How to calculate square metres
Multiply the length by the width to obtain a rectangular area in square metres. Perimeter is two times the sum of the two dimensions. For an irregular room, split the floor plan into rectangles and sum their areas.
A room 5.5 metres by 4 metres covers 22 m² with a perimeter of 19 metres. Allow separately for cuts and material wastage when purchasing flooring.
Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator support L-shaped rooms?
Divide the floor into rectangles and add their areas manually.
Is material wastage included?
No. Calculate any extra materials separately.
Square metres versus square feet
A square metre is an area unit, not a length. To convert a measured area from square metres to square feet, multiply by approximately 10.7639. For example, 22 m² is about 236.81 ft². Do not multiply one measured length in metres by another in feet without converting both lengths to the same unit first.
Estimating flooring materials
Measure the usable floor footprint, not the perimeter, when estimating how much floor covering you need. For a simple rectangle, length times width is sufficient. For rooms with alcoves or irregular edges, measure individual sections separately and add the areas. Any extra material for waste or installation cuts depends on the product and layout and is not automatically included in this calculator.
Square metres for an L-shaped room
This calculator measures one rectangle at a time. For a floor made from non-overlapping rectangles measuring 5 m × 3 m and 2 m × 2 m, calculate 15 m² and 4 m² separately, then add them to obtain 19 m². Do not double-count the overlapping part of a plan. For a rectangular room, enter length and width in metres; the page also shows the equivalent square feet.
Is a square metre the same as a metre?
No. Metres measure length; square metres measure two-dimensional area. A 4 m by 3 m floor covers 12 m², not 7 m. For material ordering, consider installation cuts and product-specific wastage separately.
Area, volume and proportions are different
This page measures a flat surface. If you also have the room height and need three-dimensional capacity, use the cubic metres calculator. To resize an image while maintaining its proportions, use the separate image aspect ratio calculator.