Price per square foot calculator
Divide the total by the area: $2,400 over 180 sq ft is $13.33 per square foot. The calculator below also does the two things quotes get wrong — the waste factor, because you buy more area than you lay, and the comparison between two quotes, where a lower rate on a bigger job is not a cheaper job.
Price per square foot
$13.33/ sq ft
180 sq ft laid. Buying 198 sq ft with waste puts the delivered rate at $12.12/sq ft — $240.00 of it is offcuts.
Compare two quotes
Quote A
Quote B
Top field is total price, bottom is square feet.
A is $13.33/sq ft · B is $11.92/sq ft
Quote B is cheaper per square foot by 11% — even though the totals differ by $700. Rate and total answer different questions: pay the lower rate only if you actually need that much area.
Rate and total answer different questions
Setup, delivery, mobilisation and the first hour of labour cost the same whether a crew covers 150 sq ft or 400. Spread over more area, they push the rate down — so the larger job almost always quotes the better price per square foot while costing more in total. That is not a discount you can bank unless you actually wanted the extra area.
The same asymmetry runs through every category we rank: a bigger pack usually wins on cost per unit, and the question is always whether you need what is in it. That is the whole idea behind unit pricing.
Frequently asked
How do you calculate price per square foot?
Divide the total price by the area in square feet: a $2,400 job over 180 sq ft is $2,400 ÷ 180 = $13.33 per square foot. If you only have room dimensions, multiply length by width first — a 12 ft × 15 ft room is 180 sq ft.
Should I include waste in the price per square foot?
Both figures are worth knowing, and they are not the same. You lay the room area, but you buy the room area plus waste — about 10% for straight runs and 15–20% for diagonal or herringbone layouts, more for a room with many cuts. The rate you pay per delivered square foot is higher than the rate per laid square foot, and quotes are inconsistent about which they quote.
Is a lower price per square foot always the better deal?
No — it is the better rate, which is a different claim. A larger job usually earns a lower rate because setup, delivery and mobilisation are spread over more area, so a $3,100 quote covering 260 sq ft ($11.92/sq ft) beats a $2,400 quote over 180 sq ft ($13.33/sq ft) on rate while costing $700 more in total. Compare rate when the areas are similar; compare totals when you are deciding how much area to do.
How do I convert price per square metre to price per square foot?
Divide by 10.764. A quote of $150 per square metre is $150 ÷ 10.764 = $13.94 per square foot. Going the other way, multiply by 10.764.
What is a good price per square foot?
It depends entirely on what is being priced — flooring material, installed flooring, a countertop slab, a deck build and a house purchase share the unit and nothing else. The comparison that means something is between two quotes for the same scope, in the same market, at similar area. A rate quoted without scope is not information.
Other unit-price tools
- Unit price calculator — cost per oz, lb, fl oz, ml, count or page across two products.
- Dehumidifier sizing — pints needed by area and dampness, with cost per pint per day.
- How much paint do I need — gallons and cost from room dimensions.