Tile Calculator - Tile Count, Boxes, Waste & Layout
Tile count starts with room area divided by one tile area, then waste is added for cuts and layout. The calculator also estimates boxes from tiles per box.
Cost uses rounded box count.
Change any value and the results, formula, and diagram update immediately. Use the same unit system throughout one estimate.
Tile Quantity Quick Reference
Tile counts per common room size, straight (offset) layout, 10% waste already included. Use this for the truck-side conversation; the calculator above handles your real tile size and layout pattern.
| Area | 12 x 12 in tiles | 12 x 24 in tiles | 18 x 18 in tiles | 24 x 24 in tiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft (small bath) | 55 tiles | 28 tiles | 25 tiles | 14 tiles |
| 100 sq ft (kitchen) | 110 tiles | 55 tiles | 49 tiles | 28 tiles |
| 200 sq ft (living/dining) | 220 tiles | 110 tiles | 98 tiles | 55 tiles |
| 400 sq ft (open plan) | 440 tiles | 220 tiles | 196 tiles | 110 tiles |
| 20 m² (Indian living) | 237 tiles (30x30 cm) | 119 tiles (30x60 cm) | n/a | 56 tiles (60x60 cm) |
If the layout is diagonal, add another 5%. If the layout is herringbone, add 5-10% on top of that. For mosaic and small-format tiles (under 6 in), the waste is built into the sheet - count by sheet area instead.
Tile Sizes Around The World
Tile is global - what changes is the unit. The US still sells in inches; the rest of the world uses centimetres. The calculator accepts whatever you type.
Small format
4x4, 6x6, 100x100 mm. Backsplashes, accent strips, mosaics. High waste from cuts, but easy to handle. Mosaic sheets (300 mm square with 2-3 cm tiles mounted) sit here.
Standard format
12x12 in (305 mm), 13x13 in, 16x16 in, 30x30 cm, 40x40 cm. The residential default for floors and walls. Most boxes carry 8-15 tiles, covering 10-15 sq ft (1-1.4 m²).
Plank / large format
6x24 in, 8x48 in, 30x60 cm, 60x60 cm, 60x120 cm. Wood-look planks and large rectified porcelain. Need a flat substrate; lippage problems start over 18 inch tiles on uneven floors.
Slab format
120x240 cm, 100x300 cm porcelain slabs. Sold by sheet, not box. Need professional handling and special tools - not a DIY size.
Indian standard sizes
Kajaria, Somany, Johnson, RAK sell 30x30, 60x60, 80x80, 60x120 cm vitrified tiles. Highlighter and feature wall tiles often come 30x60 or 30x90 cm with matching base tiles.
Subway tile
3x6 in (75x150 mm) classic, plus 4x8, 4x12, and 4x16. Backsplashes and bathroom wainscot. Running bond waste is 10-12%; herringbone goes to 15-20%.
Layout Pattern - The Real Waste Driver
Tile waste is not a flat 10%. It depends entirely on the pattern.
| Pattern | Waste range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Straight grid | 5-10% | Aligned joints. Cleanest cuts. Cheapest install. |
| Offset / running bond (50%) | 10% | Each row offset by half. The default for plank tiles. |
| Offset / brick bond (33%) | 10-12% | Each row offset by one third. Hides lippage on long planks. |
| Diagonal | 15% | 45-degree rotation. Every wall edge needs a triangular cut. |
| Herringbone | 15-20% | 90-degree interlocking. Beautiful, expensive in cuts and labour. |
| Pinwheel / Hopscotch | 15-20% | Mixed sizes around a centre tile. Plan a dry-lay before ordering. |
| Versailles / French pattern | 15-20% | Four tile sizes arranged in a repeating motif. Order kits, not loose tiles. |
For repair-only or matching-existing work, push waste to 20-25% because finding the same dye lot two years later is unrealistic. Always buy at least one full extra box for attic stock.
Thinset and Grout - The Other Order
Tile-only orders forget the thinset (mortar adhesive) and grout. These are real costs:
- Thinset / adhesive: A 50 lb bag covers 50-75 sq ft of floor at 1/4 in trowel notch. Large-format tiles (18 in and bigger) need a larger notch (1/2 in) and drop coverage to 35-45 sq ft per bag.
- Grout: About 25 lb per 100 sq ft for 12 in tile with 1/8 in joints. Smaller tiles, wider joints, or natural stone roughly double that. Indian vitrified tiles with 1.5-2 mm joints use very little grout - rectified epoxy joints are common.
- Sealer: Natural stone and unglazed tiles need penetrating sealer. About 250-500 sq ft per quart. Ceramic and glazed porcelain do not need sealer on the face, but grout often does.
- Backer board (cement board, Hardiebacker, Wedi): sold in 3x5 ft sheets. For wet areas (showers, tub surrounds) the substrate is its own line item.
Ceramic vs Porcelain vs Natural Stone
Glazed ceramic
Cheapest. PEI rating 1-3 (light foot traffic). Bathroom walls, light residential floors, backsplashes. Easy to cut with a manual snap cutter.
Glazed porcelain
Harder, denser, lower water absorption (under 0.5%). PEI 3-5 (heavy residential to commercial). Wet rooms, kitchen floors, exterior balconies. Needs a wet saw for clean cuts.
Through-body porcelain
Colour goes all the way through. Chips do not show. Used commercially and in heavy-traffic residential.
Natural stone
Marble, travertine, granite, slate, limestone. Needs sealing, premium installation, larger trowel for back-buttering, more waste. Beautiful but unforgiving.
Vitrified (Indian tile lexicon)
Indian usage. Same as porcelain in most cases - low water absorption pressed clay. Double-charge, glazed vitrified (GVT), and polished glazed vitrified (PGVT) are the common subtypes. Kajaria, Somany, RAK, Asian Granito dominate this market.
Cement / encaustic
Hydraulic-pressed pigmented cement. Vintage look. Soft - needs sealing every few years. Spanish and Moroccan styles popular in feature spaces.
Cost Estimates Around The World
2026 retail tile prices for floor-grade product. Decorative, large-format slabs, and natural stone sit well above this.
| Region | Ceramic floor tile | Porcelain / vitrified | Installation labour |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (USD) | $1-4 / sq ft | $3-10 / sq ft | $6-12 / sq ft installed |
| Canada (CAD) | C$1.50-5 / sq ft | C$4-13 / sq ft | C$8-16 / sq ft installed |
| United Kingdom (GBP) | £15-40 / m² | £25-80 / m² | £30-55 / m² labour only |
| Eurozone (EUR) | €15-40 / m² | €25-90 / m² | €30-60 / m² labour only |
| Australia (AUD) | A$30-60 / m² | A$50-120 / m² | A$45-85 / m² labour only |
| India (INR) | ₹30-100 / sq ft | ₹60-300 / sq ft (vitrified) | ₹25-50 / sq ft labour only |
| Mexico (MXN) | MX$120-350 / m² | MX$280-700 / m² | MX$180-350 / m² labour |
| Philippines (PHP) | PHP 250-600 / m² | PHP 450-1,500 / m² | PHP 300-650 / m² labour |
Brand reference: US - Daltile, Marazzi, MS International, Florida Tile; UK / EU - Porcelanosa, Mandarin Stone, Ca' Pietra, Topps Tiles; India - Kajaria, Somany, Johnson, RAK, Nitco, Asian Granito; Australia - Beaumont Tiles, National Tiles, Tile Cloud; Philippines - Mariwasa, Floor Center, Tile Master. A working tile setter installs 50-100 sq ft of straight 12 in tile per day, 30-50 sq ft of herringbone, and 20-40 sq ft of large-format porcelain.
Common Mistakes
- Buying exact box count - you cannot get one more tile in the same dye lot a month later.
- Using straight-layout waste percentage for a diagonal or herringbone job.
- Skipping the thinset and grout estimate - they are 15-25% of material cost.
- Tiling over flexing wood subfloor without cement board - cracks within a year.
- Mixing two pallets without checking the dye lot number on the box.
- Cutting 1 in tile slivers at the edges instead of shifting the layout to cut larger pieces.
- Using 1/8 in spacers for a 24 in rectified tile - lippage will be obvious.
- Sealing grout but not the natural-stone tile face - stones stain at the surface, not just the joint.
Tile Calculator FAQ
How many tiles do I need for a 10 x 12 ft room?
That is 120 sq ft. At 12 x 12 in tiles (1 sq ft each), you need 120 tiles plus 10% waste = 132 tiles. At 12 tiles per box, that is 11 boxes. For 18 x 18 in tiles (2.25 sq ft each), 120 / 2.25 = 54 tiles, plus 10% = 60 tiles. For 600 x 600 mm tiles (3.87 sq ft each), 31 tiles plus waste = 35.
How many tiles per square metre?
For 300 x 300 mm tiles: 11.1 per m². For 400 x 400 mm: 6.25 per m². For 600 x 600 mm: 2.78 per m². For 800 x 800 mm: 1.56 per m². Mosaic sheets typically cover 0.1 m² each (300 mm square sheet).
How much waste should I add?
Straight grid: 5-10%. Offset / running bond: 10%. Diagonal: 15%. Herringbone: 15-20%. Versailles / pinwheel: 15-20%. Matching existing or repair work: 20-25%. Buy one extra full box regardless for attic stock - dye lots change between production runs.
What is the difference between ceramic and porcelain tile?
Porcelain is denser, harder, and absorbs less water (under 0.5% vs 3-7% for ceramic). It costs more but handles freeze-thaw, heavy traffic, and wet rooms better. Glazed ceramic is fine for bathroom walls and light-traffic floors. Vitrified (Indian term) is essentially porcelain.
How much thinset and grout do I need?
One 50 lb bag of thinset covers 50-75 sq ft at 1/4 in notch trowel, or 35-45 sq ft at 1/2 in notch for large-format tile. One 25 lb bag of grout covers about 100 sq ft of 12 in tile with 1/8 in joints. Larger joints or smaller tiles double the grout demand.
What size spacers should I use?
Most modern rectified porcelain uses 1/16 in (1.5 mm) or 1/8 in (3 mm) spacers. Standard ceramic uses 1/8 to 3/16 in. Handmade and irregular tiles need 1/4 in or more to hide variation. Wider spacing also gives more visual texture and hides minor lippage.
Can I tile over an existing tile floor?
If the existing floor is flat, sound (no hollow spots), and the height bump will not block doors or appliances, yes - rough up the surface, use a modified thinset, and proceed. If the existing floor is cracked, hollow, or moving, tear it out. The new tile only adds 3/8 to 1/2 inch of height per layer.
How long does tile installation take?
A tile setter installs 50-100 sq ft of straight 12 in tile per day, 30-50 sq ft of herringbone or diagonal, and 20-40 sq ft of large-format porcelain. Grouting is a separate day in most plans. Add curing time before walk-on use (24-48 hours).
Do I need an underlayment?
For floors: yes - cement backer board over wood subfloors, or an uncoupling membrane (Schluter Ditra) over concrete with cracks. Direct-glue over concrete works only if the concrete is sound, level, and dry. Showers require a waterproofing membrane (Kerdi, Wedi) over backer board.
How do I match the colour for repairs?
Write the dye-lot number from your box label on a piece of paper and store it. Buy one extra box at the start for attic stock; this is the only reliable way to match colour years later. If you cannot find the original, the supplier may have a current production-run sample for comparison.
Related Construction Calculators
For laminate, vinyl, hardwood, and box-coverage flooring, see the Flooring Calculator. For outdoor pavers and patios, switch to the Paver Calculator. Floor area cleanup starts in the Square Footage Calculator. If you are tiling over a new slab, see the Concrete Calculator. More tools live on the Construction Calculators hub.
Sources
- Tile Council of North America - resource centre and TCNA Handbook
- ANSI A108 / A118 / A136 tile installation standards
- Ceramic Tile Distributors Association
- BS 5385 series - UK tile fixing standards
- Bureau of Indian Standards - IS 13753, IS 15622 tile codes
- NIST Handbook 44 unit conversion tables
This calculator is for planning and ordering conversations. Local code, project drawings, engineered design, and manufacturer instructions control the final work.