Tile & Flooring Calculator

How much flooring should you order? Enter your rooms, pick the material and layout, and get boxes, tile count, thinset, grout, underlayment and a cost range.

1. Material and layout

%
sq ft

2. Area

Rectangular rooms only. For L-shaped rooms, add each rectangle as its own room.

3. Tile details

in
in
in
in

Large tiles (any side 15 in or more) usually need the larger notch.

4. Prices (typical ranges; replace with local quotes)

$/sq ft
$/sq ft
$
$
$/sq ft

Material and labor defaults sit inside the typical ranges listed below. Thinset, grout and underlayment prices are assumptions. Demolition, subfloor prep, trim and transitions are not included.

You need

— sq ft of floor

    • Flooring material—
    • Thinset, grout, underlayment—
    • Installation labor—
    • Estimated total—

    Typical installed range: —

    Layout preview (illustration, not to exact scale)

    How this tile and flooring calculator works

    Area: the sum of length × width for each room, or the total you enter. With waste: area × (1 + waste %). Boxes: area with waste ÷ coverage per box, rounded up to a whole box.

    Tile count: area with waste × 144 ÷ (tile width × tile length in inches).

    Thinset: floor area ÷ the coverage of one 50 lb bag for your trowel notch, rounded up. Grout: the standard joint-volume method, area × (tile length + width) ÷ (length × width) × joint width × tile thickness, converted at about 0.065 lb per cubic inch of packed grout, then multiplied by 1.5 for uneven joint depth, cleanup and waste. That 1.5 allowance is our estimate, so treat grout as a planning number.

    Underlayment: floor area plus 5%, in 100 sq ft rolls.

    Waste by layout

    LayoutTypical wasteUsed here
    Straight / gridabout 10%10%
    Diagonal15–20%15%
    Herringbone15–20%18%
    Carpetabout 10% (seams and pattern match)10%

    Waste guidance varies a little between sources. See for example Tile Shoppes on the 10% rule and Tile Pro Calculator's overage guide. Small rooms, many corners and large-format tile need more.

    Coverage and price sources

    Tips

    Planning estimates only. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the products you buy.

    Estimates only — not engineering, legal or code advice. Check requirements with your local building department and a licensed professional before you build.

    Common questions

    How much extra tile should I buy?

    A simple straight layout in a regular room needs about 10% extra. Diagonal layouts usually need about 15%, and herringbone about 15–20% (this tool uses 18%). Add more for small rooms with many corners, large-format tile, or patterns that must match. The waste box is editable.

    How many boxes of tile do I need for a 15 × 12 room?

    The room is 180 sq ft. With 10% waste you need 198 sq ft. At 15 sq ft per box that is 13.2, so you buy 14 boxes. Always round up to a full box, and try to buy all boxes from the same lot so the color matches.

    How many 12 × 24 tiles is that?

    198 sq ft ÷ 2 sq ft per tile = 99 tiles, including the 10% waste.

    How much thinset and grout will I need?

    For the same 180 sq ft room with a 1/4 × 3/8 in notched trowel at about 60 sq ft per 50 lb bag, you need 3 bags of thinset. Grout with 1/8 in joints and 3/8 in tile comes to roughly 15 lb, which is two 10 lb bags. Bag coverage varies by product, trowel and how flat the floor is, so check the bag.

    Do LVP and laminate need underlayment?

    Many floating LVP and laminate products need it unless the planks have a pad attached. Rolls are commonly 100 sq ft, and this tool adds 5% for overlap and trimming. Follow the plank maker's instructions, because the wrong underlayment can void the warranty.

    What does flooring cost per square foot?

    Typical installed ranges are roughly $5.50–$13 for ceramic tile, $4.50–$12 for LVP, $8–$15 for hardwood and $3–$12 for carpet, including material and labor. The calculator uses editable mid-range defaults. Replace them with real quotes.

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