Tile Calculator – How Many Boxes of Tiles You Need

Work out exactly how many boxes of tiles you need for any floor or wall. Choose what you’re tiling, enter your room size and tile size, and get the box count instantly — with optional grout spacing, skirting, waste, and cost. Built for Indian homes, in feet and by the box.

How to use this tile calculator

Enter your size two ways: by measurement — floors use length × breadth, walls use each wall length × height — or by total area if you already know the square footage. Then enter your tile size and pieces per box, and the tool gives you the boxes to order.

Floors (room & bathroom): enter length × breadth. Tick Add skirting to include the tile border along the base of the walls.

Walls (any room): enter the length of each of the four walls you’re tiling and the height. Leave a wall at 0 if you’re not tiling it. Each door you enter removes 2 ft from the total length — we use 2 ft rather than the full door width on purpose, as the small margin also absorbs the extra cuts and edge damage around openings.

By total area: if the room is an odd shape like an L, split it into rectangles, add up their areas, and enter the total.

Why the grout gap matters

Tiles are never laid touching — there’s always a small joint filled with grout, usually 2–3 mm. That gap means each tile takes up slightly more space than its raw size, so accounting for it gives a more accurate count. For a grout-free look or a countertop, set the gap to 0.

How much waste should you add?

The calculator starts at 0% so you see the exact figure, but always order extra for cuts, breakage and future repairs:

Always keep one spare box from the same batch. Tile shades vary between production lots, so a later box may not match if a tile cracks in future.

Common measuring mistakes

• Forgetting fixed features — don’t count area taken by wardrobes, a kitchen island, or pillars.
• Ignoring the grout gap on large jobs.
• Buying loose tiles — they’re often a different batch and shade. Buy full boxes.
• Not checking the batch number — confirm every box shares the same batch/shade code.
• Under-ordering on patterns — diagonal and herringbone waste far more at the edges.

Floor tiles vs wall tiles

They aren’t interchangeable. Floor tiles are thicker, harder and rated for foot traffic, often with an anti-skid finish for bathrooms. Wall tiles are lighter and thinner because they only bear their own weight. You can sometimes use a floor tile on a wall, but rarely a wall tile on a floor.

Adhesive, cement & sand: this calculator estimates tiles only. The adhesive or cement-sand mortar to fix them is a separate calculation — we’ll add a dedicated adhesive calculator as a companion tool.

Tile calculator FAQ

How many boxes of tiles do I need? Work out the area, divide by the area one tile covers (including the grout gap), add your waste percentage, then divide by the pieces per box and round up. The calculator does all of this and shows the box count at the top.

How do I calculate tiles for a wall? Enter each wall’s length and the height — the tool multiplies them for the area, then converts it into boxes using your tile size and pieces per box. It also subtracts doorways.

How many pieces are in one box of tiles? It varies by size and is printed on every box. Roughly: 600×600 mm ≈ 4, 300×450 mm ≈ 8, 300×600 mm ≈ 6, 800×800 mm ≈ 3.

Does the calculator include skirting? Yes — tick “Add skirting” on a floor job, set the skirting height and doors, and it adds the skirting tiles. Skirting typically adds about 5–8% to a floor order.

Should I use feet or millimetres for tile size? Whatever matches your box. Indian tiles are usually labelled in mm, but you can switch the tile-size unit to feet for common shop sizes like 2×2, 2×4 or 1×1.5.

Common tile sizes in India (and where they’re used)

Tiles in India are usually sold in millimetres, but shopkeepers and masons often talk in feet. Here are the sizes you’ll come across most often, and what each is typically used for.

Bigger tiles mean fewer grout lines and a cleaner look, but they’re heavier, harder to cut, and waste more at the edges — so add a little extra to your waste allowance for large formats.

Vitrified vs ceramic vs porcelain tiles

This is the question almost every buyer asks, so it’s worth understanding before you order.

Ceramic tiles are made from natural clay, pressed and glazed, then fired. They’re affordable, come in many designs, and are easy to cut. They suit walls and low-traffic areas but are softer and more porous, so they’re less ideal for heavy floor use.

Vitrified tiles are made from a clay-and-silica mix fired at very high temperatures, which makes them dense, hard, and almost non-porous. They resist water, stains, and scratches far better than ceramic, which is why they’re the go-to choice for Indian floors. Full-body and double-charge vitrified tiles carry their colour deeper into the tile, so wear shows less over time.

Porcelain tiles are a type of vitrified tile made from especially refined clay, fired even harder. They’re extremely dense, water-resistant, and durable — excellent for both floors and walls, indoors and out — but usually cost more.

As a simple rule: ceramic for walls and budgets, vitrified for most Indian floors, porcelain when you want the toughest, most water-resistant finish.

How to read your tile box

Every tile box carries the details you need to order correctly and match tiles later. Before you leave the shop, check the label for:

Pieces per box — how many tiles are inside. Enter this in the calculator to get the right number of boxes.

Coverage per box — often shown in square feet or square metres. This tells you how much floor or wall one box will cover.

Batch or shade number — the most important thing to match. Tiles from different production batches can differ slightly in shade and size. Make sure every box you buy shares the same batch number, and keep one spare box from that batch for future repairs.

Size and thickness — confirm it matches what you measured for. Floor tiles are thicker than wall tiles.

Understanding tile finishes

The finish changes both the look and where a tile can safely be used.

Glossy finishes reflect light and make a space feel bigger and brighter — popular for walls and living-room floors. They can be slippery when wet, so avoid them in bathrooms and outdoors.

Matte finishes are non-reflective and hide smudges and watermarks well. They give a soft, modern look and are more slip-resistant than glossy.

Anti-skid (or textured) finishes have a slightly rough surface that grips underfoot even when wet — essential for bathroom floors, balconies, and around water.

Satin / semi-gloss sits between glossy and matte: a gentle sheen that’s easier to maintain than high gloss.

Wood-look and stone-look finishes are printed designs on vitrified tiles that mimic wooden planks or natural marble, giving the appearance without the maintenance.

Room-by-room tile tips

Living room & bedrooms — 600 × 600 mm vitrified tiles are the standard. Glossy or satin finishes look elegant and are easy to clean in low-water areas.

Bathroom — always use an anti-skid tile on the floor for safety, paired with a glossy or matte wall tile. Smaller floor tiles (300 × 300 mm) allow the floor to slope towards the drain more easily.

Kitchen — a matte or satin floor tile hides spills and is less slippery. For the wall behind the counter (the dado or backsplash), glossy tiles are popular because they wipe clean easily.

Balcony & outdoors — choose anti-skid, frost- and fade-resistant tiles that can handle sun and rain.

How to measure an odd-shaped or L-shaped room

Not every room is a neat rectangle. For an irregular space, break it into simpler shapes:

1. Sketch the room roughly on paper.
2. Divide it into rectangles (and triangles if needed).
3. Measure the length and breadth of each rectangle and multiply to get its area.
4. For a triangular area, multiply base × height and divide by two.
5. Add all the areas together for your total.
6. Switch the calculator to “By total area” and enter that combined figure.

This gives a far more accurate count than trying to force an odd room into a single length × breadth.

Simple ways to save money on tiles

• Buy full boxes from one batch rather than loose tiles — loose pieces are often odd-lot stock with mismatched shades.
• Ask about “commercial” or “economy” ranges in vitrified tiles; they’re often the same size and durability as premium lines with a plainer design.
• Use premium tiles only where they show. A costly designer tile on a feature wall, with a plainer matching tile elsewhere, stretches your budget.
• Order the right waste percentage — too little means an expensive second trip; too much means money sitting in unopened boxes. The calculator helps you get this right.
• Compare price per square foot, not per box. Boxes contain different numbers of tiles, so the per-box price can be misleading. Work out the per-square-foot cost to compare fairly.

More frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to buy bigger tiles? Not always. Larger tiles can cost more per square foot and waste more at cut edges, but they need less grout and labour and give a more seamless look. Weigh the finish you want against the budget.

How many tiles come in one box in India? It depends entirely on the size. A box of 600 × 600 mm tiles usually holds 4, while smaller 300 × 450 mm wall tiles may hold 8 or more. Always check the box and enter that figure in the calculator.

Should floor and wall tiles match? They don’t have to, and often shouldn’t. Floors usually use a stronger, more slip-resistant tile, while walls can be lighter and more decorative. Many people choose a wall tile that complements — rather than exactly matches — the floor.

How much extra should I keep as spare? Beyond your waste allowance, keep at least one unopened box from the same batch. It’s cheap insurance: if a tile cracks in future, a matching replacement from a new batch may be impossible to find.

Can I tile over old tiles? In some cases yes, if the existing tiles are firmly stuck and level, using a suitable adhesive. But it raises the floor height and can cause problems at doorways. When in doubt, ask an experienced tiler.