How to Measure Your Room Like a Pro

Measuring a room seems simple until you're standing in the aisle of Home Depot realizing you didn't account for the closet alcove or the door swing.

Whether you are installing hardwood, vinyl, or carpet, getting the square footage right is the difference between a smooth project and running out of material halfway through.

Step 1: Draw a Rough Sketch

Don't start with the tape measure. Start with a piece of paper (or use our free editor). Draw the general shape of the room. It doesn't have to be to scale yet; just get the walls, doors, and closets on the page.

Step 2: Measure the Longest Walls

Always measure from the drywall to drywall. Do not measure from the baseboards! Baseboards can add 0.5 to 1 inch of thickness, which will throw off your measurements if you are planning to replace them or install flooring up to the wall.

Step 3: Break the Room into Rectangles

Most rooms aren't perfect squares. To get the total square footage:

1. Divide your room sketch into separate rectangles.
2. Measure the length and width of each rectangle.
3. Multiply Length × Width for each section.
4. Add them all together.

Example:

• Main area: 12' × 15' = 180 sq ft
• Closet alcove: 2' × 4' = 8 sq ft
• Total: 188 sq ft

Step 4: The "Waste Factor"

This is where most DIYers fail. You must add a "waste factor" for cuts and mistakes.

• Standard rooms: Add 5-10% extra.
• Complex rooms (angles, many corners): Add 15% extra.

If your room is 188 sq ft, buy enough flooring for 206 sq ft (188 × 1.10).

Visualize it First

Before you buy materials, draw your exact dimensions in RoomyLab. You can visualize exactly where the furniture will go once that new floor is installed.