Tile Calculator
Estimate the total number of tiles required for your project, including grout gaps, sub-base requirements, and layout waste factors. Professional estimation for floors and walls.
Total Tiles Required
Includes 10% waste allowance
Repair Reserve
Professional standard: Always save one full box of tiles from the same dye lot for future repairs or seismic shifting.
Subfloor Rigidity
The most common cause of cracked tiles is a flexing subfloor. Ensure your substrate is either a rigid concrete slab or an appropriate cement backer board. Standard plywood requires an uncoupling membrane (like Ditra) to prevent stress fracture transfer to the tile layer.
Center-Out Strategy
Never start tiling against a wall. Always snap a chalk line through the center of the room. Start tiling from the intersection of your center lines and move outward. This ensures that any "sliver" cuts end up hidden at the edges of the room under baseboards.
Material Calculation Logic
Unit Estimation
Tile Area = [ (W+Gap) × (L+Gap) ] ÷ 144
Units = ⌈ (Total Area ÷ Tile Area) × (1 + Waste%) ⌉This logic accounts for the grout gap as part of the total coverage of each unit.
Waste Factors
- Straight Pattern: 10% Waste
- Diagonal Pattern: 15-20% Waste
- Herringbone/Special: 20%+ Waste
- Large Format (>12x24): Add 5%
Cutting Logic
The waste factor isn't just for breakage. It covers the material lost at every wall intersection where a tile is sliced. Diagonal layouts require a much higher waste percentage because nearly every perimeter tile must be cut into a triangular shape.
Estimate Reference (10% Waste)
Room Area 12" x 12" 6" x 24" 24" x 24" 50 ft² 55 55 14 100 ft² 110 110 28 250 ft² 275 275 70 500 ft² 550 550 138 Tiling FAQ