Plan an L-shaped room renovation

1. Capture the full outline, not the enclosing rectangle

Imagine a 10 × 10 ft outer footprint with a 4 × 6 ft corner missing. Its usable area is 100 − 24 = 76 sq ft. Equivalently, add a 6 × 10 rectangle and a 4 × 4 rectangle. Do not add two overlapping rectangles and count the overlap twice.

In the room builder, trace six corners in order: (0,0), (10,0), (10,4), (6,4), (6,10), (0,10), then close the outline. Measure inside finished edges; do not assume a photo is to scale. Calibrate a tracing image against a known distance first.

2. Separate floor area from wall area

The six walls total 10 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 10 = 40 linear ft. At an entered height of 9 ft, gross wall area is 360 sq ft. A 3 × 7 ft door removes 21 sq ft; a 4 × 4 ft window removes 16 sq ft. Net paint area is therefore 323 sq ft.

Door width, not door area, is subtracted from baseboard: 40 − 3 = 37 linear ft. Windows do not remove floor-level trim in this example. Cabinets, built-ins and additional openings need a separate scope decision. Ceilings and primer are not included.

3. Turn coverage into purchase units

Tile and flooring are alternatives, not two finishes to buy for the same entire room. Round purchase units at the end. The trim estimate does not prove that six boards can satisfy every wall's cuts; plan long runs, joints and offcut reuse separately.

4. Compare actual carton costs

Product A covers 20 sq ft per box and hypothetically costs $48: five boxes cost $240. Product B covers 24 sq ft per box and costs $55: four boxes cost $220. Although B has the higher box price, its rounded purchase is $20 lower in this example. Neither price represents a real current product.

In Project Planners, choose “Try the L-shaped example.” Enter A's coverage and price, capture scenario A, then enter B's coverage and price. Compare like-for-like scope: same finish suitability, underlayment needs, transitions, taxes, delivery and return terms. A cost comparison is not a recommendation that products are interchangeable.

5. Check what the number does not buy

Confirm the substrate, moisture requirements, installation method, acclimation and product-approved layout in the exact instructions. Diagonal and offset previews show orientation only; they do not determine a safe tile offset or minimize waste. Adhesive, grout, floor preparation, thresholds, fastening and removal/disposal need their own product quantities or quotes.

Print the worksheet with product notes, unpriced items and preparation checkboxes. Recheck field dimensions before buying. Saved worksheets remain in this browser; downloading JSON gives you a portable editable copy, not a cloud backup.