Daily Figures Edition No Sign-Up • Free Forever Vol. XII — No. 204
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Construction — Tiling

Tile Calculator

Enter the area to cover and your tile size to get how many tiles you need — with a waste allowance for cuts and breakage.

Filed by The Statistics Desk  |  Method: area ÷ tile area × (1 + waste)
Tiles needed
—
Includes your waste allowance.
Estimate
Area to cover—
Tiles before waste—
Each tile covers—
Show our math
Enter your figures above to see the step-by-step working.
An estimate — buy a few spares from the same batchEverything computed client-side — nothing leaves this page

How the Tile Calculator Works

The calculator divides the area you are tiling by the area a single tile covers, then adds a waste allowance for cuts, breakage and future repairs. Tile sizes are entered in inches and converted to square feet by dividing by 144 (the number of square inches in a square foot).

A 10 percent allowance suits simple straight layouts; step up to 15 percent for diagonal or herringbone patterns, or for rooms with many corners and obstacles where more tiles need cutting.

tiles = area ÷ tile area × (1 + waste%)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tiles do I need?

Divide the area to cover by the area of one tile, then add a waste allowance. For 80 square feet with 12-inch tiles (1 sq ft each) and 10 percent waste, that is about 88 tiles.

How much waste should I add?

Around 10 percent for a straight grid layout, and 15 percent or more for diagonal, herringbone or patterned layouts, or rooms with lots of cuts around cabinets and corners.

Should I buy extra for repairs?

Yes. Keeping a few spare tiles from the same batch means a cracked tile can be replaced later without hunting for a colour and size that may have been discontinued.

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