Carpet cut list calculator

How the cut list works

For each room, the calculator orients the longer dimension along the roll length and the shorter dimension across the roll width. If the shorter dimension fits within the roll, the room takes one drop and the linear metres consumed equal the longer dimension. If both dimensions exceed the roll, multiple drops are required and a visible join is unavoidable — plan its position before you cut.

The total linear metres is the sum across every room with one wastage allowance applied at the end. That mirrors how a broadloom roll is actually ordered — you do not get a separate wastage figure per room because the offcuts pool together.

Need to measure each room off a floor plan PDF first? The full AreaSum editor gives you area in square metres and perimeter in linear metres per room from the plan — then drop those numbers into this calculator.

Working a single room? Use the single-room carpet broadloom calculator. Converting between floor area (m²) and roll length (lm) in either direction? Use the m² ↔ linear metres converter. New to the trade terms? Read up on broadloom carpet, broadloom roll width, linear metres and wastage allowance.

Audience guides: carpet retailers · DIY renovators · commercial estimators.

Carpet cut list — frequently asked questions

How do I work out how much carpet I need for a whole house?

Add every room that will be carpeted, orient each so its longer dimension runs along the roll, and total the linear metres — then apply one wastage allowance across the job. The calculator above does this; enter each room’s length and width and it returns the total metres to order off one roll.

How much carpet wastage should I allow for a whole house?

Around 10% for plain broadloom across a typical house. Patterned or pattern-match carpets need more (up to 15%) because drops have to line up. Wastage is applied once to the pooled total, not per room, because offcuts carry between rooms.

Why is carpet ordered as one length instead of per room?

Broadloom comes off a single continuous roll, so the order is the total linear metres, not a figure per room. Planning the whole cut together means a reusable offcut from one room can cover a smaller room — which lowers the total versus ordering each room separately.

Which rooms will need a carpet join?

Any room whose shorter dimension is wider than the roll needs a join — a 4.2 m wide room on a 3.66 m roll, for example. The per-room breakdown flags these so you can place the seam behind a door or against a low-traffic wall before cutting.

What carpet roll width should I use?

Australian residential broadloom is mostly 3.66 m (a 12-foot imperial legacy width); commercial rolls run to 4 m or 5 m. The roll width drives seams and wastage, so set it before you read the totals.