Tile Calculator
Use this free tile calculator to find out exactly how many tiles — and boxes — you need for a floor or wall. Enter your room size and tile dimensions to get an instant count with a waste allowance built in.
Advanced options
How to Use the Tile Calculator
- Measure the room: Enter the length and width of the floor or wall area in feet.
- Enter your tile size: Tile dimensions are entered in inches, since that's how tile is labeled (e.g. 12x12, 6x24 for plank tile).
- Set a waste allowance: 10% covers straight layouts; increase it for diagonal patterns or large-format tile.
- Read your results: Get the exact tile count, and box count if you enter how many tiles come per box.
What Is This Tile Calculator?
This tile calculator is a free tool that tells you how many tiles — and how many boxes — you need for a floor or wall tiling project. It works for any tile size, including square tile, rectangular plank tile, and subway tile.
Why Use a Tile Calculator?
Tile cutting always produces some waste, and matching tile from a different production batch later can be difficult or impossible. A tile quantity calculator gives you a precise count up front, including a waste buffer, so you buy the right amount in one trip.
How Does This Calculator Work?
The calculator finds your room's area, finds the area of a single tile (converting from inches to square feet), and divides the two together with your waste allowance applied:
Tiles = ROUNDUP( (Room Area × (1 + Waste%)) ÷ Tile Area )
Worked Example: 10x10 Room with 12x12 Tile
A bathroom floor is 10 feet by 10 feet, tiled with standard 12x12 inch tile and a 10% waste allowance:
- Room area: 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft
- Tile area: (12 × 12) ÷ 144 = 1 sq ft per tile
- Add waste: 100 × 1.10 = 110 sq ft
- Divide by tile area: 110 ÷ 1 = 110 tiles
Load this example in the calculator above.
Tile Buying Tips
- Buy from the same lot number when possible — tile color and shade can vary noticeably between production runs.
- Large-format tile (anything over about 12x24 inches) usually needs a higher waste allowance because cuts are harder to reuse.
- Diagonal (45°) layouts typically need 15–20% extra tile compared to a straight grid layout.
- Keep a few leftover tiles after installation for future repairs — discontinued tile lines can be impossible to match later.
Tile Calculator FAQs
Divide the room's area by the area of a single tile, then add a waste allowance for cuts and breakage. For a 10x10 foot room using 12x12 inch tiles with 10% waste, you need about 110 tiles. Enter your measurements above for an exact count.
10% is standard for a straight tile layout in a simple rectangular room. Diagonal layouts, rooms with lots of corners, or large-format tile that requires more cuts often need 15-20% extra.
A 12x12 foot room has 144 square feet of area. If you're using 12x12 inch (1 square foot) tiles with 10% waste, you need about 159 tiles. Larger tiles need fewer pieces to cover the same area, but each tile covers proportionally more square feet.
Most tile is sold by the box, and stores generally only sell full boxes. If you know how many tiles come in a box, enter it in the calculator to see exactly how many boxes to buy, rounded up to the nearest whole box.
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