Calculate how many tiles you need to cover a room, including waste percentage and box count. Supports metric and imperial units. Free, real-time, no registration.
A tile calculator determines how many tiles are needed to cover a floor or wall based on the room's dimensions and the size of each tile. It adds a waste percentage to account for cuts and breakage, and converts the total into the number of boxes to purchase.
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Tiles Needed
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Tiles
Calculating the right number of tiles saves money and extra trips to the store. The basic rule: calculate the room area (length × width), divide by the area of one tile, and add a waste percentage. Our calculator does everything automatically — it even computes how many boxes you need if you know the tiles per box.
Waste is unavoidable: cutting around corners and thresholds, tile breakage, and mistakes. A standard waste percentage is 10% for simple rectangular rooms, and 15–20% for complex shapes or diagonal installation.
Waste Factor
The waste factor compensates for several types of loss. Cutting — pieces along walls and doorways always require cutting whole tiles, of which only half is used. Breakage — even careful work results in broken tiles. Lot mismatch — if you buy more tiles later, they may have a slightly different shade.
Add 10% for rectangular rooms with straight installation, 15% for L-shaped rooms, and 20%+ for diagonal or complex patterns.
Tile Sizes
60×60 cm is the standard format for residential spaces — a balanced size for appearance and ease of work. Smaller tiles at 30×30 cm are easier to cut and transport, making them suitable for bathrooms. Large-format tiles at 120×60 or 120×120 cm give a modern look with few grout lines, but require a perfectly level floor and more expensive adhesive.
When choosing a format, consider the room size: very small tiles in a large room look fragmented, while very large tiles in a small room can feel overwhelming.
Tips
Buy one extra box
Keep at least 5–10 extra tiles from the same lot for future repairs.
Plan the layout
Center the pattern from the middle of the room — this keeps the cut pieces along the walls more even.
Check the level
An uneven subfloor is the #1 cause of cracked tiles after installation. Level the floor first.
Choose the right grout
For joints under 3 mm, use fine-grain grout; above 3 mm, use standard. For wet areas, use waterproof grout.
Use tile spacers
Spacers ensure uniform grout lines. Remove them before grouting for a professional finish.
Seal porous tiles
Natural stone and unglazed porcelain need sealing before grouting to prevent staining.
Divide the room area by the tile area, then add a waste percentage. For example: a 20 m² room with 60×60 cm tiles (0.36 m² each) needs 20 ÷ 0.36 = 56 tiles. Add 10% waste = 62 tiles. Our calculator does this automatically in real time.
Use 10% for rectangular rooms with standard straight installation. Use 15% for rooms with angles or irregular shapes. Use 20% or more for diagonal patterns or large-format tiles, which require more cuts.
Enter the number of tiles per box in the 'Tiles Per Box' field. The calculator will divide the total tiles needed by this number and round up. Always round up — never buy fewer boxes than needed.
Yes — keep at least 5–10 tiles from the same production lot after the job. Tiles from different lots may have slight color variations, making future repairs noticeable. Store them in a dry place for potential repairs.
Yes — larger tiles generally require more waste because each cut piece wastes a bigger portion of the tile. Diagonal patterns also increase waste significantly. Smaller tiles (e.g., 30×30 cm) are easier to cut and produce less waste.