Tack Strip Length & Box Count Calculator

Plan flooring installations with a professional tool that totals perimeter subtracts door openings applies waste and converts needs into exact strip counts and box quantities for multiple rooms interactive table quick CSV and PDF exports step by step guidance and practical formulas for estimators retailers and DIY users focused on accuracy repeatable results everywhere

Inputs

White theme
All calculations run in feet internally. Meters will be converted.
Common stick length is ~4 ft (1.22 m).
Typical cartons contain ~100 sticks. Edit if your supplier differs.
Covers offcuts, breakage, double-strips at transitions.

Areas

Enter rectangle lengths and widths. You can add multiple rooms, hallways, or landings.
# Length Width Unit Perimeter (ft)
Doors & deductions handled below
ft
ft
Transitions, fireplaces, floor vents, or any linear edge where sticks are not installed.

Results

Enter values and click Calculate.

Formula used

  1. Perimeter per area (ft): 2 × (L + W) (converted to feet).
  2. Total perimeter (ft): Σ perimeters.
  3. Door deduction (ft): doors × doorway_width (converted to feet).
  4. Other deductions (ft): custom_no_strip (already in selected unit).
  5. Net perimeter (ft): Total - Door - Other.
  6. Waste added (ft): Net × (waste% / 100).
  7. Required footage (ft): Net + Waste.
  8. Strips required: ceil( Required_ft / strip_length_ft ).
  9. Boxes required (integer): ceil( Strips / strips_per_box ).
  10. Leftover from full boxes: (Boxes × strips_per_box × strip_length) − Required_ft.
Worked example
Room A 12×10 ft, Room B 15×14 ft, 3 doors @ 3 ft, other no‑strip 4 ft, waste 10%, strip 4 ft, 100/box.
  • Perimeters: 44 + 58 = 102 ft
  • Deductions: (3×3) + 4 = 13 ft
  • Net: 102 − 13 = 89 ft
  • Waste: 8.9 ft → Required: 97.9 ft
  • Strips: ceil(97.9/4) = 25
  • Boxes: ceil(25/100) = 1; Leftover ≈ 302.1 ft
If individual sticks can be purchased, exact boxes would be 0.25.

How to use this calculator

  • Select your measurement unit.
  • Add each room or rectangular area with its length and width. The table will auto-sum perimeter.
  • Enter the number of doorways and average door width to exclude thresholds.
  • Add any other linear deductions where sticks will not be installed.
  • Set your waste factor, strip length, and strips per box to match your supplier.
  • Click Calculate to see required footage, strip count, box count, and leftover.
  • Export your results with CSV or PDF.

Example data table

Area Length Width Unit Perimeter (ft)
Room A1210ft44
Room B1514ft58
Hall184ft44
Landing85ft26
Closet64ft20

FAQs

Yes. Sticks are normally not placed across thresholds. Multiply the number of doors by the average opening width and subtract from total perimeter before applying waste.

For clean rectangles, 5–8% is common. Increase to 10–12% for complex layouts, many small segments, or when double-sticking transitions and curves.

Yes. Adjust strip length and strips per box to match your supplier. Common lengths are ~4 ft per stick and ~100 sticks per carton.

Enable the toggle for individual sticks. You will see exact boxes as a decimal. For budgeting, the integer box count remains the safer plan.

Use separate rows for stair landings. For individual treads/risers, model them as small rectangles or include a manual deduction if strips are not required on certain edges.

Summary

No calculation yet.

Multi‑area support
Doorway deductions
Waste factor
Strip & box sizing
CSV/PDF export

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.