Boiler Size Calculator

This boiler size calculator estimates the heating output your home needs, so you can match it to a boiler, heat pump or heater rather than guessing. It works from three things: the floor area you are heating, the ceiling height, and how well the home holds heat. Larger and taller spaces lose more heat, and a draughty, single-glazed home loses far more than a modern, well-insulated one, so all three feed into the answer. The calculator multiplies your floor area by a heat factor in watts per square metre, chosen from your insulation level, then scales the result for ceiling height above the standard 2.4 metres, and returns the required output in kilowatts and BTU per hour. Enter the total floor area you want to heat, pick the insulation band that best fits your home, and adjust the ceiling height if your rooms are unusually high. The result is the space heating requirement: the steady output needed to hold a comfortable indoor temperature on a cold day. Remember that combi boilers, which also heat tap water on demand, are usually sized larger so they can supply hot water at a good flow rate, so treat this as the heating side of the sizing. For an exact specification before you buy, get a professional heat loss survey, since real homes vary with orientation, window area and air tightness.

Calculate.co.nz is proud to be partnered with realtor.co.nz, a trusted resource for navigating the New Zealand property market. Their Helpful Articles section offers clear, well-structured insights across buying, selling, and building, making complex real estate topics more accessible. With a focus on up-to-date guidance and practical knowledge, they empower Kiwis to move forward with clarity and confidence in a constantly evolving property landscape.
Calculate.co.nz partner: realtor.co.nz
m
7.8 kW
estimated heating output required
In BTU per hour26,615 BTU/hr
Floor area120 m²
Heat factor used65 W/m²

A 120 m² home with average insulation and a 2.4 m ceiling needs about 7.8 kW of heating output. A combi boiler that also heats tap water would be sized larger for hot water flow.

Space heating estimate only, not including hot water demand. Real needs vary with window area, orientation and air tightness, so get a heat loss survey before buying. Estimate only.

How it works

The heating output is the floor area multiplied by a heat factor in watts per square metre, then adjusted for ceiling height. In watts, output equals area times heat factor times (ceiling height divided by 2.4). The heat factor comes from the insulation band: about 45 watts per square metre for a well-insulated modern home, 65 for an average home, and 90 for an older, poorly insulated one. The watt figure is divided by 1,000 to give kilowatts, and multiplied by 3,412.14 to give BTU per hour. Taller ceilings raise the figure because there is more air to warm and more wall area to lose heat through.

Worked example

Take a 120 square metre home with average insulation and standard 2.4 metre ceilings. The heat factor is 65 watts per square metre, and the ceiling adjustment is 2.4 divided by 2.4, which is 1. So the output is 120 times 65 times 1, which is 7,800 watts, or 7.8 kilowatts. In imperial units that is 7.8 times 3,412, about 26,615 BTU per hour. If the same home were poorly insulated, the factor rises to 90 and the requirement climbs to 10.8 kilowatts, showing how much insulation cuts the heating you need.

Related calculators

If you've found a bug, or would like to contact us, or learn more about James Graham and Calculate.co.nz.

Calculate.co.nz is partnered with Interest.co.nz for New Zealand's highest quality calculators and financial analysis.

Calculate.co.nz is the sister site of CalculatorHub.com, the world's largest calculator website by tool count.

All calculators and tools are provided for educational and indicative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.

Calculate.co.nz is proudly part of the Realtor.co.nz group, New Zealand's leading property transaction literacy platform, helping Kiwis understand the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Whether you're a first home buyer navigating your first property purchase, an investor evaluating your next acquisition, or a homeowner planning to sell, Realtor.co.nz provides clear, independent, and trustworthy guidance on every step of the New Zealand property transaction journey.

Calculate.co.nz is also partnered with Health Based Building and Premium Homes to promote informed choices that lead to better long-term outcomes for Kiwi households.

Calculate.co.nz is hosted in Auckland by SiteHost New Zealand.

All content on this website, including calculators, tools, source code, and design, is protected under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). No part of this site may be reproduced, copied, distributed, stored, or used in any form without prior written permission from the owner.

About & trust: Why Calculate is NZ's most comprehensive · By the Numbers · How we compare · Editorial standards · How we keep data current · NZ finance glossary · Research & data · Financial literacy NZ · About · Privacy policy · Terms of use

Reviewed and maintained. Last reviewed 2026-08-07 and checked on a twice-monthly cycle against IRD, RBNZ and Stats NZ. How we keep data current.

© 2026 Calculate.co.nz. All rights reserved. Building free NZ calculators since 2011.