Tile Calculator South Africa: How Many Tiles Do You Need
Work out exactly how many tiles to buy before you head to the tile shop. Enter your room size and tile size, choose a wastage allowance for cuts and breakages, and get an instant tile count, box count and cost estimate.
Calculate My Tiles ↓Tile Calculator
Enter your room dimensions and tile size, then press Calculate to see how many tiles and boxes you need.
Tiles You Need to Buy
0 tiles
Room summary
Full breakdown
| Item | Value |
|---|
This total adds your chosen wastage allowance to the base number of tiles required to cover the room area.
To work out how many tiles you need, divide the room area by the area one tile covers, then add a wastage allowance for cuts and breakages. For a 12 m² room using 600mm x 600mm tiles with the standard 10% wastage allowance, you would need roughly 37 tiles. Use the calculator above for an exact count, box quantity and cost based on your own room and tile size.
How to Use the Tile Calculator
Four quick steps to an accurate tile count for your project.
- 1 Enter your room dimensions. Measure the length and width in metres of the area you are tiling. For an L-shaped room, split it into rectangles and add the areas together before entering a combined length and width, or run the calculator once per section.
- 2 Choose your tile size. Pick a common preset such as 600mm x 600mm, or select “Custom size” to enter your own tile length and width in millimetres.
- 3 Set your wastage allowance. 10% is standard for a straight-lay pattern. Choose 15% to 20% if you are laying tiles diagonally, in a herringbone pattern, or expect many awkward cuts.
- 4 Press Calculate. Your total tile count appears instantly, along with the base count, wastage added, and boxes and cost if you fill in the optional cost estimate fields.
The Tile Calculation Formula
Tile counts are based on comparing the room area to the area a single tile covers, with a wastage allowance added on top.
Tile Coverage (m²) = (Tile Length in mm ÷ 1000) × (Tile Width in mm ÷ 1000)
Area With Wastage (m²) = Room Area × (1 + Wastage %)
Total Tiles Needed = ROUND UP( Area With Wastage ÷ Tile Coverage )
Boxes Needed = ROUND UP( Total Tiles Needed ÷ Tiles per Box )
Total Cost = Boxes Needed × Price per Box
The wastage allowance is applied to the room area before dividing by tile coverage, then the result is rounded up to a whole tile. This avoids under-ordering, since a partial tile still needs a full tile to cut from. Boxes are also rounded up, since suppliers sell tiles by the full box.
Worked Examples
Real calculations using the formula above, so you can see exactly how the total is built.
Example 1: 4m x 3m room, 600mm x 600mm tiles, 10% wastage
| Room area | 4.00 x 3.00 = 12.00 m² |
| Tile coverage | 0.60 x 0.60 = 0.36 m² per tile |
| Area with 10% wastage | 12.00 x 1.10 = 13.20 m² |
| Total tiles needed | 13.20 ÷ 0.36 = 36.67, rounded up to 37 tiles |
Example 2: 4m x 2.5m wall, 300mm x 600mm tiles, 15% wastage
| Wall area | 4.00 x 2.50 = 10.00 m² |
| Tile coverage | 0.30 x 0.60 = 0.18 m² per tile |
| Area with 15% wastage | 10.00 x 1.15 = 11.50 m² |
| Total tiles needed | 11.50 ÷ 0.18 = 63.89, rounded up to 64 tiles |
Example 3: 5m x 4m room, 600mm x 1200mm tiles, 10% wastage, with cost estimate
| Room area | 5.00 x 4.00 = 20.00 m² |
| Tile coverage | 0.60 x 1.20 = 0.72 m² per tile |
| Area with 10% wastage | 20.00 x 1.10 = 22.00 m² |
| Total tiles needed | 22.00 ÷ 0.72 = 30.56, rounded up to 31 tiles |
| Tiles per box | 2 |
| Boxes needed | 31 ÷ 2 = 15.5, rounded up to 16 boxes |
| Total cost | 16 x R450.00 = R7,200.00 |
Tile Calculator Guide: How Many Tiles Do You Really Need
Buying the right number of tiles keeps a tiling job on budget and avoids a second trip to the supplier for a batch that may no longer be available. The calculation is simple in principle, room area divided by the area one tile covers, but getting the wastage allowance and box rounding right is what stops you running short partway through a job.
Why you need a wastage allowance
Every tiling job involves cutting tiles to fit around edges, corners, doorways and fixtures such as toilets or basins. Cut-off pieces are usually too small to reuse elsewhere, and a percentage of tiles are typically lost to breakages during handling and cutting. The wastage allowance covers this, and it should be added to the room area before working out how many tiles to order, not to the final tile count.
Common tile sizes and coverage per tile
| Tile Size | Coverage per Tile | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 200mm x 200mm | 0.04 m² | Small mosaic-style floor or wall areas |
| 300mm x 300mm | 0.09 m² | Bathroom floors and walls |
| 300mm x 600mm | 0.18 m² | Bathroom and kitchen walls |
| 400mm x 400mm | 0.16 m² | Patios and general floors |
| 600mm x 600mm | 0.36 m² | Living areas, standard floor tiling |
| 600mm x 1200mm | 0.72 m² | Large open floor areas |
| 800mm x 800mm | 0.64 m² | Large-format floor tiling |
How much wastage should you allow
- 5%: Straight-lay pattern, a simple rectangular room, and an experienced installer with minimal cutting.
- 10%: The standard allowance for most straight-lay jobs with normal cutting around edges and fixtures. Suitable as a default for most rooms.
- 15%: Diagonal layouts, herringbone patterns, or rooms with several corners, alcoves or obstructions.
- 20%: Complex patterns, mosaic layouts, or jobs with a high number of awkward cuts, such as rooms with many pipes or fittings.
Working out boxes and cost
Tiles are almost always sold by the box, and box quantities vary by size and manufacturer, so always confirm the tiles per box figure from the actual product you plan to buy rather than assuming a standard count. Once you know the total tiles needed, divide by tiles per box and round up, since suppliers do not sell partial boxes. Multiply the boxes needed by the price per box for a total material cost estimate, keeping in mind that adhesive, grout, trims and labour are separate costs.
Methodology
This calculator applies the standard trade formula of dividing the room area, after adding your chosen wastage percentage, by the coverage area of a single tile, then rounding up to the next whole tile and the next whole box. It does not account for pattern-specific cutting losses beyond the wastage percentage you select, tile lot or batch variation, or costs such as adhesive, grout, trims, underlay or labour.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- The room or wall being tiled is treated as a single rectangular area based on the length and width entered.
- Tile coverage is calculated from the tile’s face dimensions and does not account for grout line width.
- Boxes and total tiles are always rounded up to the next whole unit, since partial tiles and partial boxes cannot be purchased.
- The cost estimate uses the price per box you enter and does not include adhesive, grout, trims or labour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using 600mm x 600mm tiles, which cover 0.36 m² each, and a standard 10% wastage allowance, a 12 m² room needs roughly 37 tiles. The exact figure depends on your chosen tile size and wastage percentage, so use the calculator above for a precise count.
10% is the standard allowance for a straight-lay pattern in most rooms. Increase this to 15% to 20% for diagonal layouts, herringbone patterns, or rooms with many corners, alcoves or fixtures that require extra cutting.
This calculator applies the wastage percentage to the room area first, then divides by the tile coverage and rounds up to a whole tile. This gives a slightly more accurate result than adding wastage after the tile count has already been rounded.
Divide the total tiles needed by the number of tiles in one box, then round up, since suppliers sell full boxes only. Confirm the tiles per box figure with your supplier, as this varies by tile size and manufacturer.
Split an L-shaped room into two rectangles, calculate each section separately, and add the tile counts together, or add the two areas together before running the calculator once with a slightly higher wastage allowance to cover the extra internal corner cuts.
No. This calculator uses the tile’s face dimensions to work out coverage. Grout lines take up a small amount of additional space, which is generally accounted for within the standard 10% wastage allowance rather than calculated separately.
The cost estimate covers tiles only, based on the price per box you enter. It does not include tile adhesive, grout, trims, underlay, waterproofing or labour, all of which should be budgeted for separately.