Tile Calculator UK
Use this tile calculator to work out how many tiles you need for a wall or floor area, with wastage included. It is useful for bathrooms, kitchens, splashbacks, utility rooms, hallways, and general flooring jobs where you want a quick material count before ordering. Waste allowance matters because real tile jobs involve cuts, breakages, awkward edges, and sometimes pattern matching. This calculator gives you a sensible planning figure, but final ordering should still be checked against the actual room layout and tile batch sizes.
Tile Size
Application & Waste
Pre-fills recommended waste percentage
0–30% to cover cuts, breakages, and pattern matching
How to use this calculator
- 1.Enter the length and width of the area you are tiling.
- 2.Enter the tile size.
- 3.Choose the application or waste setting that best matches the job.
- 4.Review the estimated tile quantity with wastage included.
- 5.Round up to the nearest full box before ordering, because suppliers usually sell tiles by the box rather than individually.
Formulas used
Area
area = length × width
Tile area
tile area = tile length × tile width
Base tile count
base tiles = ceiling(area / tile area)
Tiles to buy (with waste)
tiles to buy = ceiling(base tiles × (1 + waste % / 100))
Final tile orders usually need rounding up to full boxes, not just whole tiles.
Worked example
Take a bathroom floor measuring 2.4 m by 1.8 m. That gives an area of 4.32 m². If you are using 300 mm by 300 mm tiles, each tile covers 0.09 m² before any grout spacing adjustment. That gives a base figure of 48 tiles. Add a 10 percent waste allowance and the requirement becomes about 53 tiles, so in practice you would round up to the next full box quantity. That extra allowance helps cover cuts around edges, minor breakages, and a few spare tiles for future repairs.
Waste allowance, cuts and box quantities
A tile count rarely works out neatly in real life. Even on a simple room, you usually need extra tiles for cuts at the edges and for breakages during installation. Ten percent is a common allowance for a straightforward layout, but more complex patterns or awkward spaces may need more. Pattern matching, diagonal layouts, and large-format tiles can all increase waste. Box quantities matter too. Even if the calculator gives an exact tile count, the actual order usually needs rounding up to the next full box, and buying tiles from the same batch helps avoid colour variation between deliveries.
What this calculator helps with
This tool is useful when pricing a tiling job, comparing tile sizes, or checking whether your order quantity looks sensible before you buy. It gives a quick planning figure for walls and floors and helps avoid the common mistake of ordering to the exact area with no allowance for waste. It is best used as an estimate before final confirmation from the installer or supplier.
Frequently asked questions
Related tools
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Guides worth reading
- How Many Tiles Do I Need? UK Guide — measuring, wastage allowances and a room worked example
- How Much Tile Adhesive Do I Need? UK Guide — coverage per bag by trowel size, floors vs walls, and a bathroom example
Disclaimer: This calculator is for planning and estimating only. Final ordering should be confirmed against the actual room layout, tile batch sizes, and installer recommendations.