— tiles
Tile Calculator
Estimate tile count, grout weight, and thinset bags.
You'll need — tiles and — lb of grout for — sq ft.
Area source
Use the active Room Layout's floor area or override manually. Switch to manual if only part of the room is tiled.
Chained floor area
Run Room Layout first to prefill tile with the active project's floor area.
Area and tile size
Enter the substrate area and the tile's actual dimensions.
Grout
Grout volume is computed from the tile-to-joint tessellation ratio, not a fudge factor.
Thinset
Bags come from the coverage printed on the bag for your trowel notch. Back-buttering is estimated to double what you use.
You'll need — tiles and — lb of grout for — sq ft.
You'll need
Tile results
— lb
— bags
Warnings
- ERROR Enter the area being tiled -- without it there is nothing to count.
Detail values
- Tiles needed
- —
- Grout fraction of module
- —
- Thinset weight
- — lb
Assumptions
- Grout type: Unsanded (106.9 lb of grout powder per cu ft of joint, worked back from the published coverage chart in CUSTOM Polyblend Plus Non-Sanded Grout TDS-369 -- a product figure, so a different grout legitimately differs)
- Grout joint: 0.125 in wide, 0.25 in deep (the joint runs the full thickness of the tile -- enter that thickness as the depth)
- Trowel notch: 1/4" x 1/4" square notch (~0.125 in of bed once the ridges collapse -- an estimated rule of thumb, shown as a sanity check; the bag count comes off the coverage row below, not from this)
- Thinset bag weight: 50 lb
- Thinset coverage: 95 sq ft per bag at 1/4" x 1/4" square notch (check the bag)
- Back-butter: No
- Estimated waste: 10% for an average project -- applied to the tile count only; grout and thin-set are ordered net
Included: tile, grout, thinset.
Not included: labor, delivery, permits, disposal of waste material.
Formula details
- Tiles: ceil(area × (1 + waste%) ÷ ((tile L + gap) × (tile W + gap) ÷ 144))
Divided by the tile-plus-joint MODULE, not by the tile's face: a laid tile occupies a module one joint wider and one joint longer, and dividing by the bare face buys the joints as tile. The same module the grout coverage ratio below is taken from. The waste percent applies to this line only.
- Grout coverage ratio: (tile L × tile W) / ((tile L + gap) × (tile W + gap))
Tessellation geometry, not an allowance: each tile sits in a module one joint wider and one joint longer, and whatever the tile does not cover is grout. Nothing is estimated in this ratio.
- Thinset bags: ceil(area ÷ coveragePerBagAtTrowelNotch)
Coverage per bag as printed on the bag, halved when back-buttering -- that halving is an estimated trade allowance, not a manufacturer figure. NOT area × notch depth × dry density -- that treats a ridged bed as a solid slab AND counts the mix water as powder, over-ordering ~2.5x.
Material List
About this calculator
Enter area, tile size, and joint width to get a purchase-ready tile count plus grout and thinset estimates.
FAQ
Are product values editable?
Yes. Tile size, joint width and depth, grout type, trowel notch, and thinset bag weight all remain editable so you can match the exact products you are buying.
Does tile count round up to full boxes?
Tile count rounds up to whole tiles after waste; check your box coverage separately if tile is sold by the box.
How is grout weight estimated?
Grout weight comes from real tessellation geometry: the fraction of each tile-plus-joint module that is grout rather than tile, applied across the substrate area and joint depth, then multiplied by the selected grout type's density.
How is thinset weight estimated?
From the coverage a bag is rated for at your trowel notch -- roughly 95 sq ft per 50 lb bag at a 1/4 x 1/4 notch, less at a deeper one -- scaled by your bag weight and halved if you back-butter the tile. Coverage is editable, because the figure printed on the bag you are holding is the one that counts.
Disclaimer
Material estimate only. Verify substrate, layout pattern, and product coverage before ordering.