How is Square Footage (Area & Waste) Calculated
Details on Area Calculation
- For curves & bump-outs, a rectangular box is created and the entire box's sq. ft. is included.
- For inside diagonals, we create a square in the corner to calculate the sq. ft.
- For 22.5, 45, and 67.5 degree angles, we create boxes thereby double-counting area in the angles.
- For L-shapes, we use the actual sq. ft - we do not double count the overlap.
Tips & Hints
How a countertop is drawn can impact square footage calculation. Most of the time, the simplest way to draw a counter is best. However, sometimes, it might be useful to understand how certain shapes are calculated - particularly if you want a quote to have more square footage (see example below). If you want to be most precise about square feet (so that you don't under-price a job), the safest thing to do is price by the slab and make sure your slab sizes are accurate (and note that you can make a slab size smaller if you're using - or making - a remnant).
Example: L-shaped countertop drawn with the drawing tool vs. a rectangle with a bumpout.
The drawn L calculations utilize two rectangles versus the bumpout which utilizes a single rectangle for area calculation.
Note that the linear edge is equivalent, just the material area differs. 
