Calcs.ToolsTile Calculator
Enter room dimensions, tile size, and a waste factor to see total tiles, boxes, and a quick grout estimate. We include waste automatically so you avoid costly mid-project shortages.
How to use it
- Measure the length and width of the area in feet. Break odd shapes into rectangles and total the square footage.
- Choose a tile size. Common picks: 12" × 12" for floors, 6" × 6" or 3" × 12" for walls.
- Pick a waste factor: 5–10% for simple rooms, 10–15% for diagonal layouts or lots of cuts, up to 20% for tight obstacles.
- Review tiles needed and boxes to buy. Round up to the next box count so you have matched spare tiles for repairs.
Example calculation
A 12 ft × 10 ft room is 120 sq ft. With 12" × 12" tiles (1 sq ft each) you need 120 tiles. Adding a 10% waste factor for cuts brings it to 132 tiles. If your tile comes 12 per box, buy 11 boxes so you have a few spares for future repairs.
FAQs
What waste factor should I choosex
Use 5–8% for straight-lay floors with few cuts, 10–12% for diagonal or herringbone layouts, and 15–20% for complex rooms with many obstacles. Older or brittle tiles may also need more overage.
How much grout will I needx
Grout usage depends on joint width and tile thickness. As a quick guide, plan for roughly 0.5–1 pound of grout per square foot for 1/8" joints and 1–2 pounds per square foot for 1/4" joints. Always round up.
Can I mix tile sizesx
You can, but measure each pattern repeat. Run the calculator per size, then add the tile counts and apply an overall waste factor. Patterned mixes usually need extra overage to handle layout tweaks.
Install tips
- Dry-lay a row to confirm grout joint spacing and reduce awkward slivers at walls.
- Order matching trim and threshold pieces with the same dye lot as your field tile.
- Keep a few spare boxes for repairs; dye lots change and may not match later.