Understanding your result
The headline is the amount you typed, expressed in the most useful other unit: square yards if you typed square feet, square feet if you typed anything else. Beneath it and in the table are the same area in square feet, square yards, square metres and square inches, and the number of boxes at the coverage you gave, both exactly and rounded up to the boxes you would buy.
The boxes line takes the coverage per box from the field below the amount, in square feet in US mode and square metres in metric mode. The exact figure tells you how much of the last box you would use; the rounded one is what you buy. Converting from boxes does the opposite: it multiplies the boxes by the coverage, which is useful when you have leftover boxes and want to know what area they will cover.
No waste is added here. For the boxes to buy with waste, use the boxes and cartons calculator; for the area of an odd room in the first place, the floor area calculator; and for carpet, which is bought by the linear foot of roll rather than by area, the carpet calculator.
How we calculate this
All the factors follow from the definition of the foot as exactly 0.3048 m, fixed by the international yard and pound agreement of 1959, so there is no rounding in the conversion itself; only the displayed figures are rounded. The guide to the units of flooring explains where each unit is used and why, the carpet roll guide covers linear feet of roll, and the complete method shows how the units fit into an order.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Assumption | Default | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Foot | 0.3048 m exactly | International yard and pound agreement (1959) |
| Square yard | 9 sq ft | 3 ft × 3 ft |
| Square metre | 10.7639104 sq ft | 1 ÷ 0.3048² |
| Box coverage | 20 sq ft (1.86 m²) | A typical carton; enter the figure from your label |
Assumptions last reviewed October 8, 2026.
The converter converts areas. It does not convert linear measures of roll or trim, which depend on the roll or piece width; the carpet and baseboard calculators handle those. It does not add waste, round to whole boxes for an order, or know your product’s coverage, which is the one figure you must take from the label.
Two worked examples
A carpet quote in square yards
A dealer quotes 20 sq yd for a 180 sq ft bedroom.
- 180 sq ft ÷ 9 = 20 sq yd; 16.72 m²
The quote is for exactly the room’s area, which means no offcut, which happens only when the room is no wider than the roll. If the room is 13 ft wide on a 12 ft roll, the carpet calculator will show the real figure is much higher; worth asking the dealer how the 20 was measured.
What 14 leftover boxes will cover
14 boxes of vinyl plank at 23.6 sq ft per box.
- 14 × 23.6 = 330.4 sq ft; 36.71 sq yd; 30.7 m²
Enough for a 300 sq ft room with 10% waste, almost exactly. Leftover boxes from a big order are worth checking against the next room before buying more, as long as they come from the same lot.
Where to find your inputs
Amount and unit. From your measurement, the quote, or the product page.
Coverage per box. On the box label and the product page, in square feet or square metres per box or carton.
Metric or US. The toggle changes the coverage field to square metres; the amount keeps whatever unit you choose.
Common mistakes
- Dividing by 3 for square yards. A square yard is 9 sq ft, not 3.
- Using 10 for square metres. It is 10.764; on a large floor the difference is a box.
- Comparing a price per sq yd with one per sq ft. Divide the square-yard price by 9 first.
- Rounding boxes before adding waste. Add the waste, then round up once.
- Assuming the coverage. It varies by product. Read the label.
- Converting linear feet as if they were area. A linear foot of a 12 ft roll is 12 sq ft.
Questions people ask
- How many square feet are in a square yard?
- Nine. A square yard is 3 ft by 3 ft. A 180 sq ft room is 20 sq yd, and a carpet price of $27 per square yard is $3 per square foot.
- How do I convert square feet to square metres?
- Multiply by 0.09290304, the exact figure, or divide by 10.764. 180 sq ft is 16.72 m², and 10 m² is 107.64 sq ft.
- How do I turn square feet into boxes?
- Divide the area, with waste added, by the coverage per box on the label and round up. 330 sq ft at 23.6 sq ft per box is 13.98 boxes, so you buy 14. Without the waste it would be 12.7 for 300 sq ft, still 13 boxes bought.
- How many square feet does a box of flooring cover?
- It depends on the product; read the label. Laminate is often 18 to 25 sq ft, vinyl plank 18 to 32, hardwood 20, and tile 10 to 16 per box. The converter works with whatever coverage you enter.
- Why are carpet prices per square yard?
- Habit from the roll trade. A 12 ft roll is 4 yards wide, so one linear yard of roll is 4 square yards. Most US carpet is still quoted per square yard; divide by 9 to compare with a price per square foot.
- Is a UK square metre price comparable with a US square foot price?
- Yes, once converted and with the currency adjusted. A price per square metre divided by 10.764 is the price per square foot in the same currency. The converter does the area part; the exchange rate is up to you.