Tile Calculator
This tile calculator works out how many tiles you need for any floor or wall, plus the square footage and a spare allowance for cuts and breakage. Enter the area and your tile size, and the tile calculator returns the tile count, the total square feet, and an optional cost so you can order with confidence. As a tile estimator it turns a room measurement into a shopping list in seconds.
Results
The Tile Calculator is part of our Floor & Wall collection. Browse more floor & wall to size, convert, and check your work alongside this tool.
What the tile calculator does
The tile calculator takes a room area and a tile size and returns everything you need to order. First it finds the square footage of tile the surface needs, then it divides by the coverage of one tile to get a count, and finally it adds a waste margin for cuts and breakage. Used as a tile estimator it saves you from guessing, and as a tile sq ft calculator it reports the area in both square feet and square meters so the numbers match your supplier.
How the tile calculator finds square footage
The tile calculator uses plain area math. The surface area is length times width, and the number of tiles is that area divided by the area of one tile:
To calculate the square footage of tile in mixed units, convert everything to the same unit first. The tile estimator then multiplies the raw count by the waste factor so the order covers cuts around edges, fixtures, and any breakage on site.
Tile calculator example
A floor 12 ft by 10 ft with 12 in (1 ft) square tiles. First figure square feet for tile:
Add a 10% waste allowance and the tile calculator recommends 132 tiles. At $3 per tile the tile installation cost calculator shows roughly $396 in tile before labor, the same figure a standalone tile cost calculator would give.
How to use the tile calculator
Measure the surface and enter its length and width, then enter the size of a single tile; if your tile size is in feet, enter it directly. The tile calculator multiplies the dimensions to calculate the square footage of tile, divides by the tile coverage, and rounds up. To figure out square feet for tile in a shower or backsplash, enter each wall separately and add the results, which is how the shower tile calculator handles a stall. As a tile installation cost calculator, add your price per tile or per square foot to see the total.
Reading the tile calculator result
The square footage of tile is the surface you are covering, and the tile count is what to buy at that tile size. The extra tiles from the waste allowance are not padding; diagonal layouts, small rooms, and patterned tiles all raise the offcut rate, so a tile estimator that ignored waste would leave you short. Keep a few spare tiles after the job for future repairs, since matching a discontinued batch later is hard.
When to use the tile calculator
- Ordering floor tile with the floor tile calculator and a waste margin
- Planning a shower or backsplash with the shower tile estimator
- Budgeting a job with the tile installation cost calculator
- Converting a room to the square footage of tile in square feet or meters
Common tile estimator mistakes
- Skipping the waste allowance. Ordering the exact square footage of tile leaves nothing for cuts, so you run short mid-job.
- Mixing units. The tile calculator needs room and tile sizes in the same unit before it can calculate square footage of tile.
- Forgetting spares. Buy a few extra so a future repair matches the batch this tile calculator sized.
Tips for accurate results
- Measure twice and enter the widest dimensions into the tile calculator.
- Use 10% waste for straight layouts, 15% for diagonal, in the tile estimator.
- Order by full box and keep leftovers for repairs.
How to figure out tile square footage right
Most tiling mistakes trace back to measurement, not math, so the tile calculator is only as good as the numbers you feed it. Measure each surface at its widest points and treat alcoves, niches, and around fixtures as separate rectangles you add together. For an L-shaped room, split it into two rectangles, figure out square feet for tile in each, and total them. Subtract large openings like a doorway on a wall, but leave small ones in as part of your waste buffer. Working this way turns the tile estimator from a rough guess into an order you can trust.
Waste, layout, and the tile installation cost calculator
Layout drives how many spare tiles you need. A straight grid on a simple rectangle wastes little, so 10% is plenty, while a diagonal or herringbone pattern cuts far more tiles at the edges and can push waste to 15% or higher. Large-format tiles look great but a single cracked one is expensive, which is why the tile installation cost calculator matters: it shows how each extra percent of waste and each dollar of tile price moves the total. Order full boxes rather than loose tiles so dye lots match, and keep the leftovers, because the square footage of tile you buy today is the only guaranteed match for a repair years from now.
Tile calculator square feet chart
How many tiles cover 100 square feet at common tile sizes, before waste, from the tile calculator:
| Tile size | Coverage per tile | Tiles per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 6 × 6 in | 0.25 sq ft | 400 |
| 12 × 12 in | 1.0 sq ft | 100 |
| 18 × 18 in | 2.25 sq ft | 45 |
| 12 × 24 in | 2.0 sq ft | 50 |
| 24 × 24 in | 4.0 sq ft | 25 |
Tile Calculator FAQ
How do I calculate the square footage of tile?
Multiply the surface length by its width in feet. The tile calculator does this for you and then divides by the coverage of one tile to figure out square feet for tile and the number of tiles needed.
How much waste should I add?
Add about 10% for straight layouts and 15% for diagonal or patterned ones. The tile estimator applies this margin so the order covers cuts and breakage.
Can the tile calculator work in square meters?
Yes. The tile calculator reports the area in square feet and square meters, so it doubles as a tile calculator square meters tool for suppliers who price by the meter.
Does it estimate cost?
Enter your price per tile or per square foot and the tile installation cost calculator multiplies it by the tile count to show the material cost before labor.