Free planning calculator
Tile calculator: how many tiles for a floor or wall
Turn a measured area and a tile face size into a tile count with a visible waste allowance, before boxes and pattern cuts.
Direct answer
Divide the measured area, increased by an explicit waste allowance, by the area of one tile face, then round up. Boxes, pattern, layout origin, and grout joints all change the quantity you actually buy.
Interactive tool
Enter your measurements
Formula
Worked example
A 120 sq ft floor in 12 in by 24 in tile: one tile face is 288 sq in, or 2 sq ft. With a 10 percent allowance the purchase area is 132 sq ft, so 132 / 2 = 66 tiles before box quantities are applied.
Assumptions
- Tiles are rectangular and laid in one consistent size.
- Grout joint width is absorbed by the waste allowance rather than modeled separately.
- The measured area already excludes cabinets, fixtures, and other permanent obstructions you will not tile.
Caveats
- Boxes are sold in fixed quantities, so the purchase count is usually higher than the calculated count.
- Diagonal, herringbone, and large-format layouts generate more cut waste than a straight grid.
- Substrate flatness, movement joints, waterproofing, and setting materials are separate decisions with their own requirements.
Primary references
- Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)National Institute of Standards and Technology; accessed 2026-08-02.
- 2024 International Residential Code: Building PlanningInternational Code Council; accessed 2026-08-02.
Understand and continue
How much tile do you need, and where the waste actually goes
Turn a measured area into a tile count, then work out what the pattern, the room shape, and the layout origin add on top.
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