Tile Calculator: Calculate Tiles, Square Footage, and Cost
Calculate tiles, square footage, and grout for any flooring or wall project
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Order 10% extra for cuts
For 120 sq ft, you need 132 tiles including 10% waste — roughly $462 in materials.
A tile calculator estimates the number of tiles needed for a project. Calculate room square footage (length × width), divide by tile area, then add a waste allowance (typically 10-20%) for cuts and breakage. This ensures you have enough material for standard layouts, diagonal patterns, or irregular rooms, preventing costly reorders.
Quickly calculate the exact number of tiles, total square footage, and estimated cost for any room or wall project, accounting for waste from cuts and breakage. This tool helps you determine the precise material quantities needed for flooring, backsplashes, or wall installations. It factors in crucial elements like tile size, room dimensions, and a customizable waste allowance, which is essential for different installation patterns such as straight-lay, diagonal, or herringbone. By providing an accurate estimate for tiles, total cost, and even approximate grout requirements, this calculator prevents costly reorders and ensures you have enough material to complete your project efficiently, adhering to professional standards for both DIY enthusiasts and contractors.
What is a tile?
Use this tile calculator to accurately estimate the number of tiles needed for any flooring or wall project, including total square footage, estimated tile cost, and approximate grout requirements. Select from a range of common tile sizes, such as 4×4, 12×12, 24×24, or popular plank styles. Crucially, you can adjust the waste allowance based on your specific installation pattern: 10% for straight-lay, 15% for diagonal or herringbone, and up to 20% for very irregular rooms with many cuts. This tool is built against the rigorous standards of the Tile Council of North America Handbook and ANSI A108 tile installation specifications, ensuring reliable and professional-grade estimates for DIYers and contractors alike.
The formula
- L, W — room length and width
- a — single-tile area
- w — waste fraction (0.10 for straight-lay, higher for patterns)
Source: Tile Council of North America Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation.
Worked examples
110×12 bathroom with 12×12 tiles
Area: 10 × 12 = 120 sq ft. Each 12×12 tile = 1 sq ft. Raw count: 120 tiles. With 10% waste: 132 tiles, rounded up. At $3.50/tile, that's $462 in tile material — plus grout, mortar, backer board, and labor.
2Kitchen with 24×24 large-format tile
Area: 14 × 10 = 140 sq ft. Each 24×24 tile = 4 sq ft. Raw count: 35 tiles. With 10% waste: 39 tiles. At $12/tile, $468 in material. Large-format tiles look modern and have less grout maintenance, but require an exceptionally flat substrate (1/8 inch in 10 ft per ANSI A108) and often medium-bed mortar instead of standard thinset.
3Subway-style backsplash, 4×4 tiles
Area: 8 × 4 = 32 sq ft. Each 4×4 tile = 16 in² = 0.111 sq ft. Raw count: 32 / 0.111 = 288 tiles. With 15% waste (more cuts in a small backsplash with outlets and corners): 332 tiles. At $1.25/tile, $415 — small tiles per square foot multiply quickly into a meaningful cost.
How to use this calculator
- Room length (default: 12)
- Room width (default: 10)
- Tile size (default: 144)
- Waste allowance — Industry standard: 10% for straight-lay, 15% for diagonal/herringbone, 20% for very irregular rooms.
- Price per tile (optional) (default: 3.5)
- Read the result. Use the worked examples below to sanity-check against a known scenario.
Waste allowance by installation pattern
| Pattern | Waste % | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Straight (running bond) | 10% | Standard cuts only at room edges |
| Diagonal | 15% | Every cut is angular, more drops |
| Herringbone | 15–20% | Edge cuts + interlocking pattern |
| Hexagon | 15% | Six-sided edges = more partial cuts |
| Mosaic / mesh sheets | 10% | Sheets break apart at edges, less risk |
| Very irregular rooms | 20% | Multiple corners, alcoves, plumbing |
Add 5% if you're a first-time DIY tiler — the breakage rate is real.
Frequently asked questions
How many tiles do I need?
How much waste should I order?
How do I calculate square footage?
How much does tile cost in 2026?
What's the difference between ceramic and porcelain?
How much grout do I need?
Should I tile under the toilet, vanity, or fixtures?
What's the right grout joint width?
Tile glossary
How we built this calculator
Methodology
The math is just area division: room area divided by tile area, then padded for waste. The padding matters more than people expect.
This calculator was written by Numora team and reviewed by Numora engineering review team, Certified Tile Installer (CTI) before publication. Both names link to full bios with verifiable credentials.
Sources & references
Every numeric assumption traces to a primary source.