How much flooring do I need for a 16x16 room?

Buy about 282 sq ft: the 256 sq ft floor plus 10% for cuts and waste. With boxes that cover 20 sq ft, that's 15 boxes. Diagonal or herringbone layouts need 15–20% extra instead.

How much paint do I need for a 16x16 room?

With 8 ft ceilings, one door and one window, the walls are about 476 sq ft. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon is 2.7 gallons, so buy 3. Painting the ceiling as well brings it to 4.2 gallons.

How many square meters is 16 by 16 feet?

23.78 m². The room is 4.88 m by 4.88 m.

How many sheets of drywall for a 16x16 room?

About 26 sheets of 4x8 drywall for the walls and ceiling with 8 ft walls, one door and one window, including 10% waste.

Room sizes

How Many Square Feet Is a 16x16 Room?

A 16x16 room is 256 square feet (23.8 m²). Flooring with waste, paint, drywall and baseboard for a 16x16 room.

Updated October 12, 2026 · FloorFigures

Short answer

A 16x16 room is 256 square feet (16 × 16), or 23.8 m² and 28.4 square yards. Its perimeter is 64 ft. Flooring with 10% waste comes to about 282 sq ft.

Drawn to scale. Each grid square is 1 ft × 1 ft.

Materials for a 16x16 room

Estimates for a plain rectangular room with 8 ft ceilings, one door and one window. Adjust for your own room with the flooring, paint and drywall calculators.

Item	Quantity	Assumes
Floor area	256 sq ft	Wall to wall
Flooring to buy	282 sq ft (15 boxes)	10% waste, 20 sq ft boxes
Carpet	44 sq yd	12 ft roll, 1 seam
Wall area	476 sq ft	8 ft walls, less a door and a window
Paint, walls	2.7 gal (buy 3)	2 coats, 350 sq ft per gallon
Paint, walls and ceiling	4.2 gal	2 coats
Drywall	26 sheets	4x8 sheets, walls and ceiling, 10% waste
Baseboard	61 ft	Perimeter less a 3 ft door

What a 16x16 room is used for

Rooms this size are usually living rooms, family rooms, large primary suites or open kitchens. A queen bed (60" × 80") takes up about 33 sq ft, or 13% of the floor.

16x16 in other units

Unit	Value
Square feet	256
Square meters	23.78
Square yards	28.44
Square inches	36,864
Acres	0.0059
Dimensions in meters	4.88 × 4.88 m

Rooms close to 16x16

Room	Square feet	Square meters
14x16	224	20.8
15x15	225	20.9
12x20	240	22.3
15x16	240	22.3
14x18	252	23.4
15x18	270	25.1
14x20	280	26
12x24	288	26.8

Room not a simple rectangle? Use the square footage calculator for L-shapes and angled walls, or split it into rectangles.

Questions

How many square feet is a 16x16 room?: A 16 by 16 foot room is 256 square feet: 16 × 16 = 256. That's 23.8 square meters or 28.4 square yards.
How much flooring do I need for a 16x16 room?: Buy about 282 sq ft: the 256 sq ft floor plus 10% for cuts and waste. With boxes that cover 20 sq ft, that's 15 boxes. Diagonal or herringbone layouts need 15–20% extra instead.
How much paint do I need for a 16x16 room?: With 8 ft ceilings, one door and one window, the walls are about 476 sq ft. Two coats at 350 sq ft per gallon is 2.7 gallons, so buy 3. Painting the ceiling as well brings it to 4.2 gallons.
How many square meters is 16 by 16 feet?: 23.78 m². The room is 4.88 m by 4.88 m.
How many sheets of drywall for a 16x16 room?: About 26 sheets of 4x8 drywall for the walls and ceiling with 8 ft walls, one door and one window, including 10% waste.