Tile Calculator
Work out how many tiles to buy.
Buying enough tile
Divide the area to be tiled by the area of one tile, then add extra for cuts, breakage and mistakes. Tiles are sold in boxes, so the final step rounds up to whole boxes.
Example
With the starting values shown (Area length 12 ft; Area width 10 ft; Tile width 12 in; Tile length 12 in; Waste for cuts and breakage 10 %; Tiles per box 10), Tiles to buy comes out as 132. Other results include area: 120; tiles needed with no waste: 120; boxes to buy: 14.
Allow more waste (15% or more) for diagonal patterns, small rooms with many cuts and patterned tiles. Grout lines are small enough to ignore for most jobs, and it is wise to keep a few spare tiles for repairs, because dye lots can vary.
Frequently asked questions
How much waste should I allow?
About 10% for a straight layout and 15% for diagonal or complex ones.
Should I buy extra for later repairs?
Yes. Dye lots vary, so keeping a few spare tiles from the same batch helps.
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