Work out how many tiles — and boxes — you need for any room, with a built-in waste allowance for cuts and breakage.
Enter your room and tile dimensions and click Calculate to see tiles needed
This free tile and flooring calculator works out how many tiles — and how many boxes — you need to cover a room, based on your room dimensions, individual tile size, and a waste allowance for cuts, breakage, and pattern matching. It's designed for homeowners, DIY installers, and contractors planning a flooring or wall tile project who want an accurate material estimate before ordering.
The calculator multiplies room length by room width to get the total floor (or wall) area, then divides that by the area of a single tile to find the base number of tiles required. It adds your chosen waste percentage — typically 10% for straightforward layouts — to account for tiles that get cut at edges or broken during installation, then rounds up to a whole tile. If you enter how many tiles come in a box, it also divides the total tile count by that number and rounds up to the number of boxes to buy.
This flooring calculator suits anyone estimating tile quantities before a purchase — homeowners renovating a bathroom or kitchen, DIY installers tackling a first tiling project, contractors putting together a materials quote, and real estate flippers budgeting a renovation. It supports both Feet/Inches and Meters/CM units, so it works whether you measured your room in a US customary system or metric.
Ordering too few tiles risks a project delay if the exact batch or dye lot isn't available when you go back for more — tile colors can vary slightly between production runs. Ordering too many wastes money and creates leftover material to store or return. A clear tile and box count, with a sensible waste buffer built in, helps you order the right amount the first time.
The exact formula this calculator uses to turn room and tile dimensions into a tile and box count
This calculator applies the same formula regardless of which unit system you choose — Feet/Inches or Meters/CM. It converts your tile dimensions into the same unit as the room area (square feet or square meters) before dividing, so the tile and box counts stay accurate either way.
Room length multiplied by room width, shown in square feet (Feet/Inches mode) or square meters (Meters/CM mode).
Each tile's length multiplied by its width, converted from inches or centimeters into the same unit as the room area.
A percentage added on top of the base tile count — 10% is pre-filled as the default for straightforward, straight-lay installations.
From entering your room details to reading your tile and box count
Select "Feet / Inches" or "Meters / CM" depending on how you measured your room and tiles.
Type your room's length and width into the Room Length and Room Width fields.
Type a single tile's length and width into the Tile Length and Tile Width fields — inches in Feet/Inches mode, centimeters in Meters/CM mode.
Adjust the waste allowance (10% is pre-filled as a standard default) and, if you know it, enter how many tiles come in one box to see a box count.
Review the room area, the total tiles needed (including waste, rounded up to a whole tile), and the boxes needed if you entered a tiles-per-box value.
Two scenarios — the calculator's own default room, and a metric bathroom with a box count
Suppose you're tiling a 15 ft by 12 ft room using standard 12-inch by 12-inch floor tiles with the default 10% waste allowance.
Now suppose you're tiling a 4 m by 3 m bathroom floor with 30 cm by 30 cm tiles, using the Meters/CM unit setting, an 8-tile box, and the same 10% waste allowance.
| Scenario | Room Area | Tile Area | Base Tiles | Tiles Needed (+Waste) | Boxes Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — 15×12 ft room, 12×12 in tile | 180.00 sq ft | 1.00 sq ft | 180 | 198 | — |
| 2 — 4×3 m room, 30×30 cm tile, 8/box | 12.00 m² | 0.09 m² | ≈133.33 | 147 | 19 |
Explanation: In both scenarios, the calculator first finds a base tile count from area alone, then rounds the waste-adjusted figure up to the next whole tile — you can never order a fraction of a tile. When a tiles-per-box value is entered, the same round-up logic applies to the box count, which is why Scenario 2 needs 19 boxes rather than exactly 18.375.
What each figure in your results panel means, and why the overage matters
| Result | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Room Area | Your room's total floor (or wall) area — room length multiplied by room width, shown in square feet or square meters. |
| Tiles Needed | The number of tiles to buy, including your chosen waste allowance, rounded up to the nearest whole tile. |
| Boxes Needed | Only shown when you enter a tiles-per-box value — the number of full boxes to buy, rounded up so you never come up short. |
Why the waste allowance matters: Every tile job involves cutting tiles to fit around doorways, corners, cabinets, and fixtures — those cut-offs are usually unusable. Some tiles also crack or chip during shipping, cutting, or installation. The waste allowance builds this loss into your order up front, instead of leaving you to make an emergency trip back to the store partway through a job, where the exact same tile batch or dye lot may no longer be in stock.
Why rounding up matters: Tiles and boxes can only be purchased as whole units, so the calculator always rounds the final tile and box counts up rather than to the nearest whole number. This is intentional — rounding down could leave you a tile or a box short of finishing the room.
This calculator provides a material-quantity estimate only. Always double-check your measurements on site and consider buying a few extra tiles beyond the calculated total for future repairs, since tile lines are frequently discontinued.
Where an accurate tile and box estimate is genuinely useful
Estimate floor and wall tile for a bathroom remodel before ordering materials.
Work out tile needed for a kitchen floor or a backsplash behind counters and stove.
First-time DIYers can plan exactly how much tile to buy before a weekend project.
Put together fast, defensible material quantities when quoting a flooring job for a client.
Budget flooring costs quickly across multiple rooms when estimating a renovation for resale.
Plan flooring material orders for new-build homes room by room.
Estimate tile for office lobbies, retail floors, and other commercial installations.
Calculate tile needed for a patio, porch, or outdoor walkway project.
Work out tile needed to cover shower walls and surrounds.
Enter plank dimensions instead of tile dimensions to estimate flooring plank and box counts.
Get a materials number before requesting quotes or comparing tile prices per box.
Estimate how many replacement tiles to buy when patching or replacing damaged flooring.
What this tile and flooring calculator does well, and where a physical site check still matters
A general starting point — adjust based on your room's shape and how experienced the installer is
| Layout Pattern | Typical Waste Allowance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Straight / grid layout | 10% | Simplest cutting, tiles run parallel to walls with minimal angled cuts |
| Diagonal (45°) layout | 15% | Every edge tile is cut at an angle instead of running square to the wall |
| Herringbone / chevron pattern | 15-20% | Complex angled cuts and an interlocking pattern generate more offcuts |
| Large-format tile in a cut-up room | 15% | More waste from cutting large tiles around fixtures, doorways, and cabinets |
| Mosaic / small-format tile on sheets | 5-10% | Small tiles on flexible mesh sheets adapt more easily around curves and edges |
| Patterned tile requiring motif matching | 15-20% | Extra tiles are needed so the printed or veined pattern lines up across the floor |
Summary: This tile and flooring calculator gives you an instant, free estimate of the tiles and boxes needed for any room, using room area, tile area, and an adjustable waste allowance. It's a planning starting point — always confirm measurements on site and check your supplier's exact tiles-per-box count before finalizing an order. Pair it with the Paint Calculator and Wallpaper Calculator for a fuller renovation budget.
Common questions about estimating tile and flooring quantities
Industry references to complement this calculator — not a substitute for a licensed contractor's on-site assessment
Other home & project tools