About Tile Calculator
This calculator estimates the number of tiles required for flooring or wall projects. Enter the area dimensions and tile size to get an accurate count including waste allowance for cuts, breakage and future repairs.
For complex layouts with many obstacles or diagonal patterns, increase the waste percentage to 15-20%. Box count is rounded up — always buy from the same batch to avoid colour variation.
When to Use This Calculator
Bathroom wall tiling: A standard 8x5 ft bathroom with tiles up to 7 ft high has about 182 sq ft of wall area. You'll need roughly 182 twelve-inch tiles plus waste. Don't forget to subtract the area of the window and door (about 30 sq ft combined).
Kitchen backsplash: A typical backsplash running 10 ft long and 18 inches high covers 15 sq ft. Small subway tiles (3x6 inches) mean more grout lines but easier fit around outlets. With cuts for outlets and corners, budget 15% waste.
Shower floor: A 3x3 ft shower base is small but tricky — lots of cuts around the drain and edges. Use mosaic tiles on a mesh sheet (usually 12x12 inch sheets) and buy 15-20% extra because the offcuts are rarely reusable.
How to Interpret Your Results
The Total Tiles Needed (88 tiles for our example) is what to order. The Area to Cover (80 sq ft) is just the floor space. Single Tile Area shows you the coverage of one tile — useful if you want to compare different tile sizes. The Boxes Needed number rounds up, so you're never short. If the calculator says 8.8 boxes, it rounds up to 9 — that's the right call. Never round down on tile orders; partial boxes from the store might be from a different dye lot, and the color mismatch will drive you crazy once it's on the wall.
How to Use the Tile Calculator
Let's tile a 10x8 ft kitchen floor with 12x12 inch tiles. Enter the area length (10) and width (8). Set tile length to 12 inches and tile width to 12 inches. For waste, 10% works for a straightforward square layout. If you're doing a herringbone or diagonal pattern, increase waste to 15-20% — trust me, the number of cuts jumps dramatically. With 10 tiles per box, hit calculate. You'll see the area is 80 sq ft, each tile covers 1 sq ft, and with waste you need 88 tiles — that's 9 boxes. But here's a pro tip: buy an extra box if you can. Having spares from the same batch is a lifesaver when a tile cracks during installation or you need to replace one years later.