Tile Calculator

Waste {{ resultsReady ? `${formatNumber(computation.values.waste_percent, 1)}%` : '—' }} Carton {{ resultsReady ? `${computation.values.tiles_per_box} tiles` : '—' }} Layout {{ resultsReady ? computation.values.layout_label : '—' }}

Area to cover:

Measured surface before cuts and waste.

Area unit

Tile face size:

Length × width in one shared unit.

Second dimensionDimension unit

Grout joint:

Use 0 for a tile-face-only estimate.

Joint unit

Waste allowance:

The entered allowance controls the order; the layout guide is advisory.

Tiles per box:

Whole tiles in one unopened carton.

tiles / box

Layout profile:

Use the closest pattern to review whether the entered waste looks tight.

Price per box:

Set to 0 when you only need quantities.

Opening deductions:

The neutral default is 0.

Deduction unit

Spare boxes:

The neutral default is 0 boxes.

box(es)

Tax rate:

The neutral default is 0%.

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Calculation method

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The chart renderer is unavailable. The same ladder remains available in the buying plan.

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Buying plan

A tile takeoff converts a measured surface into a whole-box purchase. The surface area is only the starting point. Tile dimensions determine how much area one repeating tile module covers, waste allows for cuts and unusable pieces, and carton size forces the final order upward to an available number of full boxes.

Measure each floor or wall surface in one area unit and subtract only openings that will genuinely remain untiled. Small obstacles often create extra cuts without saving a reusable full tile, so an aggressive deduction can understate the order. Separate walls, niches, returns, and differently tiled sections are usually clearer as separate takeoffs before their box totals are combined.

Parts of a tile quantity estimate
Planning quantity	What it covers	What it does not prove
Net area	Measured area minus valid opening deductions	That every cut piece can be reused
Tile module	Tile face plus one grout joint in each direction	Exact edge-cut placement in a real room
Waste allowance	Extra target area for cuts and losses	That a suggested percentage fits every pattern or room
Carton cushion	Coverage left after rounding up to full boxes	That leftovers are suitable replacement pieces
Spare boxes	Deliberate unopened stock added after the takeoff	That storage conditions or future matching are guaranteed

Layout complexity changes the likelihood of offcuts. A straight grid in a simple rectangle usually needs less allowance than diagonal, herringbone, or cut-heavy work, but no generic percentage can account for every room shape, tile direction, pattern repeat, breakage rate, or installer method. The entered waste allowance controls the order; a layout profile is only a comparison guide.

Carton rounding creates step changes. One extra required tile can push the purchase into another full box, so a small change in waste or opening deductions may change cost by an entire carton. Price and tax estimates are useful for budgeting, but the product listing's actual pieces per box, coverage, dimensions, and price remain the buying authority.

The calculation assumes a repeating rectangular module and does not lay out cuts against the room perimeter. Measure carefully, confirm nominal versus actual tile size, and check the planned joint width before ordering.

How to Use This Tool:

Build the quantity from measured coverage, the actual tile module, and the carton label.

Enter the total area to cover in square metres or square feet. Add only surfaces that will use the same tile and layout assumptions.
Enter tile length, width, and grout-joint width in millimetres or inches. Use zero joint width only for a tile-face-only estimate.
Set the waste allowance and choose the closest layout profile. The profile compares the entered allowance with a guide; it does not replace the entered percentage.
Enter tiles per box from the carton or product listing. Add price per box if a cost estimate is needed.
Add valid opening deductions, deliberate spare boxes, and tax in Advanced, then review purchase boxes, carton cushion, and the waste scenarios before ordering.

Interpreting Results:

Purchase boxes is the calculated whole-box requirement plus any spare boxes. Purchase tiles is that box count multiplied by tiles per box. The result intentionally rounds upward twice: first to a whole field tile and then to a whole carton.

Target area is net measured area plus the entered waste allowance.
Carton cushion is modeled module coverage left after the purchase covers target area. It is not the same as the waste allowance and should not automatically be subtracted from planned spares.
Waste box ladder shows how other waste percentages cross carton boundaries. A higher allowance can leave less displayed cushion when it triggers a new target but not yet another box.
Layout guide reports the difference between entered and suggested waste. The suggestion is advisory; pattern design and site conditions decide whether it is adequate.

Technical Details:

The takeoff normalizes area to square feet and lengths to inches, subtracts opening deductions, and treats one tile plus one grout joint in each direction as the repeating module. Waste is applied to net area before tile and box rounding.

Transformation Core:

Metric and imperial inputs represent the same physical quantities. The conversion happens before geometry, so changing units without changing the measured size does not change the modeled purchase.

Tile calculation unit conversions
Input	Canonical conversion
Length	1 inch = exactly 25.4 millimetres
Area	1 square metre = 10.7639104167 square feet
Square inches	144 square inches = 1 square foot

Formula Core:

Let A be measured area, D opening deductions, L and W tile dimensions in inches, J grout-joint width in inches, and w waste percentage.

\begin{array}{lcl} A_{net} & = & A - D \\ M & = & \frac{(L + J) (W + J)}{144} \\ A_{target} & = & A_{net} (1 + \frac{w}{100}) \\ N_{field} & = & ⌈ \frac{A_{target}}{M} ⌉ \end{array}

M is module area in square feet. For q tiles per box and s spare boxes, carton and purchase counts round as follows.

\begin{array}{lcl} B_{calculated} & = & ⌈ \frac{N_{field}}{q} ⌉ \\ B_{purchase} & = & B_{calculated} + s \\ C_{total} & = & B_{purchase} p (1 + \frac{r}{100}) \end{array}

Here p is price per box and r is the tax rate. Cost keeps full precision and is formatted as currency for display. Opening deductions cannot exceed total area; waste is limited to 0% through 60%, tax to 0% through 25%, and spare boxes to a whole count from 0 through 100.

Lookup Core:

The layout profile supplies a suggested waste percentage for comparison only. It never overwrites the entered allowance.

Advisory tile layout waste profiles
Layout profile	Suggested waste
Straight grid	8%
Offset or running bond	12%
Large-format panels	12%
Diagonal layout	15%
Herringbone or chevron	18%
Small cuts or complex room	22%

Accuracy Notes:

The rectangular module does not know the room perimeter, bond offset, pattern repeat, tile orientation, trim pieces, mixed sizes, breakage, unusable shade variation, or which offcuts can be reused. Confirm the manufacturer's actual tile dimensions and carton quantity, check the layout with the installer, and treat the waste-profile percentages as planning prompts rather than installation standards.

Worked Examples:

Offset floor bought by the carton

A 180 ft² floor with 24 × 12 inch tile, a ⅛-inch joint, and 12% waste has a 2.03136 ft² module and a 201.6 ft² target. The exact requirement is about 99.24 tiles, which rounds to 100 field tiles. At 8 tiles per box, the order rounds again to 13 boxes or 104 tiles. At $54 per box and 10% tax, the estimated total is $772.20, with about 9.66 ft² of modeled carton cushion.

References:

SI Units – Length, National Institute of Standards and Technology.