How do I calculate tile square footage?

Multiply length by width in feet for each rectangle of floor, add them, then add waste. 10 × 8 ft is 80 sq ft; 80 × 1.08 is 86.4, so order 87.

How much extra tile should I buy?

It depends on the layout. HyreRemodel’s planning figures run from 8% for a straight lay to 20% for patterned tile. Your tile setter’s figure for your room replaces them.

How many boxes of tile do I need?

Divide the order by the square feet printed on the carton and round up. Box coverage varies by tile size, so read the carton, not a rule of thumb.

Does this calculator price the tile?

No. It gives quantities only. Multiply the order by the price on your bid or the store tag.

HyreRemodel tools

Tile square footage calculator

Enter the room’s length and width, the waste for your layout, and the square feet per box from the carton.

A tile square footage calculator multiplies the floor’s length by its width, then adds waste for cuts. A 10 ft × 8 ft floor is 80 sq ft; with 8% waste for a straight lay, order 87 sq ft. Divide by the square feet on the carton and round up to whole boxes.

Work out your tile

Arithmetic on your figures. Nothing is stored or emailed.

— To order

— Floor area

— Boxes

What this assumed —

A quantity, not a quote. Your setter may order differently for your layout.

Worked examples

One bathroom floor, two layouts

Straight lay

A 10 ft × 8 ft floor is 80 sq ft. With 8% waste for a straight lay in a square room, order 87 sq ft (86.4, rounded up). At 10 sq ft per box, that is 9 boxes.

Diagonal lay

The same 80 sq ft laid at 45° with 15% waste needs 92 sq ft, or 10 boxes. The pattern added 5 sq ft, not the room.

Order = length × width × (1 + waste). Boxes = order ÷ the sq ft printed on the carton, rounded up.

Tile waste by layout

Tile waste is every cut piece that cannot be reused. More cuts mean more waste.

Layout	Waste to allow	Why
Straight / stack bond, square room	8%	The baseline. Cuts at two walls only.
Straight lay, irregular room	12%	Every alcove, bay and doorway adds cut pieces that cannot be reused.
Diagonal (45°)	15%	Every perimeter piece is a cut, and the offcuts are triangles.
Herringbone	18%	Two cuts per perimeter piece and a layout that generates unusable offcuts throughout.
Plank, long lengths, running bond	12%	Governed by the offcut rule: the end of one row starts the next only if it is long enough.
Patterned or directional material	20%	Pattern matching consumes material before any cut is made.

HyreRemodel planning figures, not an industry standard. Your tile setter’s figure for your room replaces them.

How to measure a floor for tile

Tile area is length × width, in feet, rectangle by rectangle. Split an L-shaped room into two rectangles and add them. Measure to the wall, not to the baseboard.

Leave the toilet and vanity footprint in unless the vanity is staying. Tile around a toilet flange still needs cuts.

Buy from one lot. Shade and size can shift between production runs, so order the whole job at once and keep a spare box for repairs.

Large-format tile needs a flatter floor

Floor flatness changes with tile size. ANSI A108.02, in the TCNA Handbook asks for ¼ in in 10 ft for tiles with all edges shorter than 15 in, and ⅛ in in 10 ft for tiles with any edge 15 in or longer (large-format).

A bid for large tile should say how the floor will be checked and leveled. See tile installation for what else the bid should cover.

What the tile calculator leaves out

The tile calculator gives no price. HyreRemodel holds no tile price data. Use the flooring calculator to multiply the order by the rate on your bid, or read what remodeling costs.

Walls and showers are separate. Use the backsplash calculator for wall tile. Thinset, grout and backer board are sized from the maker’s label. When you want someone to read your plan, plan your remodel with us.

Questions this calculator answers

How do I calculate tile square footage?: Multiply length by width in feet for each rectangle of floor, add them, then add waste. 10 × 8 ft is 80 sq ft; 80 × 1.08 is 86.4, so order 87.
How much extra tile should I buy?: It depends on the layout. HyreRemodel’s planning figures run from 8% for a straight lay to 20% for patterned tile. Your tile setter’s figure for your room replaces them.
How many boxes of tile do I need?: Divide the order by the square feet printed on the carton and round up. Box coverage varies by tile size, so read the carton, not a rule of thumb.
Does this calculator price the tile?: No. It gives quantities only. Multiply the order by the price on your bid or the store tag.

Sources and methodology

Figures dated October 22, 2026. Last reviewed August 16, 2026.

ANSI A108.02, substrate flatness (TCNA Handbook) (Tile Council of North America, retrieved September 5, 2026). Flatness for small and large-format tile.

Tile installation What a tile bid should cover.
Flooring calculator Order × the rate on your bid.
Backsplash calculator Wall tile, less openings.
Bathroom remodeling Where floor tile sits in the job.

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