What is Tile Calculator?

The Tile Calculator helps you figure out exactly how many tiles you need for a floor, wall, or backsplash. Enter your room dimensions and tile size, set a waste percentage, and get an accurate count plus cost estimate.

Switch between imperial (feet + inches) and metric (metres + centimetres) without redoing the numbers. Grout joint width is folded into the math so an 11-inch tile with a 1/8-inch joint still gets counted correctly. Waste defaults to 10%, which contractors recommend for straight grids — bump it to 15% for diagonal layouts and 20% for herringbone or hexagons.

How to use

1. Enter the length and width of the area you want to tile, in feet or meters.
2. Specify the tile dimensions (e.g. 12×12 in) and the gap/grout width.
3. Set a waste percentage (typically 10%) and optionally enter the price per tile to see total cost.

When to use

• Pricing a bathroom or kitchen tile job before walking into a showroom.
• Checking a contractor's quoted tile count against the actual room dimensions.
• Ordering one extra box for future repairs from the same dye-lot.

Result

A 10×12 ft bathroom with 12×12 in tiles and 10% waste: you need 130 tiles covering 120 sq ft, plus 12 extra for cuts and breakage.

FAQ

Why does the calculator add a waste percentage?

Cuts at walls, corners, and around fixtures produce off-cuts you can't reuse. Tiles also crack during transport or installation. The 10% default covers a straight grid layout; complex patterns waste more.

How much waste should I use for a diagonal or herringbone pattern?

Brick offset (running bond) is gentle, around 12%, because only the row ends get cut. Diagonal layouts produce more triangular off-cuts, so 15% is a safer starting point. Herringbone, basket-weave, and hex patterns waste between 18% and 25% because almost every perimeter tile needs a custom cut. Round up.

Should I add grout width to the tile or to the room dimensions?

Add it to the tile. A 12-inch tile with a 1/8-inch grout joint covers 12.125 inches per row, which means slightly fewer tiles fit the same wall. The calculator does this automatically once you fill in the grout field.

Why does the calculator round up to the next whole tile?

You can't buy 142.6 tiles, only 143. The result is the minimum whole-tile count after waste. Add the number of tiles per box and the calculator also tells you how many boxes to put in the cart, rounded up.

Does the price field handle different currencies?

The dollar sign is just a label — enter the price in whatever currency your shop uses and the total cost will be in the same currency. The math is the same whether the price is in USD, EUR, GBP, or anything else.

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