How many tiles do I need?

Divide the net area by the face area of one tile, multiply by (1 + waste %), and round up. This calculator does that and defaults waste to 10%, 15%, or 20% from the lay pattern.

What waste percentage should I use for tile?

Straight lays usually need about 10%, diagonal about 15%, and herringbone or heavily cut layouts about 20%. Add more for small rooms with many openings.

How much thinset do I need?

A common planning figure is one 50 lb bag per 40–60 square feet. This tool uses ~50 sq ft per bag; check your mortar bag for the trowel size you will use.

Does this include labor or underlayment?

No. The dollar band is tile material only. Labor, backer board, membrane, and tear-out live on the tile installation cost calculator.

Can I use this for a shower?

For a rough flat-wall estimate yes, but niches, benches, and curbs need the shower tile calculator — it adds those surfaces and uses shower waste defaults.

Should I buy extra boxes?

Yes — keep at least one unopened box for future repairs. Dye lots change; matching later is often impossible.

Where is the tile installation cost calculator?

Use the tile installation cost calculator for low / typical / high material + labor with surface and pattern labor factors.

Quantity · Tile

Tile Calculator

Size a rectangular floor or wall in tiles from length, width, tile face, and lay pattern. Waste defaults follow straight (10%), diagonal (15%), and herringbone (20%). Thinset and grout bag estimates are shopping lines — not a contractor bid. For material + labor dollars, use the tile installation cost calculator.

Floor or wall area

LengthftWidthft

Openings to subtractsq ftCabinets, tubs, door swings you will not tile.

Tile size

Most common residential floor tile.

Lay pattern

Grid parallel to walls — least cutting waste.

Grout jointWaste%10% straight, 15% diagonal, 20% herringbone.

Tiles to buy

132tiles

120 sq ft · 12" × 12" · Straight / stacked

Raw count: 120
With waste: 132
Thinset (50 lb): ~3 bags
Grout (25 lb): ~2 bags
Rough boxes: ~17
Tile material: $240–$3,600

Face 12" × 12" (1 sq ft). Thinset assumes ~50 sq ft per 50 lb bag; grout from joint + size chart. Labor and underlayment are separate.

Net area = length × width − openings
Raw tiles = area ÷ tile face area (1 sq ft)
Buy = ceil(raw × (1 + 10%)); round up whole tiles

Price data updated 2026-07-27. National US ranges from published supplier and contractor averages. Not a bid. Local quotes vary.

How tile quantity is calculated

Net area is length × width minus openings. Each tile covers width×height/144 square feet. Multiply by (1 + waste) and round up. Pattern waste is the main reason box counts differ from a naive area ÷ face math.

area_net     = length_ft × width_ft − openings
tile_area    = (tile_w_in × tile_h_in) / 144
tiles_raw    = area_net / tile_area
tiles_buy    = ceil(tiles_raw × (1 + waste %))
thinset_bags ≈ ceil(area_net / 50)   // 50 lb bag
grout_bags   ≈ ceil(area_net / cov)  // cov from size + joint

Worked example. A 12 × 10 ft room (120 sq ft) with 12×12 tiles is 1.0 sq ft each → 120 raw tiles. Straight lay at 10% waste → buy 132 tiles. At ~50 sq ft per 50 lb thinset bag → 3 bags. With a 1/8" joint on 12" tile, grout coverage is often ~90 sq ft per 25 lb → 2 bags. Material-only ceramic often lands near a few hundred dollars; stone and large-format go higher.

Waste allowance by lay pattern

Use these defaults unless the room has many niches, curves, or mismatched cuts — then bump waste another 5%. Buying a full extra box is cheaper than a second trip for a partial matching dye lot.

Pattern	Waste	When to use
Straight / stacked	10%	Grid parallel to walls; few cuts
Diagonal (45°)	15%	Diamond layout; more edge cuts
Herringbone / complex	20%	Angled modules, borders, many cuts
Small room + many openings	+5%	Add on top of pattern default

Waste covers breakage, bad pieces, and cuts — not thinset or grout.
Match dye lots: order all boxes from one production run when possible.

Tiles per 100 sq ft (before waste)

Face coverage only — multiply by 1.10 / 1.15 / 1.20 for pattern waste, then round up.

Tile face	Sq ft each	Tiles / 100 sq ft
3" × 6"	0.125	800
4" × 4"	0.111	900
6" × 6"	0.250	400
12" × 12"	1.000	100
12" × 24"	2.000	50
18" × 18"	2.250	45
24" × 24"	4.000	25

Thinset: plan ~40–60 sq ft per 50 lb bag depending on trowel notch.
Grout coverage shrinks with smaller tiles and wider joints — use the calculator joint control.

Tile calculator FAQ

How many tiles do I need?: Divide the net area by the face area of one tile, multiply by (1 + waste %), and round up. This calculator does that and defaults waste to 10%, 15%, or 20% from the lay pattern.
What waste percentage should I use for tile?: Straight lays usually need about 10%, diagonal about 15%, and herringbone or heavily cut layouts about 20%. Add more for small rooms with many openings.
How much thinset do I need?: A common planning figure is one 50 lb bag per 40–60 square feet. This tool uses ~50 sq ft per bag; check your mortar bag for the trowel size you will use.
Does this include labor or underlayment?: No. The dollar band is tile material only. Labor, backer board, membrane, and tear-out live on the tile installation cost calculator.
Can I use this for a shower?: For a rough flat-wall estimate yes, but niches, benches, and curbs need the shower tile calculator — it adds those surfaces and uses shower waste defaults.
Should I buy extra boxes?: Yes — keep at least one unopened box for future repairs. Dye lots change; matching later is often impossible.
Where is the tile installation cost calculator?: Use the tile installation cost calculator for low / typical / high material + labor with surface and pattern labor factors.