Since most flooring is sold by the square foot measuring you floor area is pretty easy to do. To determine how many square feet you need, measure the room(s) length by its width. Example: if you have a room that is 10' long by 10' wide you would multiply those numbers together, the amount of square footage = 100 sq. ft.  
Now, with wood flooring you must add a 5% waste factor for cutting and fitting waste and to cover a few boards that you may not want to use. Using the example above you would want to add 5% to your order which would mean that you would need a total of 105 sf. If you have more than one room to measure, measure all the rooms then add the square footage together then add your 5% waste factor.

The waste factor percentage can go higher depending on the grade of wood flooring you purchase. If you purchase a lower grade of wood flooring or if you’re extremely fussy about using certain boards then a higher 10 -15% waste factor may be needed. If you do not add a waste factor you may not have enough flooring to fill the rooms you measured.
With laminate flooring there is really only cutting and fitting waste so 5% waste factor should be sufficient.

It is better to over order than to run short during the installation and have to go re-order more flooring. It is also highly recommended to keep a carton or two of the flooring for future repairs if needed.

I have included more measuring tips for you in our drawing layout below.