How Many Tiles Do I Need? Working It Out Box by Box

Tiles are not sold by the piece and not really by the square foot either. They are sold in boxes, and the number of boxes you need depends on the tile size, how many pieces the maker puts in a box, how much gets cut away at the edges of your room, and how many you keep back for the day a tile cracks. Get it wrong in one direction and the tiler stops mid-floor. Get it wrong in the other and you are storing four boxes on the balcony for a decade.

This is how to work it out properly, with the box sizes we actually stock.

Step 1: measure the area

For a floor: length multiplied by width. A room 10 feet by 12 feet is 120 square feet.

For a wall: measure each wall separately, height multiplied by width, and add them up. Subtract the door, and subtract a window only if it is large. For a bathroom, most people tile to door height rather than ceiling height, so measure the height you are actually tiling.

Measure in feet if that is how you think, or in metres. Just do not mix the two halfway through, which is the single most common arithmetic mistake we see.

Step 2: add for cuts and breakage

Nobody uses 100 per cent of what they buy. Tiles are cut at the edges of the room, around pipes and door frames, and a few break in handling or cutting.

• Add 10 per cent for a simple rectangular room laid straight.
• Add 15 per cent for a diagonal or herringbone layout, a room with several corners, or a bathroom full of pipe cutouts.
• Add 15 per cent for large format tiles, because a bad cut wastes a bigger piece.

So that 120 square foot room, laid straight, becomes 132 square feet to buy.

Step 3: turn square feet into boxes

This is the step people skip. A box does not hold a fixed area, it holds a fixed number of pieces, and how much area that covers depends on the tile size. From our own range:

Those are the most common packings in our catalogue, and they do vary by design, which is why the packing is printed on each product page. Some 600 x 1200 tiles come three to a box rather than two.

Boxes needed = area to buy, divided by area per box, rounded up.

For our 132 square feet in 600 x 600: 132 divided by 15.5 is 8.5, so 9 boxes. In 300 x 300: 132 divided by 9.7 is 13.6, so 14 boxes.

Step 4: keep a few back

Buy one extra box beyond the calculation and store it flat somewhere dry. Tiles are made in batches, and the same design bought a year later can differ slightly in shade. When a tile cracks because something heavy was dropped on it, a spare from the original batch is the difference between an invisible repair and a patch that catches the eye forever.

This matters more for floors than for walls, and more for plain colours than for heavily patterned tiles, where slight variation hides itself.

A worked example, start to finish

A 10 by 12 foot bedroom floor, tiled in 600 x 600 mm:

• Area: 10 x 12 = 120 sq ft
• Add 10 per cent for cuts: 132 sq ft
• Area per box: 15.5 sq ft
• 132 ÷ 15.5 = 8.5, rounded up: 9 boxes
• One spare box: 10 boxes

Add skirting separately. Skirting is usually cut from full tiles or bought as a matching strip, and it is measured in running feet around the room, not in square feet. Our skirting tiles guide covers heights and how to plan it.

Let the product page do the arithmetic

Almost every tile page on our site carries a quantity calculator. Enter the length and width of your room and it works out the tiles, the boxes and, where the price is listed, the cost, using that design's own size and packing. It is quicker than this article and it cannot make an arithmetic slip.

If you would rather have a person check it, send us the room measurements on WhatsApp, or bring a plan to the showroom, and we will work it out with you before you commit.

The mistakes that cost money

Ordering exactly what the area says

Without the 10 per cent, the tiler runs out with one row left. The shop may have the same design, but possibly not the same batch.

Forgetting that walls and floors are different tiles

Wall tiles are thinner and are not made to carry foot traffic. Count and buy them separately, and never use a wall tile on the floor. Our guide to vitrified vs ceramic tiles explains why.

Measuring the room but not the cutouts

A bathroom with a floor drain, a closet outlet and a pipe chase wastes more than a bedroom of the same size. That is what the 15 per cent is for.

Buying tiles before deciding the layout

Diagonal and herringbone layouts use noticeably more material. Decide the pattern first, then buy.

Assuming every box is the same

Two designs in the same size can be packed differently, two pieces in one and three in another. Always read the packing on the page or the box.

Bring your measurements to the showroom

Browse floor tiles and wall tiles, or come to No 17, 12th A Main Road, BTM 1st Stage, Bengaluru 560029, Monday to Saturday, 9:30am to 7:00pm. Bring the room dimensions and we will tell you the boxes, the cost and what to keep spare.

Also useful: tile sizes explained, matt vs glossy tiles and how to buy tiles in Bangalore.

Frequently asked questions

How many tiles are in a box?

It depends on the size. In our range, 600 x 1200 mm tiles usually come 2 to a box, 600 x 600 mm come 4, 300 x 600 mm come 5 and 300 x 300 mm come 10. Some designs differ, so check the packing shown on the product page.

How much extra should I buy?

Ten per cent over the measured area for a simple straight layout, fifteen per cent for diagonal or herringbone patterns, large format tiles or rooms with many cuts. Then one spare box on top, kept from the same batch.

How do I calculate tiles for a bathroom wall?

Measure each wall's height by its width, add them together, subtract the door, then add fifteen per cent because bathrooms are full of cutouts. Tile height is usually to door level rather than the ceiling, so measure what you are actually covering.

Can I return extra boxes?

Ask us before you buy, because it depends on the design and whether the box is unopened. It is worth knowing the answer in advance rather than assuming either way.

Do I need the same batch for the whole room?

Yes, as far as possible. Shade varies slightly between production batches, and the difference shows most on plain, light floors. Buying the full quantity at once, including the spare box, avoids the problem entirely.