Step 1
Measure tile area
Enter surface dimensions, identical-surface quantity, additional area, deductions, or a known tile area.
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Tile quantity and material planning
Tile Calculator
Estimate floor, wall, backsplash, shower, and countertop tile. Calculate pieces, boxes, waste, thinset, grout, backer board, edge trim, purchased coverage, overage, and material cost.
Tile surfaces
Floor + wall
Purchase order
Tiles + boxes
Installation
Mortar + grout
What this calculator includes
Tile quantityarea + waste
Tile orderpieces + boxes
Setting materialsmortar + grout
Substrate and trimboard + edges
Cost estimatematerials + fees
Inputs
Tile project details
Enter the tile surface, product dimensions, box coverage, waste, setting materials, trim, and pricing.
Surface dimensions
Tile product and waste
Setting and grout materials
Backer board and edge trim
Supplier pricing
Coverage must match the product
Use coverage from the exact tile box, mortar, adhesive, grout, and backer-board products. Grout coverage depends heavily on tile size, thickness, and joint width.
Results
Tile material estimate
Review whole-box tile quantities, coverage, setting materials, backer board, trim, overage, and cost.
Tile boxes
9 boxes
Net tile area
120 sq ft
Purchased coverage
139.5 sq ft
Estimated material total
$705.00
Thinset or adhesive
3 bags
Grout
2 bags
Tile area
Calculation modeSurface dimensions
Surface typeFloor
Gross tile area120 sq ft
Area deduction0 sq ft
Net tile area120 sq ft
Waste allowance10%
Waste area12 sq ft
Purchase tile area132 sq ft
Tile order
Tile face area2 sq ft
Tile module area with joint2.03 sq ft
Grout-joint width0.125 in
Estimated tiles needed66 tiles
Coverage per box15.5 sq ft
Boxes to purchase9 boxes
Purchased tile coverage139.5 sq ft
Whole-box overage7.5 sq ft
Estimated tiles purchased70 tiles
Installation materials
Thinset or adhesive bags3 bags
Grout bags2 bags
Backer-board sheets8 sheets
Purchased backer-board coverage120 sq ft
Edge-trim length20 lin ft
Edge-trim pieces3 pieces
Purchased edge-trim length24 lin ft
Cost breakdown
Tile cost$405.00
Thinset or adhesive cost$75.00
Grout cost$44.00
Backer-board cost$120.00
Edge-trim cost$36.00
Spacers and accessories$25.00
Material subtotal$705.00
Estimated tax (0%)$0.00
Delivery fee$0.00
Additional fees$0.00
Estimated material total$705.00
Cost per net square foot$5.88
Tile cost per purchased square foot$2.90
Planning notes
- • Verify tile box coverage, lot or shade information, waste, substrate preparation, mortar, grout, waterproofing, and manufacturer requirements before ordering.
How to calculate tile for a project
Measure the surfaces that will receive tile, subtract openings, add waste, and divide the purchase area by the exact coverage printed on one box. Calculate mortar, grout, backer board, and trim using the coverage or package information for each product.
Step 2
Add tile and waste
Enter tile dimensions, grout-joint width, waste, and exact square-foot coverage per box.
Step 3
Add installation materials
Enter mortar, grout, backer-board, trim, accessory, pricing, tax, delivery, and fee information.
Tile calculation formulas
Tile surface area
surface length × surface width × number of surfaces
Additional tile areas can be added and openings or permanent areas deducted.
Purchase tile area
net tile area × (1 + waste percentage ÷ 100)
Waste helps cover cuts, breakage, layout, variation, and future repairs.
Tile boxes
purchase tile area ÷ box coverage, rounded up
Use the exact square-foot coverage shown on the selected product.
Estimated individual tiles
purchase tile area ÷ tile face area, rounded up
Box coverage controls purchasing even when an individual piece estimate is displayed.
Mortar and grout packages
purchase tile area ÷ applicable product coverage, rounded up
Coverage must correspond to the tile size, joint, trowel, substrate, and installation.
Edge-trim pieces
required trim length ÷ piece length, rounded up
Measure exposed tile edges and use the purchasable length of the selected trim.
Use product-specific coverage
Tile box coverage and piece counts differ by manufacturer and product. Mortar and grout coverage also changes with tile size, thickness, trowel notch, joint width, and substrate condition.
Use packaging, technical data sheets, and manufacturer coverage tools for the products being installed.
Plan pattern and color variation
Diagonal layouts, borders, mosaics, offsets, niches, corners, vein matching, and patterned tile can substantially increase cuts and waste.
Confirm caliber, shade, dye lot, production run, and acceptable variation before installation begins.
Substrate and waterproofing notice
This calculator provides a material-planning estimate. Confirm structural support, substrate preparation, deflection, movement joints, waterproofing, drainage, mortar compatibility, grout, sealant, cure times, and installation requirements with product manufacturers, local code, and qualified tile professionals.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much tile I need?
Calculate the net tile area, add a suitable waste allowance, divide by the coverage printed on one tile box, and round up to a whole box.
How much waste should I add for tile?
Ten percent is common for straightforward layouts. Diagonal patterns, mosaics, complex cuts, matching veins or patterns, breakage, tile variation, and future repairs may require more.
Should I buy tile by piece or by box?
Use the exact square-foot coverage per box for purchasing. Individual tile dimensions are useful for estimating pieces, but boxes may contain different quantities.
How much thinset or tile adhesive do I need?
Coverage depends on the product, trowel notch, tile size, substrate flatness, application method, and required mortar thickness. Enter the coverage specified for the exact installation.
How much grout do I need?
Grout coverage varies significantly with tile dimensions, tile thickness, grout-joint width, and product density. Use the manufacturer's coverage chart for the selected tile and joint.
Do I need backer board or waterproofing?
Requirements depend on the substrate, installation location, moisture exposure, tile assembly, manufacturer instructions, and local code. Backer board alone is not automatically a waterproofing system.
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