Rug Pad Size Calculator

How to calculate a rug pad size

1. Measure the rug width and length without including fringe or tassels. Use the actual rug rather than a nominal size on the label.
2. Select centimetres, inches or feet and enter both rug dimensions. With feet selected, enter decimal feet; 5.5 feet means 5 feet 6 inches.
3. Set the inset from each edge. The initial 1-inch (2.54 cm) example is editable; check the product instructions rather than assuming it suits every pad.
4. Read the width × length cut size and its rounding note. Check the actual materials and instructions before cutting, or copy or print the qualified measurement plan.

What this calculator does

• Uses three measurements: actual rug width, actual rug length and an equal inset from every edge.
• Converts centimetres, inches and feet while keeping unedited original measurements for the calculation.
• Shows one cut-size pair, rounded down rather than enlarged by display rounding.
• Copies or prints the cut size together with original measurements, rounding and the calculation's limits.

When it is useful

• Planning a pad outline for a rectangular area rug using its measured dimensions.
• Working out a pad size for a straight rectangular hallway runner; stair installation is outside this tool.
• Checking the geometric effect of a different inset before deciding how to trim an existing pad.

Inset per edge is not the total reduction

An inset is the gap between one rug edge and the corresponding pad edge. A 1-inch inset on the left and right reduces the overall width by 2 inches; the top and bottom reduce the length by another 2 inches.

The formula is pad width = rug width − 2 × inset, and pad length = rug length − 2 × inset. Convert the rug dimensions and inset to a common unit before subtracting. Both resulting dimensions must be positive.

Measure the woven rug body and exclude decorative ends. Rugs sold with the same nominal size can have different actual measurements. This calculator assumes straight rectangular edges and equal inset on every edge; it does not fit a pad to an irregular outline.

The editable initial inset is an example, not an industry-wide requirement. Supplier guidance can vary with the product. Size alone cannot choose pad material, thickness, floor compatibility or an installation method.

Rug pad sizing examples

For a rug measuring 200 × 300 cm and a chosen 2.5 cm inset per edge, subtract 5 cm from each overall dimension. The planned pad size is 195 × 295 cm.

For an actually measured 5 × 8 ft rug with a 1-inch inset per edge, the rug is 60 × 96 inches. Subtract 2 inches from each dimension to get 58 × 94 inches: 4 ft 10 in × 7 ft 10 in.

A zero inset for a 100 × 200 cm rug returns a 100 × 200 cm plan. This describes the chosen flush outline only; it does not recommend zero clearance or establish a suitable fit.

What the cut-size plan does not decide

Only rectangular rugs, square rugs and straight rectangular runners are covered. Round, oval, irregular and stair applications need a different measurement and installation method.

The inset must leave both pad dimensions positive. The software also has measurement limits; those limits are not rug standards, recommended cut sizes or a statement about which products are available.

Displayed centimetre dimensions are rounded down to the nearest 1 mm; inch and feet-and-inch dimensions use the same downward hundredth-inch rounding. A dimension smaller than the display precision has no usable cut-size answer. Recheck actual materials before cutting; no floor, grip or safety guarantee is made.

Your measurements and exports

The calculator runs on the page and does not itself upload or save entered measurements. Ordinary website assets and analytics may still load; this is not a claim that all site traffic is absent.

Copy sends the qualified plan to your clipboard when allowed. Print opens the browser's printing workflow; the destination may be a printer or a PDF chosen by you. Clear removes the current calculator values and restores the starting inset.