Measuring & Planning · 4 min read · Beginner

How to Measure a Room for Painting & Flooring

A simple guide to taking accurate room dimensions, accounting for alcoves, doors, and bay windows.

Key points & steps

Use a metal locking tape measure or a laser measure for clean horizontal measurements.
Measure length and width at skirting level and again higher up if walls are old or out of square.
For wall painting, measure ceiling height from top of skirting board to ceiling plaster.
Measure door frames and window reveals separately to deduct their surface area accurately.
For irregular L-shaped or alcoved rooms, divide the floor plan into separate simple rectangles.

Always round up to the nearest 5cm (0.05m) to ensure a safe margin of error.
Take photos of tricky corners or chimneys on your phone with measurements drawn on.