Area Calculator

Rectangles, circles, triangles and trapezoids — added up, with waste.

Shape

Unit system

Code references and product data are quoted in the units their source uses.

= 168" (14')

= 138" (11' 6")

Waste allowance0%Suggested default

Live

Area · Result

Calculated

AREA

161 square feet

Net area
161 ft²
Waste
0%
Shape
Rectangle
Output unit
ft²

Output unit defaulted to ft² because at least one length was entered in imperial units

SUGGESTED DEFAULT
Code references & assumptions · 1

How this result is supported

Every area formula lives in the engine, not on this page. A circle is taken by diameter and a trapezoid by its perpendicular height.
SUGGESTED DEFAULTOutput unit defaulted to ft² because at least one length was entered in imperial units
ASSUMPTION
What do these evidence labels mean?
PRIMARY-VERIFIED
directly supported by one authoritative primary source, quoted with section/page/figure
CROSS-VERIFIED
independently supported by two or more appropriate authoritative sources
DERIVED
mathematically derived from PRIMARY-VERIFIED values; the derivation is preserved in data and in code
INTERPRETED
a source exists but translating it into calculator behaviour required interpretation
CONVENTION
recognised trade practice, not a mandatory provision
ASSUMPTION
product/design assumption or useful default with no authoritative basis
UNVERIFIED
insufficient authoritative evidence
Full methodology →

Code references and product data are quoted in the units their source uses.

Reference checks are informational, not compliance determinations.

How area is calculated

A real room is rarely one rectangle. Each shape is entered separately, converted to a common unit, and summed — so a room with a bay window is a rectangle plus a trapezoid rather than an estimate.

Circles are entered by diameter because that is the measurement a tape gives you across a floor; the radius is derived rather than asked for. The trapezoid takes its two parallel sides and the perpendicular distance between them, which is the height, not the sloping edge.

Waste is applied once to the total and reported as its own figure, so the net area stays visible next to the number you would buy against.

rectangle: A = length × width

circle: A = π × diameter² ÷ 4

By diameter, not radius — it is what a tape measures.

triangle: A = ½ × base × height

trapezoid: A = ½ × (a + b) × height

a and b are the two parallel sides.

Questions

Which side is the trapezoid's height?
The perpendicular distance between the two parallel sides — not the length of the sloping edge. Measuring the slope instead is the usual way this shape is got wrong, and it always overstates the area.
Why does the circle ask for diameter instead of radius?
Because a tape measure gives you the diameter directly and the radius has to be halved by hand, which is an extra step and an extra place to be wrong. The formula uses πd²⁄4, which is the same as πr².