How to Measure a Floor in Square Feet

Knowing the square footage of a floor is important for purchasing carpet or flooring or for designing your furniture placement plan. Measuring your floor to get the square footage is an easy project. All you need is a steel tape measure, a pencil and paper, a calculator and a partner.

Things You'll Need

• Steel tape measure
• Pencil and paper
• Calculator
• Partner

Instructions

1. Determine the width and length of the room. The width is the “shorter” space between walls; the length is the longer space.

2. Starting with the width, have your partner hold the starting end of the steel tape measure against the wall near the floor. Be certain he is holding it above the baseboard.

3. Pull the tape out until you reach the opposite wall and hold it against the wall. The steel tape is pliable, so you can bend it to hold it firm against the wall above the baseboard. Be sure the tape is in a straight line across the room.

4. Note what the measurement is in feet and inches. For example, if the tape reads 12 feet 2 inches, do not round down. Mark it on your paper as 12 feet 2 inches.

5. Repeat the procedure for the length of the room. Again, be sure to record the exact measure in feet and inches.

6. Now, to get a good idea of your square footage, you can multiply the feet only, if your inches are only one or two inches to each measure. For example, for a room measuring 12 feet 2 inches by 14 feet 1 inch, you can multiply 12 x 14. This equals 168 square feet.

7. For a more precise measure, you need to convert both figures into inches. The formula for this is as follows:(For converting the 12 feet 2 inch measurement)12 x 12 = 144144 + 2 = 146The measurement converts to 146 inches.(For converting the 14 feet 1 inch measurement)12 x 14=168168 + 1=169The measurement converts to 169 inches.You multiply the foot measurement by 12 (because there are 12 inches to a foot), and then add the number of inches. It’s that simple.

8. Now multiply 146 by 169. This equals 24674. Divide this figure by 144 (144 is one square foot in inches). This equals 171.35. The exact square footage of the floor is 171.35 square feet. That’s a three square foot difference from the estimate.

9. You can also do the original measurements in inches and multiply these two figures. This gives you square inches. Divide that answer by 144 and that gives you square footage. 146 inches x 169 inches=24,674. Divide 24,674 by 144 and the answer is 171.35 square feet.

10. Now you understand the math behind measuring for square footage. For a simple estimate, multiply feet. For a more precise measure, follow either of the mathematical procedures demonstrated here.

Tips & Warnings

• To convert square footage into square yards, divide the square footage by nine.

• Never use a cloth measuring tape. Always use steel.