Simply enter the width and length of your wall or floor in centimetres into the tile calculator’s first section. The second box should automatically have the size of the tile so you don’t need to fill this in.
Calculating how many tiles to buy for a project is one of our most frequently asked questions here at Direct Tile Warehouse, and we’re always happy to help. It may seem like a mathematical nightmare, but our handy guide will help you if you’re wondering how many tiles you need. And if you’re still in doubt, just give us a call, drop us an email or message us on social media.
If you’ve decided to use tiles for your next project, then congratulations on an excellent choice! Once you’ve had a browse through the hundreds of wall and floor tiles lovingly displayed on our website and made your selection, the next step is working out how many tiles you need to buy.
Louvre Multi Coloured Tiles
How to work out how many tiles to buy
The first thing to do is measure your space. You can either do this yourself with a tape measure or if you’re not confident or have a trickier area to tile, ask your tiler to do the measuring for you. Some tilers will give you a measurement in square metres, but what you really need is the dimensions by length and width, in centimetres.
Top tip – don’t forget to factor in doors, windows and any obstacles that won’t need to be tiled!
We’ve been asked by a number of clients why we sell tiles individually and not by square metre. This is because, particularly with larger tiles, it is impossible to have an exact number per square metre.
For example, a 60cm x 60cm tile fits into a square meter 2.77 times. If you’re interested in how to work it out:
- A square metre measures 100cm x 100cm = 10,000
- A 60cm x 60cm tile measures 60 x 60 = 3,600
- 10,000 divided by 3,600 is 2.77
You can see a summary of some popular sizes at the bottom of this guide.
How to use the Direct Tile Warehouse tile calculator
Go to the product page for your chosen tiles and you’ll see our tile calculator. This has been magically programmed to do all the hard work for you and show you how many tiles to buy.
Press ‘calculate’ and the number of how many tiles to buy will appear in a pop-up. You can then type this number in the quantity box and add to basket.
What is tile wastage and do I need to add it?
In your basket, you might wonder what the option to add on 10% wastage is for. This is an industry-standard allowance, which means you have a few extra tiles that you might need for any cuts, accidental breakages and spares. Having a few tiles leftover is always good in case you want to replace a pipe or extend, and while many of our bestselling tiles have been with us for decades, very occasionally a tile is discontinued, so you may struggle to buy any more.
Top tip – If you’re tiling a bathroom or kitchen with lots of boxes to hide pipework, feature alcoves, etc, or tiling in a herringbone pattern, then 15% is a sensible allowance.
Is there anything else I need to do?
Once you’ve added wastage, simply complete the rest of the steps to order your tiles.
What do I do if I have tiles left over?
If at the end of the project you have a few tiles left over, then don’t panic. As we’ve mentioned, it’s always useful to have a few spares in case you need them in the future. Another option is to recycle them into something new, such as a placemat, plant stand or a bigger project. If you have drastically over-ordered, we do accept returns if you let us know as soon as possible, but we do not cover the delivery cost for this.
I still need help working out how many tiles to buy
Don’t worry! We are happy to talk you through the process and give you any advice if you’re still not sure about anything, just get in touch.
A summary of popular tile sizes
| Tile Sizes | Number of Tiles per Square Metre |
| 10cm x 20cm | 50 Tiles |
| 10cm x 30cm | 33.33 Tiles |
| 10cm x 60cm | 16.67 Tiles |
| 15cm x 15cm | 44.44 Tiles |
| 15cm x 30cm | 22.22 Tiles |
| 15cm x 60cm | 11.11 Tiles |
| 15cm x 90cm | 7.41 Tiles |
| 17cm x 52cm | 11.31 Tiles |
| 17.5cm x 50cm | 11.43 Tiles |
| 20cm x 20cm | 25 Tiles |
| 20cm x 50cm | 10 Tiles |
| 20cm x 60cm | 8.33 Tiles |
| 25cm x 40cm | 10 Tiles |
| 25cm x 50cm | 8 Tiles |
| 25cm x 75cm | 5.33 Tiles |
| 30cm x 30cm | 11.11 Tiles |
| 30cm x 60cm | 5.56 Tiles |
| 30cm x 90cm | 3.7 Tiles |
| 31cm x 45cm | 7.17 Tiles |
| 31cm x 56cm | 5.76 Tiles |
| 31.6cm x 31.6cm | 10.01 Tiles |
| 33.3cm x 100cm | 3 Tiles |
| 33.3cm x 33.3cm | 9.02 Tiles |
| 40cm x 60cm | 4.17 Tiles |
| 44cm x 44cm | 5.17 Tiles |
| 45cm x 45cm | 4.94 Tiles |
| 45cm x 90cm | 2.47 Tiles |
| 50cm x 50cm | 4 Tiles |
| 60cm x 120cm | 1.39 Tiles |
| 60cm x 60cm | 2.78 Tiles |
| 75cm x 75cm | 1.78 Tiles |
| 80cm x 80cm | 1.56 Tiles |