Hardwood Flooring Calculator
Last updated
Room and boards
NWFA: 8–10 in for 3/4 in strip.
Cartons to buy
16 cartons
- Floor area
- 280 sq ft
- With 10% waste
- 308 sq ft
- Cartons cover
- 320 sq ft
- Linear length of boards
- 1643 ft
- Cleats or nails
- about 2,738 (8.9 per sq ft)
Fastener count assumes 36 in average board length; buy cleats in boxes of 1,000 and keep the spare.
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Cleats per square foot by board width
| Board width | Rows per foot | Fasteners per sq ft (9 in spacing) | Per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.25 in | 5.33 | 8.9 | 889 |
| 3.25 in | 3.69 | 6.2 | 616 |
| 4 in | 3 | 5 | 500 |
| 5 in | 2.4 | 4 | 400 |
| 7 in | 1.71 | 2.9 | 286 |
Tools the pros use for this job
Flooring Nailer
Drives cleats at the right angle through the tongue.
Flooring Cleats
L-shaped cleats for 3/4 in solid hardwood.
Moisture Meter
Check boards and subfloor before you install.
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Prices as of Oct 11, 2026, 4:39 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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How this calculator works
Cartons = room area × (1 + waste) ÷ carton coverage, rounded up. Linear feet of boards = the same area × 12 ÷ board face width in inches, which is how some yards price strip flooring.
Fasteners: the NWFA fastening schedule for 3/4 in solid strip flooring places blind fasteners every 8–10 in along each board and 1–3 in from each end joint. The calculator multiplies the rows per foot (12 ÷ board width) by the fasteners per foot of row (12 ÷ spacing), adds one for every board end, and applies it to the area you are buying. Wide plank is fastened more closely; follow the maker's schedule.
- Leave an expansion gap at the walls as the maker specifies; base and shoe moulding hide it.
- Acclimate and check the wood and subfloor with a moisture meter before installing.
- Rack out boards from several cartons at once so colour and lengths mix evenly.
Also see the laminate flooring calculator, the vinyl plank calculator and the floor deflection calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much hardwood flooring do I need?
Multiply the room's length by its width and add 10% for waste (15% for diagonal, 20% for herringbone). A 20 × 14 ft room needs 280 × 1.10 = 308 sq ft, or 16 cartons of 20 sq ft.
How many nails or cleats do I need for hardwood flooring?
For 2¼ in solid strip with cleats every 9 in, about 8.9 per sq ft including board ends, so roughly 2,740 for 308 sq ft. Wider boards need fewer per square foot: about 4 per sq ft for 5 in plank at the same spacing.
How many square feet are in a box of hardwood flooring?
Usually 18 to 25 sq ft for solid strip and 20 to 30 sq ft for engineered plank. Use the figure printed on the carton.
How much waste should I add for hardwood?
7% for a plain room laid straight, 10% for closets, halls and random lengths, 15% for diagonal and 20% for herringbone or chevron. Add more for low-grade (cabin or character) boards with many short pieces.
How do I convert linear feet of hardwood to square feet?
Square feet = linear feet × board width in inches ÷ 12. 1,000 linear feet of 2¼ in strip covers 187.5 sq ft.
Related calculators
- Floor Deflection CalculatorJoist deflection and pass/fail at L/360 for porcelain or L/720 for natural stone.
- Flooring Square Footage CalculatorAdd rooms, L-shapes and circles for one running square-foot total.
- Carpet CalculatorSquare yards of 12 ft roll carpet, seams, waste, pad and tack strip.
- Vinyl Tile & LVP CalculatorLVT, vinyl plank and peel-and-stick boxes by coverage.
- Laminate Flooring CalculatorBoxes, planks, underlayment and trim for laminate, in feet or metres.
- Tile Baseboard CalculatorLinear feet of tile base, pieces to buy, or floor tiles to cut into strips.
Guides worth reading next
- How to Measure a Room for Tile (Step by Step)Measure any room for floor or wall tile: handle closets and alcoves, convert inches to decimals, subtract fixtures, and add the right waste percentage.
- Choosing the Right Tile Size for Your RoomHow tile size changes a room: when 12×24 beats 4×4, why small rooms can take large tile, grout line math, and the flatness rule for big formats.
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