Tile Calculator
Enter your room and tile dimensions to estimate how many tiles to buy, including a wastage allowance for cuts.
Room size (feet)
Tile size (cm)
10% is a common default for straight-lay patterns.
Room area
120 sq ft
Tile area
4 sq ft
Tiles to buy
35
Exact coverage needs 31 tiles; the tiles-to-buy figure rounds up and includes your wastage allowance. Always confirm final quantities with your tile supplier, especially for patterned or diagonal layouts.
How to use the Tile Calculator
- Enter your room’s length and width in feet.
- Enter your tile’s length and width in centimetres, or pick a common size preset.
- Set a wastage allowance for cuts and breakage (10% is a common default).
- See the room area, tile area and total tiles to buy instantly.
What is a tile calculator?
A tile calculator estimates how many floor or wall tiles you need to cover a room, based on the room’s area, the size of each tile, and an allowance for tiles lost to cutting around edges, corners and breakage during installation.
How the calculation works
The calculator divides your room’s area by a single tile’s area to get the exact number of tiles needed, then adds your wastage percentage to cover cuts, breakage and pattern matching, rounding up to a whole number of tiles.
Worked example
A 12 × 10 ft room (120 sq ft) tiled with 60 × 60 cm tiles (about 3.87 sq ft each) needs roughly 31 tiles exactly — with a 10% wastage allowance, buy about 35 tiles.
Understanding your result
- Room area is your room’s floor area in square feet.
- Tile area is the coverage of one single tile.
- Tiles to buy already includes your wastage allowance and is rounded up to a whole number.
Factors that affect the result
- Tile size — larger tiles need fewer pieces but often more wastage on cuts.
- Layout pattern — diagonal or herringbone patterns need a higher wastage allowance than straight-lay.
- Room shape — irregular rooms, alcoves and door openings aren’t modelled and may need extra tiles.
Common uses
Homeowners and contractors use this calculator to budget a flooring or wall-tiling project, compare material cost across different tile sizes, or double-check a supplier’s quantity estimate before ordering.
Important notes & limitations
Diagonal layouts, large-format tiles, or intricate patterns typically need a higher wastage allowance (15–20%). This calculator doesn’t account for door openings, alcoves or irregular room shapes — always double-check with your tile supplier before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
What is a tile calculator used for?
It's used to estimate how many tiles to buy for a flooring or wall-tiling project, so you can budget accurately and avoid running short mid-installation.
How much wastage should I allow?
10% is a reasonable default for a simple straight-lay pattern. Diagonal or herringbone layouts often need 15–20%.
Does this account for grout lines?
No, grout line width is small enough to ignore for a quantity estimate, but it's worth a small buffer on top of the suggested wastage for larger rooms.
What tile sizes are supported?
Any size — enter your tile's exact length and width in centimetres, or use one of the common presets (30×30, 60×60, 60×120, 80×80 cm).
Does room shape affect the estimate?
This calculator assumes a simple rectangular room. For L-shaped rooms or rooms with alcoves, calculate each rectangular section separately and add the results together.
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