Stead Tools · Free

How many tiles do I need?

Wall or floor, any tile size — work out the area, add a sensible bit for cuts and breakages, and get the number of tiles and boxes to buy. Order short and the next batch may be a different shade; order big and you've a few spare for repairs. Free, no sign-up.

For a floor, the longer side. For a wall, its width.
For a floor, the shorter side. For a wall, its height.
One tile's width. Common sizes: 20×20, 30×30, 30×60, 60×60.
One tile's height (or length).
From the product. Leave blank to get loose tiles only.
For cuts and breakages. 10% is normal; 15% for a diagonal lay, large-format tiles or a busy-shaped room.
Add a second wall, a recess or a return the rectangle misses.
Per box if you gave a box size, otherwise per tile. Leave blank to skip the cost.

A guide, not a guarantee. Measure the widest points and use the extra-area box for a second wall or a return. Wastage covers cuts at the edges, around pipes and sockets, and the odd tile that snaps — keep a few spare for future repairs, as ranges and batches change. Adhesive, grout, spacers, trims and a backer board are all extra. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

How it works

Area, tile size, and whole boxes.

Start with the area. Length times width (or width times height for a wall) gives the area in square metres. For an L-shaped floor or several walls, work out each rectangle and add them with the extra-area box. Then we add a wastage percentage for the cuts you can't avoid.

Divide by one tile. A 30×60 cm tile covers 0.18 m². We divide the area-plus-wastage by one tile's coverage and round up to whole tiles, so you're never a tile short across the last row.

Why 10%, and when to go higher. Ten percent suits a straightforward area laid square. Go to 15% for a diagonal or brick-bond layout, large-format tiles (more is wasted in each cut), or lots of cuts around a window, basin or chimney breast. Mosaic sheets and very small tiles also waste more.

Round up to whole boxes. Tiles are sold by the box, so if you enter the box size we divide and round up. Buy from one batch where you can — shade and size vary slightly between production runs, so a box bought later may not match.

What this leaves out. Adhesive (coverage depends on tile size and bed depth), grout, spacers, edge trims, a tile backer board or tanking in a wet area, and tools are all separate. If a tiler is fitting, get their measurements too — they carry the risk of ordering short.

Keep every room's details in one place.

Stead remembers your rooms and their sizes, the tiles and finishes you chose, and when each job was done — so the next project starts with the numbers already to hand.

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