Square Yard Calculator

Convert a measured area to square yards for carpet, topsoil and concrete finishing. Adds a waste allowance and the linear yards to order off a 12 ft roll.

By CalcBuilt Editorial TeamUpdated September 9, 2026Formulas checked against manufacturer specs, see how we calculate.

Quick answer: To get square yards, multiply length by width in feet and divide by 9. A 15 by 12 ft room is 180 square feet, which is 20 square yards, or 22 square yards with a 10 percent waste allowance.

Your measurements

Plan view from above: area is length times width.

Dimensions are inPick the unit the tape reads in. A square yard is 9 square feet because 3 ft x 3 ft is 9, so the conversion is not the same number as the linear one.LengthLongest run of the room in the unit picked above, measured at floor level and taken into the doorway, since the carpet has to reach the door stop.WidthWall to wall in the unit picked above. If the room is out of square, use the widest reading; the installer trims the surplus, not the shortfall.Waste allowance%CRI 105 sets 10 percent as the minimum for a plain carpet and 15 percent for a pattern, a room with several angles, or a stairway. Add the pattern repeat on top for a large repeat.Number of areas this sizeUse this for repeating rooms, such as six identical bedrooms in an apartment building.Price per square yard (optional)Retail broadloom is typically $18 to $45 per square yard for the carpet alone in 2026. Pad, tack strip, transitions and labor are quoted separately.

Results update as you type. The link in your address bar saves these entries.

Results

Square yards to order: 22 sq yd; 180 sq ft measured, 20 sq yd, plus 10% waste. 1 sq yd = 9 sq ft
Area measured: 180 sq ft; Before any waste allowance
Square meters: 16.72 m²; 1 sq yd = 0.8361 m²
Roll to order, 12 ft wide: 5.5 linear yd; 16.5 ft of a 12 ft wide roll. One linear yard off a 12 ft roll is 4 sq yd. A 12 ft roll covers this room in one piece

Square Yard formula

Square yards = Square feet / 9
Square feet = Length (ft) x Width (ft)
Square yards to order = Square yards x (1 + Waste % / 100)
Linear yards off a 12 ft roll = Square yards to order / 4

Worked example

A 22 x 14 ft basement is 308 square feet, and 308 / 9 = 34.22 square yards. CRI 105 puts the minimum allowance at 10 percent for a plain carpet, so the order is 34.22 x 1.10 = 37.64 square yards. Off a 12 ft roll that is 37.64 x 9 / 12 = 28.23 linear feet, or 9.41 linear yards.

The installer will not cut it that way. A 12 ft roll cannot span a 14 ft room. The job takes two 12 x 22 ft drops seamed down the length: 44 linear feet, 528 square feet, 58.67 square yards billed. That gap between the area math and the roll goods is why the estimator measures the room and draws a seam plan rather than dividing by 9.

Quick reference

Square feet to square yards for common room sizes
Room size	Square feet	Square yards	With 10% waste	Linear yd, 12 ft roll
10 x 10 ft	100	11.11	12.22	3.06
10 x 12 ft	120	13.33	14.67	3.67
12 x 12 ft	144	16.00	17.60	4.40
12 x 15 ft	180	20.00	22.00	5.50
14 x 16 ft	224	24.89	27.38	6.84
12 x 20 ft	240	26.67	29.33	7.33
15 x 20 ft	300	33.33	36.67	9.17
20 x 24 ft	480	53.33	58.67	14.67

Priced by the square yard, sold by the linear yard

Broadloom carpet is quoted per square yard because that is how the mill prices face weight, but it ships as roll goods 12 ft wide. The retailer bills whatever length comes off the roll, full width, whether the room uses it or not. One linear yard of a 12 ft roll is 12 x 3 = 36 square feet, exactly 4 square yards. A price of $30 per square yard is $120 per linear yard on the cut ticket.

That is why a bare area figure understates the order. A 10 x 14 ft bedroom is 140 square feet, or 15.56 square yards. It still takes a 12 x 14 ft drop plus a 12 x 2 ft fill, and the fill is billed at full width. Rooms 12 ft or narrower in one direction run seam free; anything wider takes a seam or a 15 ft roll where the line offers one. Topsoil coverage, concrete finishing and some commercial flooring are quoted per square yard for the same reason, so the unit shows up well outside carpet.

The waste a bare area number misses

CRI 105 sets 10 percent as the minimum allowance on a plain carpet. It rises to 15 percent for a pattern, a room with several angles, or a stairway. Pattern repeat is separate arithmetic on top. With an 18 in repeat, every seamed drop starts on the same point in the pattern, so a full repeat can be lost at each seam. Nap direction matters too. All pieces in a room run the same way or the seam reads as a color change under sidelight.

Stairs eat yardage faster than the floor plan suggests. A 3 ft wide step with a 10 in tread and a 7.5 in riser needs about 17.5 in of carpet, roughly 4.4 square feet. A 13 step run is about 6.4 square yards before the waterfall allowance. Order the whole job on one purchase order so it ships from one dye lot. Have the material on site and acclimated before the installer arrives, since CRI 105 wants the space at service temperature.

What this calculator leaves out

The result is the area in square yards plus a flat waste allowance. It does not draw a seam plan, so it does not know how much of a roll goes to the scrap pile on an odd room. It excludes pad, tack strip, transitions, subfloor prep, tear out and haul away of the old carpet, stair charges, furniture moving and delivery. Those are quoted separately, often in different units. Pattern repeat, nap direction and dye lot are decisions made on the seam plan, not on the area.

Mistakes that cost money

Dividing square feet by 3 instead of 9. That triples the order and the deposit goes with it.
Ordering the room area when the room is wider than 12 ft; the seam drop is billed as full roll width.
Splitting an order across dye lots. Sidelight shows the color break at the seam and the mill will not take it back.
Ignoring pattern repeat. An 18 in repeat adds up to one full repeat per drop before the pattern matches.
Buying carpet by the square yard and pad by the square foot without checking; the two units are quoted differently by store.
Forgetting that carpet must run into the doorway to the door stop, which adds a foot of length on every opening.

Key facts

One square yard is 9 square feet, not 3, because a yard is 3 ft on each side.
One square yard is 0.8361 square meters, and one square meter is 1.196 square yards.
Broadloom carpet comes on 12 ft rolls, with 13 ft 6 in and 15 ft widths made in some lines.
One linear yard off a 12 ft roll covers 36 square feet, which is exactly 4 square yards.
CRI 105 sets a 10 percent minimum waste allowance, rising to 15 percent for pattern carpet, multiple angles or stairs.

Frequently asked questions

How many square feet are in a square yard?

Nine. A yard is 3 ft, and 3 x 3 is 9, so divide square feet by 9 to get square yards.

How many square yards of carpet do I need for a 12 x 15 ft room?

The room is 180 square feet, which is 20 square yards. With the 10 percent minimum allowance in CRI 105 you order 22 square yards.

Why did the store bill me for more carpet than my room?

Carpet comes on a 12 ft roll and you pay for the full width of whatever length is cut. A room wider than 12 ft takes a second drop, and the offcut is still on your ticket.

Is a square yard the same as a linear yard of carpet?

No. A linear yard is 3 ft of length off the roll, and on a 12 ft roll that is 36 square feet, or 4 square yards.

Sources and references

NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (NIST)
Carpet installation standards CRI 104 and CRI 105 (The Carpet and Rug Institute)
What's Underfoot: Carpet Quality and Construction, HE784 (University of Florida IFAS Extension)

Next steps for this project

The usual order for a measurement & cost project. See all measurement & cost calculators.

Results are estimates based on standard formulas and typical product specifications. Confirm quantities with your supplier and local code before ordering.