Tile Calculator
Free tile calculator that turns your floor or wall area into the number of boxes and total square feet of tile you need, including waste. Works as a tile square footage calculator for floors, walls, and showers.
Calculate tile and boxes
How the tile calculator works
Tiling is all about area. This tile calculator multiplies the space you are covering by a waste factor, then converts the result into whole boxes. Say you are tiling 200 sq ft with 10% waste — that is 220 sq ft of tile, and at 10 sq ft per box you would buy 22 boxes. Because every input is in square feet, it doubles as a tile square footage calculator and a tile sq ft calculator for floors and walls alike.
For wet areas, the same logic powers a shower tile calculator: add the wall areas, bump waste to 15% for all the cuts around niches and fixtures, and the tool returns the boxes and square feet you need.
Waste, layout and cost
Layout drives waste. A straight, grid lay wastes about 10%; diagonal, herringbone, or large-format tile on an irregular room pushes that to 15% or more. Always buy a little extra from the same dye lot for future repairs. To budget materials, the tile installation cost calculator view multiplies your total square feet by a price per square foot — 2026 ceramic materials commonly run $1–5/sq ft, with porcelain higher.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the area in square feet. This tile calculator starts with area: length × width in feet for a floor, or height × width for a wall. As a tile square footage calculator it accepts any area, including odd shapes broken into rectangles.
- Add waste for cuts. Add 10% waste for a straight lay and 15% for diagonal or patterned layouts, since angled cuts waste more tile. A shower tile calculator job with lots of niches and corners leans toward the higher figure.
- Convert to boxes. Enter the coverage per box from the label and the tile calculator divides total square feet by that number, rounding up to whole boxes so you never run short mid-row.
- Estimate material cost. Add a price per square foot and the tile installation cost calculator multiplies it by your tile square footage for a quick materials budget — labor is separate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use this as a tile square footage calculator?
Yes. Every input is in square feet, so the tool reports both the total tile square footage you need (including waste) and the number of boxes that covers.
How much waste should a tile sq ft calculator add?
Add about 10% for a straight grid layout and 15% for diagonal, herringbone, or patterned layouts where angled cuts waste more material.
Does the shower tile calculator work differently?
No — add up the wall areas, then use a higher waste percentage (15%) because showers have many cuts around niches, corners, and fixtures.
Why does it round up to whole boxes?
Tile is sold by the box, so the calculator rounds up and it is wise to keep a spare box from the same dye lot for future repairs.
What does the tile installation cost calculator include?
Only materials — total square feet times your price per square foot. Labor, thinset, grout, and backerboard are separate line items.
Boxes by area and coverage
| Area (10% waste) | Per box | Boxes |
|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 10 sq ft | 11 boxes |
| 200 sq ft | 10 sq ft | 22 boxes |
| 200 sq ft | 15 sq ft | 15 boxes |
Coverage per box varies a lot by tile size, so always read the label before ordering.