpet Tile Estimation
For carpet tiles, divide the order area by the individual tile area (eg 500 × 500 mm). The result is rounded up to the nearest whole tile.
Worked Example
Imperial: 15 ft × 20 ft master bedroom, 12 ft roll width, 10% waste.
Roll Goods Versus Tiles
Broadloom carpet and carpet tile are estimated in completely different ways, and the distinction drives the whole order:
- Tiles Waste Very Little: Carpet tiles are cut individually, so waste stays near 5–10% and offcuts at one wall often start the next row. They also allow single-tile replacement later.
- Roll Width Decides Broadloom Waste: Broadloom comes in fixed 12 ft or 15 ft widths. A room 13 ft wide takes a 15 ft roll and discards 2 ft down its whole length — choosing the right roll width is the single biggest cost lever.
- Seam Placement Constrains Layout: Seams must fall out of traffic paths and run toward the light, which sometimes forces a less efficient cutting plan than pure arithmetic would suggest.
Example Calculations
Three scenarios worked through step by step:
Example 1 — Broadloom, Efficient Fit
Room 11 ft × 14 ft, 12 ft roll width, 10% waste.
Room width 11 ft fits within the 12 ft roll
Cut length = 14 ft; area used = 12 × 14 = 168 ft²
Square yards = 168 ÷ 9 = 18.7 yd²
With 10% waste = 20.5 yd²
Result: 1 ft of roll width is wasted down the length
Example 2 — Broadloom, Awkward Width
Room 13 ft × 16 ft, 15 ft roll width, 10% waste.
13 ft exceeds a 12 ft roll, so a 15 ft roll is required
Area used = 15 × 16 = 240 ft² = 26.7 yd²
Actual room = 13 × 16 = 208 ft² = 23.1 yd²
Waste from roll width alone = 3.6 yd²
With 10% waste = 29.3 yd² ordered
Example 3 — Carpet Tiles
Office 30 ft × 24 ft, 24 × 24 in tiles, 8% waste.
Area = 30 × 24 = 720 ft²
Tile area = (24 × 24) ÷ 144 = 4 ft²
Tiles = 720 ÷ 4 = 180
With 8% waste = 180 × 1.08 = 194.4 → 195 tiles
At 12 tiles/box = 16.25 → 17 boxes
Estimating Tip
Estimating Tip
Before committing to broadloom, check whether your room width fits inside a 12 ft roll. A room measuring 12 ft 3 in forces you onto a 15 ft roll and throws away nearly a quarter of the material down the entire length — carpet tile is often dramatically cheaper for exactly that reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the standard broadloom roll width?
- The most common width is 12 feet (3.66 m), but 15-foot and 4-metre rolls are also widely available. Always confirm the roll width with your retailer.
- Should I buy carpet by square feet or square yards?
- Suppliers traditionally quote by the square yard, but modern retailers often use square feet. Note: 1 sq yd = 9 sq ft.
- How do I convert square feet to square yards for carpet?
- Divide by 9, since a square yard is 3 ft × 3 ft. A 180 ft² room is 20 yd². US broadloom is priced per square yard while most other materials are priced per square foot, so this conversion comes up constantly.
- What width does broadloom carpet come in?
- Twelve feet is the most common, with 15 ft widely available and 13 ft 2 in (4 m) found on some imported products. Roll width is fixed, so a room wider than the roll needs a seam and a room slightly narrower wastes the difference.
- How much waste should I allow for carpet?
- Ten percent for broadloom in a simple rectangular room, more if the carpet has a pattern that must be matched at seams — a large repeat can push waste past 20%. Carpet tiles need only 5–10% because every offcut is usable.
- Are carpet tiles cheaper than broadloom?
- Per square yard the material often costs more, but total installed cost is frequently lower because waste drops sharply, no stretching equipment is needed, and damaged tiles are replaced individually instead of re-carpeting a room.
- Where should carpet seams go?
- Out of main traffic paths, running away from the primary light source so the seam is less visible, and never across a doorway where foot traffic concentrates. These constraints sometimes override the most material-efficient cutting plan.
- Do I need carpet padding and how is it measured?
- Most broadloom needs padding, measured in the same square yards as the carpet itself but bought separately and usually in 6 ft wide rolls. Carpet tiles have an integral backing and are laid directly on the subfloor without padding.
- Should I measure each room separately?
- Yes for broadloom, because each room needs its own cutting plan from the roll and offcuts rarely transfer usefully between rooms. For carpet tiles you can total the whole floor area, since tiles cut from one room genuinely serve the next.