How do I calculate the square footage of a room?

Measure the length and width of the room in feet, then multiply them together. A 12 × 14 ft room, for example, is 168 square feet. Subtract any doorways or fixed openings you do not need to count.

How do I measure an L-shaped or irregular room?

Split the room into two or more rectangles, calculate the square footage of each separately, and add the results together. Alternatively, measure the overall bounding rectangle and use the deduction fields to subtract any area (like a closet cutout) that is not part of the room.

How do I convert square feet to square meters?

Multiply the square footage by 0.0929. For example, 168 square feet is about 15.6 square meters (168 × 0.0929 ≈ 15.6).

Why do flooring calculators add extra waste on top of the square footage?

This calculator reports the raw area only. Flooring materials like tile, laminate, and hardwood need extra material for cuts, offsets, and breakage, so once you know your square footage, run it through a flooring calculator (tile, laminate, etc.) to add the right waste percentage for your layout.

Square Footage Calculator

A 12 × 14 ft room is 168 square feet — multiply length by width to get the total area.

Reviewed by The ponderloop teamUpdated 2026-07-11How we calculate

Room lengthRoom width

0 sq ft

How this number is calculated

0 sq ft (no waste added)

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Methodology & assumptions

We compute area as length × width in feet, then subtract any deductions you enter for closets, fireplaces, or other non-usable sections. There is no waste allowance or purchase unit here — this tool reports the raw geometric area only.

Standard length × width area formula (no external pricing or coverage data used)

Worked examples

Room	Result
12 × 14 ft room	12 × 14 ft → 168 sq ft
10 × 12 ft room	10 × 12 ft → 120 sq ft
20 × 15 ft room	20 × 15 ft → 300 sq ft

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate the square footage of a room?: Measure the length and width of the room in feet, then multiply them together. A 12 × 14 ft room, for example, is 168 square feet. Subtract any doorways or fixed openings you do not need to count.
How do I measure an L-shaped or irregular room?: Split the room into two or more rectangles, calculate the square footage of each separately, and add the results together. Alternatively, measure the overall bounding rectangle and use the deduction fields to subtract any area (like a closet cutout) that is not part of the room.
How do I convert square feet to square meters?: Multiply the square footage by 0.0929. For example, 168 square feet is about 15.6 square meters (168 × 0.0929 ≈ 15.6).
Why do flooring calculators add extra waste on top of the square footage?: This calculator reports the raw area only. Flooring materials like tile, laminate, and hardwood need extra material for cuts, offsets, and breakage, so once you know your square footage, run it through a flooring calculator (tile, laminate, etc.) to add the right waste percentage for your layout.