Tile Calculator
Free online tile calculator for floors, walls, and backsplashes. Enter your room size and tile size to get the exact number of tiles needed, including waste and cost.
Recommended: 10% for floors, 15% for diagonal patterns, 20% for complex layouts
What Is a Tile Calculator?
A tile calculator helps you determine exactly how many tiles you need for a flooring, wall, or backsplash project. By entering your room dimensions and tile size, it calculates the total number of tiles required — including extra for waste, cuts, and mistakes.
Whether you're tiling a bathroom floor, a kitchen backsplash, or an entire living room, our tile estimator does the math for you in seconds. No more guessing or buying too few — or too many — tiles.
Professional tilers always add a waste factor (typically 10–20%) to account for broken tiles, awkward cuts around corners and fixtures, and future replacements. Our calculator includes this automatically.
Standard Tile Sizes
Here are the most common tile sizes and how many tiles you get per square foot:
How to Measure for Tile
Accurate measurements are essential for a successful tiling project. Follow these steps to get precise measurements:
Measure Length & Width
Measure the longest and widest points of the area. For walls, measure from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. Record in feet and inches.
Break Into Sections
For L-shaped or irregular rooms, divide into smaller rectangles. Calculate each area separately, then add them together for the total.
Account for Obstacles
Subtract areas for fixed cabinets, islands, or columns that won't be tiled. Measure doorways to plan transition strips.
Order Extra Tiles
Always order 10-15% more tiles than calculated. This covers breakage, cutting mistakes, and future repairs. Buy from the same dye lot.
Tile Calculator Tips & Best Practices
- Grout lines matter: Larger tiles with small grout gaps need fewer tiles. Our calculator includes grout spacing in its calculations for greater accuracy.
- Pattern affects waste: Diagonal or herringbone patterns create more waste (15-20%) than straight lay patterns (5-10%). Adjust your waste factor accordingly.
- Always buy extra: Even with perfect calculations, tiles can break during cutting. Store extra tiles for future repairs — tile styles get discontinued.
- Check tile batch numbers: Tiles from different batches can have slight color variations. Order all tiles at once and verify same dye lot numbers.
- Consider tile size: Large format tiles (24×24) make small rooms look bigger but create more waste. Smaller tiles (4×4) are easier to install in complex layouts.
How to Calculate Square Footage for Tile
To find square footage for tile, measure the length and width of the area in feet. Multiply them. A 12x12 floor is 144 square feet. Add 10% for waste (cuts and breakage) — that gives you 158 square feet. Divide by the tile size. For 12x12 inch tiles (1 sq ft each), you need 158 tiles. Use our tile calculator above to skip the math.
Waste varies by layout: 10% for straight patterns, 15% for diagonal, 20% for rooms with many corners. Large tiles (18x18 or 24x24) create more waste. Our calculator handles this for you.
How to Calculate Square Footage for Backsplash
To find backsplash square footage, measure the wall width between counter and cabinets. Multiply by the height (usually 18 inches). For a 10-foot kitchen: 10 x 1.5 = 15 square feet. Add 15% for cuts around outlets — about 17 square feet. Use the same tile calculator above with your backsplash size.