When ordering flooring, you always want to be sure you have enough so that you can avoid having to make last minute runs to the store to grab more for your installer because they are running short. Worst case scenario- and it happens often- you have purchased a $deal$ and the retailer either no longer can get what you need, or has to order it, and you will be waiting a week or longer for it to arrive. So how can you avoid this headache from happening?
What you need to know
First things first: if you are using your own installer, find out how much waste they Account for during install.
All installers typically have a method to their madness. Depending on what type of material they are installing they will have a general percentage they count as an overage. If you think you are going to go in and purchase your material at the exact square footage that was measured and it will get the job done, you might want to think again. Overages are typically accounted for for patterns, mis milled product, bad boards, and any specific custom requests you may have.
How much overage for lvp and lvt?
Again, it all depends on your installer. Our general rule of thumb here with our installers is 7%, but we use every single bit of flooring that we can. Most will account for 10%-15%, and some even 20%. If you are looking for areas with custom borders, or running the flooring on a 45 degree angle, or even have a cut up floor plan with several rooms or 45 degree angle hallways more overage is needed. Always be sure to mention any custom requests before getting estimates or your order is placed as these sometimes can change not only the amount of material needed, but the cost of labor. Luxury Vinyl Planks are slightly different than Luxury Vinyl Tiles, because the locking system can be compromised with different cuts on a tile, and waste can not be used the same as it can be for a plank. Typically for any Luxury Vinyl Tile, an installer will account for around 15% of waste rather than the 7-10% of waste.
How much overage for hardwood and engineered wood?
Similar to LVP, many cuts of wood can be used as “starters” and “finishers”, so you can account for the standard 7%-10% waste. However, it does still go back to any custom requests, layouts, and installer needs! With wood, you also want to be sure you are getting a good quality rather than a “great value” brand. You are more likely to need 15%-25% of waste for a “great value” brand, as they typically will have more mis milled and bad boards within the box. Another thing to consider with wood, whether it be engineered or solid, is that the variation is higher than that of luxury vinyl planks. If you are choosing a wood that you know you will want to take out those super dark, super light, or extremely characterized boards, you may want to account for more like 25% of excess. Some clients do choose to do this, but our best suggestion to keep you from having too much material leftover would be to use these unwanted pieces in closets, or areas that aren’t typically seen so that they don’t bother you. At most flooring retailers, solid and engineered wood are going to be a special order product, and you will likely not be able to return these excess materials, but it is always good to have 2 or more boxes laying around for any future repairs that may be necessary. When we do our measurements for our clients, we typically try to account for enough to leave them at least one box of material to store away for this reason.
How much overage for ceramic and porecelain tiles?
Tiles are a bit trickier. To calculate your tile overage the first thing you will need to do is discuss the layout of whatever project you have in mind with your installer. Once the installer has an idea of your layout you will want to either show them the exact tile, or an inspiration picture of the tile you are looking to use so they can see the shape. Now that the installer has a general idea of your project, they will be able to more accurately count your overage. Since tile is typically installed in different patterns, and comes in several different shapes, the lowest overage we would recommend would be around 10%-15%. That overage is for general layouts with a brick or staggered pattern in a square area. If you are looking for a herringbone pattern or any custom layouts you are likely going to need closer to 20%-25% overage, as you cannot use as many of these cuts after they are made. These projects can be a little trickier to calculate, so always be sure you are consulting with an experienced tile installer when determining the amount you need to purchase. Another thing to consider is that tile is a lot more fragile than wood or vinyl planks and vinyl tiles. It may look like a box of tile is not damaged and when you open it, 3 tiles down from the top are broken. This is usually why we account for a standard 15%, but depending on the quality of the tile or brand you may want to account for more.
