Measuring a rectangular floor or wall
Enter surface length and width for each identical rectangular area. Multiply by the number of identical surfaces. Exclude areas that will not be tiled, such as cabinets or fixtures.
Finish calculator
Tile Calculator
Calculate surface area, tile size, waste allowance, tiles and boxes to buy, purchased coverage, and estimated material cost for floors, walls, and other tileable surfaces using US, metric, or mixed units.
How many tiles do you need to buy?
Tiles, boxes, and cost
Project inputs
Enter dimensions
Estimate
Tile to buy
Planning purchase quantity
9boxes
72 tiles · 8 per box · 144 ft² (13.38 m²)
Rounded up to whole boxes for planning—not the exact calculated tile count before packaging.
Surface breakdown
Area per surface120 ft²
Number of identical surfaces1
Total surface area120 ft² · 11.15 m²
Tile and quantity
Tile dimensions2 ft × 1 ft
Area per tile2 ft² · 0.19 m²
Exact tiles before waste60
Waste allowance12 ft² (10%)
Area with waste132 ft²
Exact tiles with waste66
Tiles to buy66
Boxes and coverage
Tiles per box8
Boxes to buy9
Purchased tile quantity72
Purchased coverage144 ft² · 13.38 m²
Extra purchased coverage24 ft² · 2.23 m²
Estimated material cost
Enter a price per box to estimate material cost.
How it's calculated
Surface length × surface width × number of identical surfaces
- Total surface area is determined from your inputs.
- Area per tile is calculated from tile length and width.
- Total surface area is divided by area per tile.
- Waste allowance is applied to the exact tile quantity.
- Tile count is rounded up to the next whole tile.
- Tile count is divided by tiles per box.
- Box count is rounded up to the next whole box.
- Purchased coverage is calculated from all tiles in purchased boxes.
- Cost is calculated from boxes to buy when price is entered.
Method
How to calculate how much tile you need
Measure rectangular surfaces or enter a known area, divide by tile size, add waste allowance, round up to whole tiles and full boxes, and review purchased coverage and optional material cost for a planning purchase quantity.
Calculating from an already known surface area
If you have already measured net tileable area, switch to Known area mode and enter the total in square feet or square meters.
Calculating the area of one tile
Multiply tile length by tile width using the actual dimensions from the manufacturer. Mixed units are supported—the calculator converts before multiplying.
Accounting for identical surfaces
When several surfaces share the same length and width, enter the count once instead of adding areas manually. The calculator multiplies area per surface by that quantity.
Choosing a waste allowance
Waste covers cuts, breakage, and a small repair reserve. Straight layouts often use less than complex patterns with many corners. Enter a percentage that matches your layout and experience.
Understanding exact tile quantity
Exact tiles before waste is the mathematical count needed to cover the surface with no spare pieces. It is not a purchase quantity and is not rounded.
Rounding to whole tiles
After waste is added to the exact count, the calculator rounds up to the next whole tile because partial tiles cannot be purchased.
Converting tiles into full boxes
Divide tiles to buy by tiles per box and round up to purchase whole boxes only. Verify tiles per box on the product packaging.
Checking tiles per box on the product packaging
Box counts vary by product. Always confirm the number of tiles per box with the manufacturer or retailer before ordering.
Understanding purchased coverage
Purchased coverage is the area of all tiles in the boxes you would buy. It can exceed your entered surface area because of waste, tile rounding, and box rounding.
Understanding what the cost estimate excludes
Material cost uses boxes to buy and your optional price per box only. Grout, adhesive, underlayment, trim, tools, delivery, and labor are not included.
Common questions
Tile calculator FAQ
How do I calculate how much tile I need?
Measure the net area to be tiled, divide by the area of one tile, add your waste allowance, round up to whole tiles, then convert to full boxes using tiles per box from the packaging. This calculator handles unit conversion, waste, tile rounding, box rounding, purchased coverage, and optional cost for planning.
How do I calculate the area of one tile?
Multiply tile length by tile width after converting both dimensions to the same unit. The calculator converts tile dimensions to feet internally and reports tile area in square feet and square meters. Use the actual manufacturer dimensions, not a nominal format name.
How much extra tile should I allow for waste?
Waste depends on layout pattern, room shape, corners, obstacles, tile size, and installer experience. A 10% allowance is a common planning starting point for straight layouts, but diagonal or complex patterns often need more. Enter the percentage that fits your project; the calculator does not prescribe one universal value.
Why does the calculator round up the number of tiles?
Tiles are sold as whole pieces. After waste is applied to the exact mathematical tile count, the calculator rounds up to the next whole tile so the purchase quantity covers the calculated need. If the exact quantity with waste is already a whole number, no extra tile is added.
Why does the calculator round up to full boxes?
When tiles are sold by the box, you purchase whole boxes only. The calculator divides tiles to buy by tiles per box and rounds up to the next full box. If tiles to buy divides evenly by tiles per box, no extra box is added.
How do I find the number of tiles in a box?
Check the product packaging, retailer listing, or manufacturer data sheet. Box counts vary by tile size, material, and brand. Enter the count for your specific product—the default of 8 in this calculator is only a planning example.
What is the difference between required area and purchased coverage?
Required area is the net surface you entered. Purchased coverage is the area covered by all tiles in the boxes you would buy, including your waste allowance plus any extra from rounding up to whole tiles and full boxes. Extra purchased coverage is not a guarantee of usable leftover tile after installation.
Does the estimated cost include grout, adhesive, supplies, and labor?
No. The estimate multiplies your price per box by boxes to buy only. It does not include grout, adhesive or mortar, underlayment, trim, spacers, sealers, tools, surface preparation, delivery, taxes, or labor.
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