One of the initial steps while setting up your new property is knowing how to calculate the square feet of the floor. Figuring out square feet is essential in determining the material cost for construction purposes.
Once you know how to figure out square footage, it will help you save a lot of time and money, especially the shipping cost of materials. However, not everyone understands how to figure out the square footage of a room, but you can do that now.
This simple guide will help in figuring square footage of flooring in a minute.
How do you figure square feet?
When you order any material for your room online, you will have to know the square footage of a room first. But before that, how do you figure out square feet? We’ll help you figure out the meaning with an example for a better understanding.
Assuming that you know the width and length of your room, which are 10 and 14 feet, respectively, how will you see the room’s surface area? How will the materials fit in the room if the site is insufficient? Therefore, the question of how to get square footage of a room will come to action here, because square foot is just the amount of space covering an area.
So, the square footage will help you decipher the space required to cover your room with essentials. Measuring square feet will help you determine the size and quantity of materials like beds, couch sets, paintings, etc.
How do you calculate square footage with example?
How to measure square feet is simple if you have some standard equipment from your toolbox handy. All you need is a measuring tape, calculator, pen and paper. Make sure there are no objects in the middle of the two ends of your room to avoid incorrect calculations.
However, before knowing how to find square footage of a room, you must first calculate the length of the floor.
- Stretch the tape from one end of the wall to another
- You can stick one end of the inch tape with a cello tape and then stretch the free part to the rear end.
- Using a digital measurer will reflect the length of the two ends, which you can note down on your paper.
- Do the same with the other two walls.
Once you calculate the total length, you will move ahead to the next step of how to calculate square footage of a room? Now that you have the relevant dimensions of your room, you will use this formula for square feet –
Length x Width = Square Foot
Now you know how to figure square foot by calculating the area of a rectangle by multiplying the length with the room’s width.
Let us clear how to find the square footage of a room with an example –
Suppose you’ve measured the length of the two walls, and the result is 14 ft. You’ve done the exact measurement with the ends of the other two walls, and the size is 14ft. These two dimensions are the length and width of the room, so how to get square footage?
You will convert feet to square feet by multiplying the 14 ft Length by 14 ft. Width to find the total square feet of the room, i.e., 196 sq ft.
14 feet x 14 feet = 196 sq. Ft
How do you measure square feet of a room with different shapes?
Do you know that the average cost to build a house in the USA is $300,000? And the construction cost starts from $150? Therefore, it is vital to know the answer to how do you calculate the square footage, because an ordinary family of 3-4 Americans can easily stay in a house of approx. 2000 sq ft.
Every flooring is shaped differently. Some are simple rectangles, irregular or odd-shaped, while some are enclosed with closets or furniture. The square foot of a room is calculated with the same formula in just a few seconds but how do you calculate square feet of different shapes and sizes?
We are enlisting how to figure square feet of different shapes below
How to calculate sq ft of an irregular shaped flooring?
An irregular shaped room is just like a standard room with an add-on of another small shaped rectangle. Knowing how to measure square footage of this type of room is very important. You will calculate the square feet by first measuring the square feet of the central section or the giant rectangle.
Now measure the area of the small section and calculate the sum of the square feet. This sum will be the total square feet of the room.
How to determine square feet with an example?
For example, area of the first section is- 14ft in length and 14 ft in width, then its surface area will be-
14 ft x 14 ft = 196 sq ft
Now, the dimensions of the second smaller section are 10 ft in length and 10 ft in height so that the square feet will be-
10 ft x 10 ft = 100 sq ft
Now determining square footage of the entire room-
196 sq ft + 100 sq ft = 296 sq ft (total square foot)
How do you figure square footage of a room with furniture?
Measuring the square feet of a room that is not empty and contains a closet is quite simple with easy calculations. How to figure out square footage of a room in this case? You have to follow each of these points one by one-
- First of all, divide your room’s flooring into different sections, like room, closet one and closet 2.
- Measure the area of each section one by one with the same method as mentioned above.
- As you know, that square foot is calculated by multiplying the length of the surface by the width, therefore –
How to figure square footage?
Length (ft) x width (ft) = square ft of the room
For the first closet –
Length (ft) x width (ft) = square ft of closet 1
Similarly, for the second closet –
Length (ft) x width (ft) = square ft of closet 2
- Now, just like we added the surface area of an irregular shaped room, in the same way, you have to add the areas of the room and the closets to determine the final square footage of the floor-
Sq ft of room + sq ft of closet 1 + sq ft of closet 2 = total square feet of the room
How to get square feet of a rectangular space?
Measuring the square feet of a rectangular room with no closet or furniture is very easy. You will use the same formula for squares is same as how to find sq ft of a room above. The only difference is that finding square feet of a rectangular shaped room takes just a few seconds.
You have to apply the formula where you multiply the length and width of the room and convert the feet into square feet.
Now that your query of how to calculate square feet of a room with different shapes is resolved, let us move ahead to other important points.
How to figure out square feet with a waste factor?
Measuring the total square footage of a room is not enough if you have not added the extra materials for emergency purposes. The waste factor is nothing but adding some more boxes of materials to avoid shortage at the time of construction.
There might be some error in calculation or during installation. There might also be some waste in damage or unavoidable cuts. If there is only an accurate supply of materials, you will have to run at the last minute to purchase some more boxes because the construction shouldn’t stop.
So, how to figure square footage of a room in this case? Therefore, you can think wisely in determining square feet by adding the waste factor. You can add at least 5% or 10% extra amount while calculating the area.
You can do this by following this simple formula –
- First, calculate the total square feet of the room and then multiply it by 0.05 to get the total waste amount.
- Now, add that waste amount to the total square feet of the space to obtain the final square feet of the room.
196 sq ft x 0.05 = 9.8 (waste factor)
196 sq ft + 9.8 sq ft = 205.8 sq ft (total square feet of the room)
According to your needs, you can increase this waste by 10% with the same formula mentioned above.
196 sq ft x 0.10 = 19.6 sqft (additional material required)
196 sqft + 19.6 sqft = 215.6 sqft (total square feet of the room)
You can anticipate the extra material required by this method. Also, you will get to know how much flooring is needed by adding the waste factor.
What is a usable square foot?
Usable square foot is the total space that a resident can use. For example, if a house is 1500 sq ft, each room will occupy some portion with furniture, couch, etc. So, the usable square feet consist of the functional area containing a staircase, hallway, or kitchen.
Bottom line
Congratulations, now you know how to find square feet of flooring without help. Purchasing a flooring of your own that you can rejuvenate according to your needs is a dream. Moreover, the essential part of this is to calculate the square feet because purchasing of materials depends on the total area of the floor.
Luckily, you don’t have to bother about how to figure sq ft because this guide includes more than you require as a beginner in real estate.