Tile Calculator
Enter your room size in feet and pick your tile size to instantly get the area, the number of tiles to order with a waste allowance, and optional material cost.
Always add ~10% for waste — cuts, breakage, and future repairs. This calculator includes it automatically.
+10%
default waste allowance — covers cuts, breakage, and repair spares
12 in
square tiles remain the most popular size for US floors
3 quotes
recommended from local tilers — labor rates vary widely
Tiling tips to get it right first time
Order, plan, and prep like a pro.
Measure twice, order once
The most common tiling mistake is ordering too few — a problem when you have to re-order from a different dye lot. Round up to the nearest full box and keep the waste-margin tiles as spares. Most retailers accept unopened boxes back, so over-ordering is low-risk versus running short.
Plan the layout before you start
Do a dry run: lay tiles without adhesive to check the pattern and that cuts at opposite walls are symmetrical. Starting from the center of the room and working outward gives the most balanced result. Starting from a wall — rarely perfectly square — creates uneven cuts on the far side.
Substrate prep is everything
Even great tiles can't fix a poor floor. The substrate must be sound, flat to within about 1/8 in over 6 ft, and free from flex (timber floors often need extra boarding). Proper prep is what separates a job that lasts 20 years from one that lifts within two.
How the Tile Calculator Works
Formula
Room Area = Length × Width (ft²)
Tiles Needed = ⌈(Room Area ÷ Tile Area) × (1 + Waste% ÷ 100)⌉
Tile Cost = Tiles Needed × Price per TileEnter room length and width
In feet — the actual tiled surface, not the room footprint.
Pick your tile size
Standard US sizes from 3×6 in subway up to 24×24 in.
Set the waste allowance
10% for straight-lay; 15% for diagonal or herringbone.
Add a price per tile
Optional — leave at 0 to skip material cost.
The calculator divides your room area by the area of a single tile to get the base count, multiplies by the waste factor for cuts and breakage, then rounds up to the nearest whole tile.
Buy by the box rather than by the tile so your dye lots match, round up to full boxes, and keep the waste-margin tiles as a repair stash — a tile bought next year rarely matches today's batch.