Count your MDF sheets
Elevation area of the joinery, then the grade and thickness.
How this calculator works
- Board area = elevation × board factor × wastage. The board factor accounts for the panels behind the visible face — shelves, partitions, drawer fronts and the back.
- Sheets = ceiling(board area ÷ 32). MDF and HDHMR sheets are 8 × 4 ft, the same as plywood.
- Material = board area × grade rate. Rates are for 18 mm; thinner and thicker boards vary roughly in proportion to thickness.
- Routing = running feet × ₹145, covering CNC profiling, grooves, fluting and any shaped edge.
- Weight is estimated per thickness — 4.0 kg per sq ft at 6 mm, 8.1 at 12, 12.2 at 18 and 16.9 at 25 — because MDF is considerably heavier than plywood and it matters for wall-hung units and for carrying material up a Mumbai staircase.
- The wet-location flag changes the guidance, not the arithmetic. It is there because it is the single decision that most often goes wrong.
| Grade | Rate at 18 mm | Water behaviour | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain MDF | ₹62 / sq ft | Swells irreversibly | Dry internal panelling, wardrobe shutters away from wet areas |
| Moisture-resistant MDF | ₹78 / sq ft | Resists humidity, not standing water | Bedrooms and living rooms in a coastal city |
| HDHMR | ₹105 / sq ft | Handles humidity well, tolerates brief wetting | The default for Indian joinery; kitchens above the counter |
| Pre-laminated HDHMR | ₹135 / sq ft | As HDHMR, finished both faces | Wardrobe interiors, saves a laminating step |
| BWP plywood | ₹148 / sq ft | Boiling water proof | Kitchen base units, bathroom vanities, anything below a counter |
BWP plywood is shown for comparison because the honest answer in a Mumbai kitchen is usually plywood rather than any board product. MDF and HDHMR earn their place where routing, painting and flatness matter more than water.
Design and build under one accountable roof
Worked example — a 90 sq ft wardrobe
| Step | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | as entered | 90 sq ft |
| Wardrobe board factor | × 2.10 | 189 sq ft |
| Wastage at 15% | × 1.15 | 217.4 sq ft |
| Sheets at 32 sq ft | ceiling(217.4 ÷ 32) | 7 sheets |
| HDHMR at ₹105 | 217.4 × ₹105 | ₹22,822 |
| Routing | none | ₹0 |
| Approximate weight | 217.4 sq ft at 1.22 kg / sq ft | 265 kg |
MDF, HDHMR and plywood — choosing honestly
These three get argued about more than any other material decision in Indian joinery, usually with more heat than information. The short version: plywood is layers of veneer cross-bonded, so it holds screws in the edge, resists water according to its grade and is slightly less flat. MDF is wood fibre and resin pressed into a uniform board, so it is perfectly flat, routs to a clean edge and takes paint beautifully, and it has no grain to hold a screw in the edge. HDHMR is a high-density version of the same idea with better moisture tolerance.
Which means the right answer is usually both, in different places. Kitchen base carcasses and bathroom vanities in BWP plywood, because they meet water. Wardrobe carcasses in HDHMR or plywood depending on budget. Shutters, panelling, fluted work and anything that will be painted or lacquered in MDF or HDHMR, because the finish is visibly better and a routed MDF edge is something plywood simply cannot produce.
The specification that causes real damage is plain MDF in a Mumbai kitchen. It is cheaper by about ₹43 per sq ft than HDHMR, it looks identical on the day of installation, and the first time a pipe drips or a floor is mopped enthusiastically, the bottom 50 mm of every panel swells and never comes back. If a quotation is unexpectedly cheap, this is the first thing to check.
This page counts board and prices it. The grade rates are what the board market charges per sq ft in October 2026 and the routing rate is our machining charge; none of them is a Greenbox rate for a finished unit, which is quoted per sq ft of elevation and includes the carcass work, shutters, hardware and fixing that board alone does not buy. Treat the output as a planning figure: accurate enough to brief a landlord, a bank or a family, and not accurate enough to sign a contract against.
What this tool does not cover
- Finishes — laminate, veneer, lacquer or paint — which are priced separately by area.
- Hardware, hinges, channels and handles.
- Carpentry labour, ₹450–700 per sq ft of elevation depending on complexity.
- Edge banding, which MDF needs on every exposed edge because a raw MDF edge absorbs moisture fastest.
- Dust extraction and cutting. MDF dust is fine and should not be cut inside an occupied flat without extraction.
- For plywood quantities, use the plywood sheet calculator.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
Is HDHMR better than MDF?+
For Indian conditions, yes. HDHMR is a higher-density board with better moisture tolerance, it holds fixings better and it handles the humidity swing in a coastal city far more reliably. It costs about ₹43 per sq ft more at 18 mm, which is the cheapest insurance in the joinery.
Can MDF be used in a kitchen?+
Above the counter, in HDHMR, yes. Below the counter, no — base units meet water sooner or later and plain MDF swells irreversibly. Use BWP plywood for base carcasses and bathroom vanities and keep board products for shutters and panelling.
How many MDF sheets for a wardrobe?+
About seven 8 × 4 ft sheets of 18 mm board for a 90 sq ft wardrobe elevation, using a board factor of 2.10 and 15% wastage. Add 6 mm board for the back panel separately.
Why does MDF not hold screws?+
It holds a screw driven into its face perfectly well. What it holds badly is a screw driven into its cut edge, because there is no grain structure there — the fibres simply crush. Edge fixings need a pilot hole and ideally a dowel or a threaded insert.
Is MDF better than plywood for painted finishes?+
Yes, clearly. MDF has a smooth, grainless surface that takes primer and lacquer without any grain showing through, and it routs to a crisp profile. For shaker shutters, fluted panels and anything painted, MDF or HDHMR gives a visibly better result than plywood.