🟦 Tile Calculator
Tile projects are vulnerable to breakage, cut loss and misplacement mistakes. This calculator not only computes how many tiles you need, but adds a waste margin automatically so you have enough if mistakes happen.
Base tiles needed
100 tegels
Tiles with waste margin
111 tegels
Calculate total room area: 10 ft × 10 ft = 100 ft²
Calculate area per tile: 12" × 12" ÷ 144 = 1 ft²/tegel
Calculate base number of tiles: 100 ft² ÷ 1 ft²/tegel = 100 tegels
Add waste margin: 100 tegels × (1 + 10%) = 111 tegels
Formula
Tiles = Room area (ft²) ÷ Tile area (ft²) × (1 + Waste margin). Waste margin protects against breakage and cut loss.
First divide the total room area by the area of one tile to know how many tiles are needed. Then multiply this by 1 + the waste margin (e.g. 10% = 1.10) to add extra tiles for errors and breakage.
Steps
- 1Measure the length and width of your room in feet.
- 2Check your tile dimensions (typically 12"x12", 6"x6" or 18"x18").
- 3Set the waste margin (10% is standard, higher for complex patterns).
- 4The calculator computes the total number of tiles you should order.
Tile sizes and coverage
| Tile size | Area per tile | Tiles per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 6" × 6" | 0.25 sq ft | 4 |
| 12" × 12" | 1 sq ft | 1 |
| 18" × 18" | 2.25 sq ft | 0.44 |
| 24" × 24" | 4 sq ft | 0.25 |
Larger tiles = fewer tiles needed, but more cut loss at corners.
commonMistakes
- Confusing tile dimensions — many tiles are rectangular (e.g. 6"×12") not square.
- Not using enough waste percentage — complex patterns and diagonal layouts require 15-20%, not 10%.
- Only measuring floor area, not accounting for walls (for bathroom/kitchen tilework).
useCases
- Planning tiles for bathroom renovation — critical for budgeting and delivery coordination.
- Budgeting tile costs and labor — accurate counts prevent over- and under-ordering.
- Pre-calculating delivery dates — ordering the correct number of tiles in time.