How to Calculate Tiles for a Room: Simple Steps with Examples

Getting the tile quantity right saves you two headaches: running short halfway through the job, or paying for boxes that sit in the store room for years. The maths is simple once you know the area of one tile and add a sensible margin for cutting. This guide walks you through it step by step, with a worked example you can copy.

If you just want the number, use our tile calculator. If you want to understand how it is worked out, read on.

Step 1: Measure the room in feet

Most people in Bengaluru measure rooms in feet, so we will work in feet and square feet.

• Measure the length and width of the floor at the longest points, wall to wall.
• For walls, measure the width of each wall and the height you want to tile up to (full height, or a dado height like 4 ft or 7 ft).
• Note doors, windows and fixed items like a kitchen platform.

For an L-shaped room, split it into two rectangles, find the area of each, and add them together. Do not try to measure an L-shape as one box.

Step 2: Find the floor or wall area

Area is simply length multiplied by width.

• Floor: length x width.
• Walls: add up the width of all walls to be tiled, multiply by the tiling height, then subtract doors and windows.

Step 3: Know the area of one tile

Tile sizes are given in millimetres, and a 600x600 mm tile is slightly smaller than 2 x 2 ft. Here is the coverage of one tile in common sizes (1 sq m is about 10.764 sq ft):

Step 4: Divide and add wastage

Number of tiles = room area divided by area of one tile. Then add wastage for cuts, breakage and a few spares for future repairs. A straight layout usually needs 5 to 10%. Diagonal or patterned layouts need more. Our guide on how much extra tile to buy explains this in detail.

Always round up to the next full tile, and then to the next full box.

Worked example: a 12 x 14 ft bedroom with 600x600 mm tiles

Let us do a real one.

1. Room area: 12 ft x 14 ft = 168 sq ft.
2. One tile: 600x600 mm = 0.36 sq m = 3.875 sq ft.
3. Tiles without wastage: 168 / 3.875 = 43.35, so about 43.4 tiles.
4. Add 10% wastage: 43.35 x 1.10 = 47.7, round up to 48 tiles.
5. Boxes: 600x600 mm tiles are often packed 4 to a box, but this varies by manufacturer, so check the box. At 4 per box, 48 / 4 = 12 boxes.

Notice what happens if you assume the tile is 2 x 2 ft (4 sq ft): 168 / 4 = 42 tiles, and with 10% that is 46.2, so 47 tiles. You would be short by one tile before you even start, and more in a bigger room. That is why the real tile area matters.

Same room with 800x800 mm tiles

One 800x800 mm tile covers 6.889 sq ft. 168 / 6.889 = 24.4 tiles. Add 10%: 24.4 x 1.10 = 26.8, so 27 tiles. Larger tiles can produce more offcut waste in small rooms, so some people add 12% here instead, which gives 27.3, or 28 tiles.

Worked example: bathroom walls

Say your bathroom is 6 x 8 ft and you want wall tiles up to 7 ft high.

1. Total wall width: 6 + 8 + 6 + 8 = 28 ft.
2. Wall area: 28 x 7 = 196 sq ft.
3. Subtract the door: a 2.5 x 7 ft door is 17.5 sq ft, so 196 - 17.5 = 178.5 sq ft.
4. One 300x600 mm tile: 1.938 sq ft (0.18 sq m).
5. Tiles: 178.5 / 1.9375 = 92.1 tiles.
6. Add 10%: 92.1 x 1.10 = 101.3, round up to 102 tiles.

Small windows (like a ventilator) are often not worth subtracting, since the cut pieces around them use up nearly as much tile.

Skirting, steps and highlighters

• Skirting: measure the running length of the walls in feet, minus door openings. Skirting is often cut from floor tiles, so a few extra floor tiles may cover it. Ask the shop how many strips you can get from one tile.
• Highlighter or feature tiles: calculate them separately for the exact wall or band, then reduce the main wall tile count by the same area.
• Staircases: count steps and risers separately rather than using total area. Our step and riser tiles page explains this.

Common mistakes

• Using 2 x 2 ft instead of 3.875 sq ft for 600x600 mm tiles.
• Forgetting to round up to full boxes.
• Buying in two lots weeks apart and getting a different shade. Buy everything from one batch. See our guide on tile batch, shade and grade.
• Forgetting the balcony, utility area or loft when you add up the house.

Bring your numbers to the shop

Write down your room sizes (a rough sketch helps) and bring them to Patidar Ceramic, or call us. We will check your quantities with you and show you what is currently in stock in the size you need. You can also get directions here.