How to Estimate the Cost of Hardwood Flooring

If you love the look of hardwood floors, but aren't sure if you can afford them and have no idea how to figure out the cost, read on. All you need is a tape measure and some basic math skills to calculate an estimate for hardwood flooring.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Draw a rough sketch of your room's floor area. Include areas such as closets and movable appliances that will have flooring installed beneath them.

2. Break up your area into squares and rectangles, and measure each area separately. For example, if you have an L-shaped room, measure the long part as one rectangle and the leg part as another square.

3. Multiply the length and width of each area, and add the totals together. This is the square footage of your total floor.

4. Add 10 percent to the total. This is your cutting waste. The final sum is the amount of square feet of hardwood flooring you'll need to purchase.

5. Figure installation by the square feet of the job. Ask your installer their charge per square foot. Add this to your material cost to get a total estimate of the cost for hardwood flooring.