Never Over-Order Again: Master Your Renovation with the Tile Calculator
Renovating a kitchen backsplash or retiling a bathroom floor? Buying too much tile is a waste of money, but buying too little can halt your project and lead to mismatched dye lots. Get your materials list perfectly right with our Tile Calculator.
What is the Tile Calculator?
The Tile Calculator is a construction and DIY estimation tool. It calculates exactly how many individual tiles and total boxes you need to cover a specific surface area, taking into account the dimensions of your room, the size of your chosen tiles, and the necessary overage for cuts and breakages.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use It
- Measure Your Space: Enter the length and width of the floor or wall you intend to tile.
- Enter Tile Size: Input the dimensions of a single tile (e.g., 12x12 inches or 30x60 cm).
- Include Grout Size (Optional): Enter the width of your planned grout lines for hyper-accurate estimation.
- Set Overage: Add a 10% to 15% waste factor for edge cuts and accidental breakages.
- Calculate: View the exact number of tiles required and the total square footage needed.
Practical Use Cases
- Bathroom Remodels: Calculate the exact floor coverage needed for a small half-bath versus a large master suite.
- Kitchen Backsplashes: Figure out how many sheets of small mosaic tiles are required to cover the area between your counters and cabinets.
- Budgeting: Multiply the total tiles required by the price per tile to get a precise materials budget before heading to the hardware store.
FAQ
How much overage should I add? The industry standard is 10% for standard straight-laid rooms. If you are laying tile diagonally (herringbone) or have a room with many corners/obstructions, increase this to 15% or 20%.
Does the calculator account for the gap between tiles? Yes, if you enter a grout joint width, the calculator will deduct that small amount of space from the total tile requirement.