How to calculate tile square footage
The Tile Square Footage Calculator measures floor or wall area, adds a waste factor, then divides by tile size to get tile count. Enter tiles per box to round up to whole boxes for floor, wall, shower, or backsplash work.
Step 1: measure the surface in feet (length × width, or wall width × height). Step 2: subtract openings on walls. Step 3: add 10% waste for a straight grid or 15% for diagonal layouts. Step 4: divide by one tile's area in square feet, then divide by tiles per box and round up.
Example: 100 ft² with 10% waste is 110 ft². With 12×12 in tiles (1 ft² each) you need 110 tiles. At 10 tiles per box that is 11 boxes. With 12×24 in tiles (2 ft² each) the same area needs 55 tiles.
Common tile sizes
Tile size sets how many pieces cover a square foot. A 12×12 in tile covers 1 ft². A 12×24 in tile covers 2 ft². Larger tiles mean fewer pieces for the same area, but cuts around fixtures still consume waste.
Tile counts below use 100 ft² of surface plus 10% waste (110 ft² to buy).
| Tile size (in) | Area per tile (ft²) | Tiles for 100 ft² +10% |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 12 | 1.00 | 110 |
| 12 × 24 | 2.00 | 55 |
| 6 × 24 | 1.00 | 110 |
| 18 × 18 | 2.25 | 49 |
| 24 × 24 | 4.00 | 28 |
Custom inch sizes work the same way: multiply length by width, divide by 144 for square feet per tile, then divide the wasted area by that value and round up.
Tile waste and layout
Tile waste covers cuts, breakage, and pattern matching. Straight floor grids usually need 10%. Diagonal layouts and shower walls with niches often need 15%. Apply waste to the full surface area before you count tiles.
Grout and adhesive quantities follow the manufacturer chart for joint width and tile size. Figure the tiled area with waste first, then read the bag coverage for bags of thinset and grout.
Convert tile area
Tile area converts the same way as other floor area. Multiply square feet by 0.0929 for square meters, or divide by 9 for square yards. A 110 ft² tile order equals 10.2 m² or 12.22 yd².
A 110-square-foot tile order equals 10.2 m² or 12.22 yd².
Use the square yards calculator for any area.
Use the square yards calculator when a quote lists yd² instead of ft².
Tile square footage calculator summary
The Tile Square Footage Calculator helps you calculate tile square footage, add waste, and convert area into tile count and boxes from tile size. Floor, wall, shower, and backsplash surfaces use the same steps with different waste allowances.
Example: 100 ft² + 10% = 110 tiles at 12×12 in, or 55 tiles at 12×24 in. Round boxes up after you enter tiles per box.