Calculate tiles needed for floors, walls, backsplashes, and total project materials and cost.
Total Tile Calculations:
Total Area: 120.0 sq ft
Total Tiles Needed: 132 tiles (with waste)
Tile Boxes/Cases: 6 boxes (assuming 22 tiles per box)
Materials Needed:
Grout Bags: 3 bags
Adhesive Bags: 4 bags
Tile Spacers: 200 pieces
Trim/Edge Pieces: 44 linear feet
Cost Breakdown:
Tile Cost: $540.00
Grout Cost: $36.00
Adhesive Cost: $60.00
Labor Cost: $960.00
Total Project Cost: $1,596.00
Tile Coverage, Pattern Waste & Cost Control Guide
Computation Stack
- Area(ft²) per zone → Sum total
- Tile ft² = (TileL in × TileW in) ÷ 144
- Raw Count = TotalArea ÷ Tile ft²
- Adjusted = Raw × (1 + Waste%) → round up to box multiple
Pattern Waste Benchmarks
- Straight: 5–8%
- Brick 1/2 offset: 8–12%
- Herringbone / 45° diagonal: 15–22%
- Mosaic sheets: 5–7%
Material Selection Filters
- Water absorption ≤ 0.5% (porcelain for wet zones)
- COF / slip rating appropriate for floor use
- Rectified edges enable tighter 1/16–1/8" joints (affects grout volume)
Grout & Adhesive Heuristics
- Thinset coverage: 50–70 ft² per 50 lb (notched trowel dependent)
- Grout bag: 50–100 ft² (joint width & tile thickness)
- LFT tiles (≥15" side) → medium bed mortar to mitigate lippage
Defect Avoidance
- Lippage → inadequate substrate flatness (spec: ≤1/8" in 10')
- Hollow sound → poor thinset coverage (<80% interior)
- Crack telegraphing → missing uncoupling membrane over slab
Lifecycle Cost Levers
- Upfront membrane prevents moisture / differential movement failures
- Proper sealing for natural stone reduces maintenance deltas
Quick FAQ
- Buy extra? Store 5–8% labeled for future repairs (dye lots change).
- Offset limits? Large format often limited to ≤33% to avoid warpage lippage.
- Leveling clips? Assist but don’t correct bad substrate.
Tip: Stage dry layout across main sight line before committing cut pattern.