Enter the length and width of your couch or furniture into the calculator to estimate an appropriate rug size using a simple overhang rule of thumb.

Rug Size Calculator

Enter the furniture length and width, and the desired rug overhang per side.

Results:

Rug Size Formula

The following rule-of-thumb formula can be used to estimate a rug size based on furniture dimensions and a chosen overhang per side:

\begin{aligned}
RL &= L + 2E \\
RW &= W + 2E
\end{aligned}
  • RL is the rug length
  • RW is the rug width
  • L is the furniture length
  • W is the furniture width
  • E is the desired rug overhang on each side (use the same units as L and W)

To calculate the rug size, choose an overhang per side (for example, 8 inches), then add twice that overhang to the length and to the width (e.g., add 16 inches total to each dimension if E = 8 inches).

How big should a rug be?

A common rule of thumb is for an area rug to extend about 6–12 inches beyond the furniture on each side (though the best size depends on the room layout and whether you want just the front legs or all legs of seating on the rug).

This typically creates a visible border of rug around the furniture; whether the furniture is completely on the rug depends on the specific piece and layout, and many designs intentionally place only the front legs on the rug.

How do you calculate rug size?

The following example outlines the steps needed to calculate a rug size:

First, determine the length of the furniture or area. In this case, we are looking at a couch that has a length of 30 inches.

Next, determine the width of the furniture or area. In this example, the width is measured to be 20 inches.

Choose an overhang per side. In this example, we will use E = 8 inches.

Finally, calculate the rug size using the formula above:

RL = L + 2E, RW = W + 2E

RL = 30 + 2(8), RW = 20 + 2(8)

RL = 46″ and RW = 36″

Rug Size = 46″ × 36″