Tile Calculator
Work out exactly how much tile to buy for a floor or wall — tiles, boxes, thinset, and grout — for any tile size and layout. Includes a layout/waste comparison and a downloadable PDF material list.
Thinset and grout coverage vary with trowel size, joint width, and technique. Always buy a little extra and keep a spare box for future repairs. For planning purposes only.
| Layout | Waste | Tiles | Boxes | Tile Cost |
|---|
For your 120 sq ft area with 12×12 tile. Fancier patterns waste more on cuts.
How to use the tile calculator
Four quick steps turn your room dimensions into a full material list — tiles, boxes, thinset, and grout — for any tile size and layout, plus a costed layout comparison and a downloadable PDF.
Enter the area
Length × width in feet, subtract cabinets or fixtures, or type total square feet directly — or tap a preset like Kitchen 10×12.
Pick tile & layout
Choose a tile size from mosaic to large-format plank (or custom), set the grout joint, and select straight, diagonal, or herringbone.
Set waste & prices
Allow 10–20% overage for cuts, then enter tile, thinset, and grout prices for a live, all-in cost estimate.
Read results & save a PDF
Get tiles, boxes, thinset and grout bags, a full cost breakdown, a layout comparison, and a downloadable material list.
How the tile count is calculated
It all starts from your net area and the footprint of one tile. Everything else — boxes, thinset, and grout — follows from the tile count, the box coverage, and your joint width. Here is the exact math behind each output.
Worked example — a 10 ft × 12 ft kitchen floor in 12×12 tile
Net area: 10 × 12 = 120 sq ft
Tile face: 12 × 12 ÷ 144 = 1 sq ft
Buy area (+10%): 120 × 1.10 = 132 sq ft → 132 tiles
Boxes: 132 ÷ 15 = 9 | Thinset: 120 ÷ 75 = 2 bags | Grout: ≈ 1 bag
≈ 132 tiles, 9 boxes, 2 bags of thinset, and 1 bag of grout.
Tile estimating charts
Handy lookups for the questions people ask most — how tile size changes the piece count, standard sizes and boxes, thinset coverage, and typical jobs. Figures use nominal sizes with standard joints, so add 10–20% for cuts and breakage.
| Tile size | Face area | Tiles / 100 sq ft | + 10% waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic 2×2 | 0.03 sq ft | 3,600 | 3,960 |
| 4×4 | 0.11 sq ft | 900 | 990 |
| Subway 3×6 | 0.13 sq ft | 800 | 880 |
| 6×6 | 0.25 sq ft | 400 | 440 |
| 12×12 | 1.00 sq ft | 100 | 110 |
| 18×18 | 2.25 sq ft | 45 | 49 |
| 12×24 | 2.00 sq ft | 50 | 55 |
| Plank 6×24 | 1.00 sq ft | 100 | 110 |
| Plank 8×48 | 2.67 sq ft | 38 | 42 |
| 24×24 | 4.00 sq ft | 25 | 28 |
Face area = tile width × length ÷ 144. Halving the tile size roughly quadruples the piece count — a 6×6 needs about four times as many tiles as a 12×12 for the same floor.
| Tile | Face area | Typical box | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic 2×2 | 0.03 sq ft | 10 sq ft | Shower floors, accents, niches |
| 4×4 | 0.11 sq ft | 12 sq ft | Backsplashes, borders |
| Subway 3×6 | 0.13 sq ft | 12.5 sq ft | Kitchen & bath walls |
| 6×6 | 0.25 sq ft | 12.5 sq ft | Walls, small floors |
| 12×12 | 1.00 sq ft | 15 sq ft | All-round floors & walls |
| 18×18 | 2.25 sq ft | 15.75 sq ft | Larger floors |
| 12×24 | 2.00 sq ft | 16 sq ft | Modern floors & walls |
| Plank 6×24 | 1.00 sq ft | 16 sq ft | Wood-look floors |
| Plank 8×48 | 2.67 sq ft | 16 sq ft | Wood-look plank floors |
| 24×24 | 4.00 sq ft | 16 sq ft | Large-format floors |
Box coverage varies by product line — always confirm the square feet printed on the label, since that is what the calculator divides your buy area by.
Footprints shown to relative scale (4 px per inch). A single 24×24 covers the same floor as thirty-six 4×4 tiles — larger tiles mean fewer pieces and grout lines, but a flatter subfloor and more thinset.
| Tile group | Example sizes | Thinset / 50 lb bag | Suggested trowel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic (≤3½″) | Mosaic 2×2 | ~95 sq ft | 3/16″–1/4″ V-notch |
| Small (4–8″) | 4×4, Subway 3×6, 6×6 | ~90 sq ft | 1/4″ square-notch |
| Medium (9–14″) | 12×12 | ~75 sq ft | 1/4″ × 3/8″ square |
| Large (15–22″) | 18×18 | ~60 sq ft | 1/2″ square-notch |
| X-large (23″+) | 12×24, 24×24, planks | ~50 sq ft | 1/2″+ / large-format mortar |
Coverage per bag drops as tile size and trowel notch grow. Deeper notches, uneven substrates, and back-buttering all use more — treat these as planning figures and keep a spare bag.
| Job | Dimensions | Tile | Tiles (+10%) | Boxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom floor | 5 × 8 ft | 12×12 | 44 | 3 |
| Kitchen backsplash | 3 × 10 ft | Subway 3×6 | 264 | 3 |
| Kitchen floor | 10 × 12 ft | 12×12 | 132 | 9 |
| Shower walls | 5 × 7 ft | Subway 3×6 | 308 | 4 |
| Living room floor | 15 × 20 ft | 24×24 | 83 | 21 |
Tiles at a straight-layout 10% waste; boxes rounded up to the typical coverage for each size. Add thinset and grout separately — the calculator sizes those from your tile and joint width.
Everything the calculator works out
One set of room dimensions gives you a complete tile order — every count a setter or supplier needs, plus a costed layout comparison.
Key figures every tiling job depends on
Built for any tiling project
From a weekend backsplash to a full-floor install, the same calculator scales to the job.
Tiling a bathroom, backsplash, or small floor and wants an exact tile and box order without over-buying.
- Start from a preset like Bath 5×8
- Type total sq ft if the room is irregular
- Keep one spare box sealed for repairs
Bidding a floor or wall job and needs tile, thinset, grout, and cost in one place to price it fast.
- Compare straight / diagonal / herringbone waste
- Set box coverage to the real label figure
- Save the PDF material list for the quote
Comparing tile sizes and layouts across several rooms and rolling them into one materials budget.
- Swap tile sizes to see count & cost shift
- Model each room separately, then total
- Use cost per sq ft to compare options
7 tips for an accurate tile order
Small habits keep your count right the first time — and your floor flat, level, and free of sliver cuts.
Tile calculator FAQ
The counts, coverage rates, and ordering questions people ask most before starting a tile job.
Divide the net area (length × width in feet, minus fixtures and cabinets) by the area a single tile covers, then add waste. A 12×12 tile covers exactly 1 sq ft, so a 120 sq ft room needs about 120 tiles, or roughly 132 with 10% waste.
Smaller tiles mean far more pieces — a 6×6 covers a quarter of a square foot, so it takes about four times as many.
Tile is sold by coverage (square feet per box), not a fixed piece count, and it varies with size — usually 10 to 16 sq ft per box. A 15 sq ft box of 12×12 holds fifteen tiles; a 16 sq ft box of 24×24 holds only four.
Divide your buy area by the box’s sq ft and round up, and always read the label since coverage differs between products.
A 50 lb bag covers roughly 50 to 95 sq ft depending on tile size and trowel notch — bigger tiles and deeper notches use more. As a guide: mosaic and small tile about 90–95 sq ft per bag, 12×12 about 75, and large-format 24×24 or planks about 50–60.
Divide your net area by the coverage, round up, and keep a spare bag on site.
Grout use depends on tile size and joint width: more, smaller tiles and wider joints mean more grout, because there is far more joint length to fill. A typical 120 sq ft of 12×12 with 1/8″ joints needs well under one 25 lb bag, while the same area in mosaic can take several.
The calculator works the amount out from your tile dimensions and joint width, then rounds up to whole 25 lb bags.
Allow about 10% for a straight layout, 15% for diagonal, and 20%+ for herringbone or rooms with lots of cuts. On top of that, buy at least one extra box and keep it sealed.
Dye lots shift between production runs, so a future repair tile may not match if you have to reorder later.
Larger tiles like 12×24, 24×24, and planks suit open floors — fewer grout lines, a faster install, a modern look — but they show any dip in the subfloor and need a bigger-notch trowel and more thinset.
Small tiles and mosaics grip better on shower floors and curves and are more forgiving to cut. Match the tile scale to both the room and the surface.
The base coverage is the same, but cutting waste rises with pattern complexity. A straight grid wastes about 10%, diagonal about 15%, and herringbone 20% or more, because many more tiles meet the walls at an angle and get cut.
Bump the overage allowance up for fancier layouts so you don’t run short mid-install.
Break the space into rectangles, work out each one, and add them together — or measure the total square footage directly and type it straight into the area field. Subtract large fixtures such as cabinets, tubs, and islands, but not small ones.
When in doubt, round up: extra tile is cheaper than a second trip and a dye-lot mismatch.
General Estimating Notice: This calculator counts tiles from nominal sizes and your area, and estimates boxes, thinset, and grout from typical coverage rates. Actual quantities vary with layout, trowel notch, joint width, substrate, and technique, so order a little extra rather than running short — and keep one spare box sealed for future repairs and dye-lot matching. For planning purposes only.