Tile Calculator

How many wall or floor tiles you need for an area, including cutting waste.

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About this calculator

Tile quantities depend on both the area and the individual tile size — and cutting around edges, sockets and corners wastes more than beginners expect. Enter your area and tile dimensions and this calculator returns the number of tiles including a cutting allowance.

The formula

Tiles = Area ÷ (Tile length × Tile width) × (1 + Waste% ÷ 100) — round up

Worked example

A splashback 2.4m × 1.8m with 30×60cm tiles and 10% waste:

  • Area = 4.32 m²; tile = 0.18 m²
  • Tiles = 4.32 ÷ 0.18 × 1.1 = 27 tiles

Common mistakes

  • Ordering by area alone when tiles are sold in fixed-size boxes — round up to whole boxes.
  • Using 10% waste on large-format or diagonal layouts, which need 15%.
  • Mixing batch numbers — shade varies between production runs.

Frequently asked questions

A handful from the same batch — cracked-tile repairs years later almost never match a new batch.

Grout joints slightly reduce tile count, which safely offsets against breakages — the waste allowance covers both.

Roughly 2–4 kg/m² of adhesive (more for larger notched trowels) and 0.5–1 kg/m² of grout depending on joint width.

Assumptions & limitations

Flat rectangular area; walls with windows should have the opening subtracted before entering.

Sources & verification

  • BS 5385 Wall and floor tiling (BSI) — British Standard for tiling practice; per-box coverage comes from the tile manufacturer

All sources last accessed 24 July 2026.

Formula last verified: 24 July 2026
Maintained by: Steve Davis, Founder & Editor — see our editorial standards

Spotted an error or an out-of-date figure? Report it — corrections are prioritised over all other work (see our corrections policy).

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