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Backsplash Tile Calculator

Quick answer: multiply backsplash length by height (usually 18 in), keep outlets in the total, divide by one tile’s area and add 15% waste. A 10 ft kitchen run needs about 135 subway tiles ordered. The calculator below opens pre-set to 3×6 subway with 15% waste.

Tile Calculator

Estimate tiles for any room, instantly.

Pick your units, enter your space, choose a tile. Everything updates live — no buttons, no waiting.

What are you tiling?
Units
Area to cover
Tile size
Layout pattern

Diagonal & herringbone add cutting waste automatically.

mm
%
Add box size & price

Used to estimate boxes needed.

Adhesive trowel

Bigger tiles usually need a deeper notched trowel.

Your Estimate

Live

Tiles needed

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0 boxes · covers 0 sq ft

Total area

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With waste

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Grout

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Adhesive

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How it works

How to Calculate Backsplash Tile

  1. Measure length and height

    Enter the run of the backsplash and its height, in inches or centimetres. If the counter turns a corner, enter each run as its own surface.

  2. Keep outlets in, take windows out

    Outlet cut-outs are smaller than the tile around them, so leave them in the count. Deduct any window that sits over the counter.

  3. Set the tile and read the order

    Pick the tile size, grout gap and waste - 15% for a straight run, 20% for diagonal or herringbone. You get tiles, boxes, grout, adhesive and cost back.

Measure length × height, in inches

Backsplashes live in inches, not feet: a 10 ft run at 18 in high is 120 × 18 in, or 15 sq ft. Measure each wall run separately — L-shaped kitchens have two or three — and measure the above-range zone on its own, since it often runs 24–36 in high or full height to the ceiling with an accent tile. Full-height runs to an 8 ft ceiling stop being backsplash math: calculate those as awall tilejob instead.

Outlets stay in, windows come out

The rule that surprises everyone: do not deduct outlets and switches. Each box deducts a fraction of a square foot on paper but eats nearly a whole tile in cuts — subtracting them guarantees a shortfall. Deduct only windows and the range-hood opening. Inside corners deserve the same respect: every corner produces two cut tiles, one per joining wall, which is exactly what the 15% default waste covers.

Pick the tile, accept its waste

Three tiles own the backsplash market. Subway 3×6 in is the default at 10–12% waste; straightforward rows, cheap cuts. Mosaic sheets (usually 12×12 in per sheet) cost 15% — narrow strips mean constant cuts — and count sheets, not tiles, rounding up. Large format like 12×24 in looks seamless at 10–12% but needs a perfectly flat wall. Herringbone doubles cutting at every edge: 15–20%, more in short 18 in strips that are nearly all perimeter. Glass and marble chip while cutting, so take the top of each range.

Grout, adhesive and the order

Small tiles drink grout — a mosaic backsplash uses far more per square foot than a 12×24 wall, and the calculator’s kg figure already reflects your tile size and gap. Walls take mastic or thinset depending on tile weight; heavy stone needs latex-modified thinset even vertically. Add tiles-per-box and price for the job cost, then keep the leftovers: one opened box of your dye lot beats a perfect reorder that doesn’t match. Tiling the whole bathroom instead? Use theshower tile calculatorfor wet zones.

FAQ

Backsplash questions, answered.

How many tiles do I need for a 10 ft kitchen backsplash?
A 10 ft run at the standard 18 in height is 15 sq ft. With 3×6 in subway tiles (0.125 sq ft each) you need 120 tiles — order about 135 with 15% waste for outlet cuts and row ends. The calculator above opens pre-set to 3×6 subway in wall mode with 15% waste.
Should I deduct outlets and switches from backsplash area?
No. A standard outlet box is a fraction of a square foot, but cutting around it consumes nearly a full tile — deducting outlets undercounts you. Subtract only large openings like windows and the range-hood zone. Small cutouts stay in the total as built-in cut allowance.
What is the standard kitchen backsplash height?
18 inches from countertop to cabinet bottom is the US standard — a 10 ft kitchen therefore needs about 15 sq ft before waste. Above the range, tile runs higher (often 24–36 in or full height to the ceiling), so measure that zone separately and add it as its own area.
Subway, mosaic or herringbone — how much extra tile?
Straight subway needs 10–12% extra, mosaic sheets and running-bond need 15% because narrow strips produce more cuts per square foot, and herringbone needs 15–20% — nearly every tile at the top and bottom edges needs an angled cut. Set the pattern above and waste is added automatically.
How do I count mosaic sheets for a backsplash?
Mosaic sells by the sheet, usually 12×12 in (1 sq ft per sheet). Divide your square footage by sheet coverage, then add 15% and round up to whole sheets — you cannot buy half a sheet. Enter 12×12 as a custom tile size above and set boxes to sheets-per-order if your supplier packs them that way.

Bigger than a backsplash? Try themain tile calculatorfor full rooms, thefloor tile calculator, the bathroom tile calculator, the wall tile calculator, or the ceiling tile calculator.