How much tile do I need? Layout, cuts and boxes
Measure each surface, add about 10% for cuts and breakage (15% for diagonal or herringbone) and round up to whole boxes. The tile calculator lays out every tile, so you see which ones are cut before you buy.
A 12 × 10 ft floor in 24 × 12 inch tile takes 60 tile positions, 15 of them cut. With 10% extra that is 66 tiles: 7 boxes of 10.
Worked example
Example: one 12 × 10 ft floor, 24 × 12 inch tile, a 1/8-inch joint, 10 tiles to a box and 10% extra.
This example gives 7 boxes of tile.
| Pieces | Along the length × along the width | Cut |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 23.38 in × 12 in | straight |
| 5 | 24 in × 10.88 in | straight |
| 1 | 23.38 in × 10.88 in | straight |
- Surface 1: 45 full + 15 cut = 60 tile positions
- 60 × (1 + 10/100), rounded up = 66 tiles
- ceil(66 / 10) = 7 boxes
Other calculators for this job
Every step of a flooring project: measure, the list, what it costs and the quotes.
What changes the order?
The same floor and tile laid in a different pattern has different border cuts, so the box count changes. Each cut position takes a new tile here.
| Calculator input | Result from those inputs |
|---|---|
| Calculated layout pattern: straight | 7 boxes of tile |
| Calculated layout pattern: offset | 8 boxes of tile |
| Calculated layout pattern: diagonal | 9 boxes of tile |
| Calculated layout pattern: herringbone | 10 boxes of tile |
Try your own measurements in the tile calculator.
Measure each surface on its own
Floors, walls and backsplashes are separate rectangles; an L-shaped room is one rectangle with a corner taken out. In a shower, measure each wall, the floor, the curb and the niche separately, because they often use different tile.
Try a starting point
Where the first full tile sits decides how big the border cuts are. Try a few starting points (the calculator can try them for you) and keep the one that leaves no thin slivers at the doorway or along the wall you see most.
Extra, then whole boxes
Add about 10% for a straight or offset layout and about 15% for diagonal or herringbone, then round up to whole boxes. Buy every box from one lot so the color matches, and keep a few spare tiles for repairs.
Grout, mortar and the rest
Grout and thinset coverage depend on the tile size and joint, so read the bag. Waterproofing, backer board, trim pieces and movement joints are separate lines; ask the installer which ones the quote includes.