How many linear metres of carpet you need for any room. Handles standard AU roll widths, pattern repeat, joins and multiple rooms.
Carpet in Australia is sold by the linear metre — the length cut from a roll of fixed width. You don't order by the square metre; you order a length of roll. The most common roll width in Australia is 3.66 metres (equivalent to the old 12-foot roll). Some ranges come in 4.0 m or 5.0 m widths.
The calculator works out how many strips are needed to cover each room's width, multiplies by the room length, adds the pattern repeat allowance per strip, then applies your waste margin.
If your room is 4.0 m wide and you're using a 3.66 m roll, one strip won't cover it — you need two strips. Each strip runs the full length of the room. So for a 5.0 m long room, you'd order 2 × 5.0 m = 10 linear metres, plus waste.
If your room is 3.0 m wide and the roll is 3.66 m, one strip covers it — and you waste the offcut unless there's an adjacent room or hallway to use it for.
For plain or textured carpet with no pattern, there's no repeat to match. A standard 10% waste margin covers fitting cuts.
For patterned carpet, each additional strip needs to be offset to align the pattern at the join. A small repeat (under 25 cm) wastes around 0.20 m per strip. A large repeat (over 25 cm) can waste up to 0.50 m per strip. Your flooring retailer can confirm the exact repeat for the product you choose.
Pile direction also matters — all strips should run with the pile in the same direction (usually away from the main light source). A good installer will advise on layout.
When carpeting multiple rooms, an experienced installer will often use offcuts from a larger room to fill a smaller one (like a hallway or walk-in robe). If you're getting a quote, ask your installer to plan the layout across all rooms together to minimise waste.
Stairs require more material per tread due to wrapping and tacking. A standard flight of 13 stairs typically needs an additional 4–6 linear metres beyond what the rooms require. Add 15% waste if your project includes stairs.