All Calculators

Room Square Footage Calculator

Measure the square footage of any room — bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, or oddly-shaped spaces. Enter dimensions in feet and inches and see results in real time.

Room Calculator

Enter your room's length and width. For L-shaped rooms, use the multi-segment calculator on the home page.
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How to measure a room

For a standard rectangular room, measure the length wall-to-wall along one side, then measure the width wall-to-wall along an adjacent side. Multiply the two together to get square footage.

For accuracy, measure each dimension at two points — once near the front of the room and once near the back. Older homes especially can taper by an inch or more across a single wall, which adds up over a full project.

Always measure to the inside of the wall surface (the finished wall), not to the studs. For flooring projects, measure to where you want the flooring to end — usually under the threshold of any doorway.

Step-by-step measurement guide

01

Clear the perimeter

Move furniture away from the walls so your tape measure can run flush. Even a couple of inches of obstruction can throw off your reading.

02

Measure the length

Hook your tape on one wall, run it straight to the opposite wall. Note the measurement in feet and inches.

03

Measure the width

Repeat perpendicular to the length. Take the measurement at the widest point if the walls aren't perfectly parallel.

04

Multiply

Length × Width = Square Footage. Or just type your numbers into the calculator above and skip the math.

05

Add a waste factor

If you're ordering material, add 5–15% on top depending on the project type. The calculator does this for you when you select a material.

Pro tips

Measure feet AND inches

Don't round 12 ft 7 in down to 12 ft. Even small rounding errors add up across a whole room.

Sketch as you go

Draw the room shape and label each wall's measurement directly on the sketch. You'll catch mistakes faster.

Closets count for flooring

If you're buying flooring, include closets and any small alcoves — they need flooring too.

Subtract immovable obstacles

Built-ins, fireplaces, and floor-to-ceiling cabinets reduce the floorable area. Measure and subtract them.

Frequently asked

How do I measure a room with an L-shape?+
Mentally divide the L into two rectangles. Measure each rectangle's length and width separately, calculate each area, then add them. Our home page calculator has a multi-segment mode that does this automatically.
Should I include closets in room square footage?+
For material estimates (flooring, paint), yes — closets need materials too. For real estate listings, it depends on local conventions; many appraisers count finished, heated closet space.
How accurate does my measurement need to be?+
Within an inch or two is usually fine. The waste factor (5–15%) gives you a buffer for both measurement error and installation cuts.
What if the walls aren't straight?+
Measure at multiple points and use the largest dimension. It's better to slightly overestimate than to come up short on materials.