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Tile Calculator

Estimate individual tiles and complete boxes from the surface, tile dimensions, grout spacing, and the cutting allowance you choose.

  • Metric & imperial
  • Full-box rounding
  • Layout orientation check

Surface & product

Define the tile project

Measurement system

This device

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Transparent by design

Tile order formula

The procurement result is based on measured surface area and the actual tile face dimensions. Waste is explicit, and boxes are always rounded upward because partial cartons cannot be ordered as full cartons.

Surface areaAsurface = length × widthTiles to orderN = ceil((Asurface ÷ Atile) × (1 + waste ÷ 100))Complete boxesBoxes = ceil(N ÷ tiles per box)Layout cells along one spanCells = ceil((surface span + joint) ÷ (tile span + joint))

The layout grid is deliberately separate from the purchase result. Cut pieces may be reused, so counting every grid position as a new tile can substantially overstate the material order.

Worked example

A 12 ft × 10 ft tile order

Use 12 in × 12 in tiles, 10% waste, and 10 tiles per box. The procurement quantity is area-based; grout-joint width is shown separately for the layout grid.

  1. 01
    Find surface area12 × 10 = 120 ft²
  2. 02
    Find base tiles120 ft² ÷ 1 ft² = 120 tiles
  3. 03
    Add 10% wasteceil(120 × 1.10) = 132 tiles
  4. 04
    Round to full boxesceil(132 ÷ 10) = 14 boxes
Verified result132 required; buy 14 boxes / 140 tiles

The eight-tile difference is box-rounding overage. It is reported separately so waste and packaging are not confused.

Common questions

Tile calculator FAQ

Area ordering and layout planning, kept visibly separate.

How does the tile calculator find the order quantity?

It divides rectangular surface area by one tile's face area, applies the waste percentage you selected, rounds the tile quantity upward, then rounds again to complete boxes using the carton quantity.

How much extra tile should I order?

There is no single allowance for every project. Ten percent is a common planning starting point, while complex patterns, many cuts, fragile material, or matching future repairs may require more. Confirm the allowance with the supplier or installer.

Does grout-joint width reduce the number of tiles to buy?

BuildMeasure does not subtract grout area from the purchase quantity. Tile is sold by its face coverage, and a transparent waste allowance handles cuts and loss. Joint width is used only for the row-and-column layout check.

What does automatic orientation do?

For rectangular tiles, the calculator compares a length-aligned grid with a 90-degree rotated grid and shows the option with fewer grid cells. It does not claim to optimize every cut or visual pattern.

Can this calculator be used for a tiled wall?

Yes, if the wall is rectangular. Enter wall width and height as the two surface dimensions. For multiple rectangles or openings, calculate their net areas separately until multi-surface projects are added.

Continue planning

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