Tile Square Footage Calculator
Calculation Results:
Total Area to Tile: — sq ft
Area of One Tile: — sq ft
Tiles Needed (no waste): — tiles
Tiles to Purchase (including waste): — tiles
Total Square Footage of Tiles to Purchase: — sq ft
Understanding the Tile Square Footage Calculator
Tiling a room can transform its look, but accurately estimating the number of tiles you need is crucial for a smooth project. Under-ordering means delays and potential color/dye lot mismatches, while over-ordering leads to unnecessary expenses. Our Tile Square Footage Calculator simplifies this process, helping you determine exactly how much material to purchase.
How to Use the Calculator
- Room Length (feet): Measure the longest side of the area you plan to tile in feet. If your measurement is in inches, divide by 12 to convert to feet (e.g., 180 inches / 12 = 15 feet).
- Room Width (feet): Measure the shortest side of the area in feet. For irregular shapes, break the area into rectangles, calculate each, and sum them up.
- Tile Length (inches): Measure the length of a single tile in inches.
- Tile Width (inches): Measure the width of a single tile in inches.
- Waste Factor (%): This is a critical input. Tiles often need to be cut to fit edges, corners, or around obstacles. Breakage can also occur. A waste factor accounts for these eventualities.
- 5-10%: For simple, rectangular rooms with minimal cuts and standard tile patterns.
- 10-15%: For rooms with irregular shapes, diagonal patterns, or larger tiles that require more precise cuts.
- 15-20% or more: For complex patterns (like herringbone), very intricate layouts, or if you're a beginner tiler.
Understanding the Results
- Total Area to Tile: This is the raw square footage of your room or area, calculated from your room length and width.
- Area of One Tile: The square footage of a single tile, converted from your input inches.
- Tiles Needed (no waste): The theoretical minimum number of tiles required to cover the area, without accounting for any cuts or breakage.
- Tiles to Purchase (including waste): This is the most important number! It's the total number of tiles you should buy, rounded up to the nearest whole tile, after factoring in your chosen waste percentage.
- Total Square Footage of Tiles to Purchase: This tells you the total square footage of material you need to buy, which is useful if tiles are sold by the square foot or in boxes covering a specific square footage.
Example Calculation
Let's say you have a room that is 10 feet long and 12 feet wide. You've chosen tiles that are 12 inches by 24 inches, and you want to add a 10% waste factor.
- Room Area: 10 ft * 12 ft = 120 sq ft
- Tile Dimensions: 12 inches = 1 ft, 24 inches = 2 ft
- Area of One Tile: 1 ft * 2 ft = 2 sq ft
- Tiles Needed (no waste): 120 sq ft / 2 sq ft/tile = 60 tiles
- With 10% Waste: 60 tiles * (1 + 0.10) = 66 tiles
- Total Square Footage to Purchase: 120 sq ft * (1 + 0.10) = 132 sq ft
Based on this, you would need to purchase 66 tiles, which amounts to 132 square feet of tiling material.
Using this calculator will help ensure you have enough tiles to complete your project efficiently, minimizing stress and saving you time and money.