How to Calculate the Area of an Oddly Shaped Room

Figuring out the area of a square or rectangular room is a matter of multiplying the width by the length. However, some rooms aren't simple squares and rectangles. In the case of oddly-shaped rooms, the easiest solution is to think about the space in a different way so that the easy math will work for you. Figuring out the area of an odd-shaped room is useful if you need to purchase flooring or paint for it.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape

Show More

Instructions

1. • 1

     Divide the room in question into rectangles and squares. If the room is L-shaped, for instance, divide the room into one rectangle and one square. The goal is to have the room divided into parts you can measure length and width for.

   • 2

     Measure the length and width of each section of the room. Multiply the length times the width to find the area of each section.

   • 3

     Add the resulting area numbers together to get the total area of the room.