Reference
Standard Flooring Sizes for Estimating
The common sizes that every flooring estimate starts from, collected on one page in US and metric units.
Tile
| Format | US size | Metric size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic | 1 × 1, 2 × 2 in on 12 × 12 in sheets | 2.5 × 2.5, 5 × 5 cm on 30 × 30 cm sheets | Shower floors, backsplashes |
| Subway | 3 × 6, 4 × 12 in | 7.5 × 15, 10 × 30 cm | Walls and backsplashes |
| Small square | 4 × 4, 6 × 6 in | 10 × 10, 15 × 15 cm | Walls, small floors |
| Standard floor | 12 × 12, 12 × 24 in | 30 × 30, 30 × 60 cm | Most floors |
| Large format | 18 × 18, 24 × 24, 24 × 48 in | 45 × 45, 60 × 60, 60 × 120 cm | Open floors, modern rooms |
| Wood-look plank | 6 × 24, 8 × 48 in | 15 × 60, 20 × 120 cm | Floors |
Grout joints: 1/16 in (1.5 mm) for rectified tile, 1/8 in (3 mm) for most floor tile, 3/16 in (5 mm) for handmade-look tile. Thickness: 1/4 to 5/16 in wall tile, 3/8 in porcelain floor tile. See the floor tile calculator and the tile layout calculator.
Planks and boards
| Product | Widths | Lengths | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid hardwood strip | 2 1/4, 3 1/4 in (5.7, 8.3 cm) | random, 1 to 7 ft | 3/4 in (19 mm) |
| Solid hardwood plank | 4 to 8 in (10 to 20 cm) | random, up to 8 ft | 3/4 in |
| Engineered wood | 5 to 9 in (12.5 to 23 cm) | 3 to 7 ft fixed or random | 3/8 to 3/4 in |
| Laminate | 5 to 8 in (13 to 20 cm) | about 48 in (120 cm) | 7 to 12 mm |
| Vinyl plank | 6 to 9 in (15 to 23 cm) | 36 to 60 in (90 to 150 cm) | 4 to 8 mm |
Expansion gaps: 3/4 in for solid wood, 1/2 in floating engineered, 3/8 in laminate, 1/4 in vinyl plank. See the plank layout calculator and the expansion gap calculator.
Rolls and sheets
| Product | Width | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet | 12 ft (some 13.5, 15 ft); 4 or 5 m | carpet calculator |
| Sheet vinyl | 6, 12, 13.2 ft; 2, 3, 4 m | sheet vinyl calculator |
| Carpet pad | 6 ft | 30 to 45 ft rolls |
| Rubber | 4 ft | cut to length |
| Plywood and OSB | 4 × 8 ft (1.2 × 2.4 m) | subfloor calculator |
| Cement board | 3 × 5, 4 × 8 ft; 900 × 1200, 1200 × 2400 mm | cement board calculator |
Trim and transitions
| Item | Standard lengths |
|---|---|
| Baseboard and shoe moulding | 8, 12, 16 ft (2.4, 3, 4.2 m) |
| Quarter round | 8 ft |
| T-moulding, reducer, end cap | 36, 72, 94 in (90 cm, 2.4 m) |
| Tack strip | 4 ft (1.2 m), bundles of 50 or 100 |
| Pencil or bullnose tile trim | 12 in (30 cm) |
See the baseboard calculator and the transitions calculator.
Rooms, doors and stairs
| Item | Typical size |
|---|---|
| Interior door opening | 30 to 36 in (76 to 91 cm); with casing about 3 ft |
| Garage door | 8 to 9 ft single, 16 ft double |
| Stair riser | at most 7 3/4 in (IRC R311.7.5) |
| Stair tread | at least 10 in (IRC R311.7.5) |
| Stair width | 36 in common |
| Kitchen backsplash height | 18 in to the upper cabinets |
| Bathtub alcove | 60 × 30 to 32 in |
| Garage interior | one-car about 12 × 22 ft; two-car 20 × 20 to 22 × 22 ft |
Rugs
Standard US rug sizes: 3 × 5, 4 × 6, 5 × 8, 6 × 9, 8 × 10, 9 × 12, 10 × 14 and 12 × 15 ft. Common metric sizes: 120 × 170, 160 × 230, 200 × 290, 240 × 340 and 300 × 400 cm. The rug size calculator picks between them.
The complete method for working out flooring shows how these sizes feed an order, and the guide to measuring odd rooms covers the measurements that go with them.