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Wall Tile Calculator

Quick answer: multiply each wall’s width by its height, add the walls together, subtract doors and windows, divide by the area of one tile and add 10–15% waste. The calculator below opens pre-set to wall mode with 12×24 in tiles and does all of it — including grout, adhesive and cost.

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 Wall Tile

  1. Measure each wall separately

    Enter every wall as its own surface, including the one behind a door. Measure at three heights and use the largest reading - old studs rarely run straight.

  2. Deduct only the big openings

    Subtract windows and doors as their own deductions. Leave outlets, pipes and the shower head arm in the count, since each one costs a cut tile regardless.

  3. Set tile and waste, then read the total

    Pick your tile size and pattern, set the grout gap, and choose waste - 10% for straight stacking, 15% for subway, 20% for diagonal. Tiles, boxes, grout and cost update as you type.

Measure every wall separately

Walls are not one big rectangle. Measure width at the floor, middle and ceiling — old walls bow — and use the largest number. Record each wall as its own line item: a bathroom with a 5×8 ft back wall and two 3×8 ft side walls is 40 + 24 + 24 = 88 sq ft before deductions. Per-wall numbers also make ordering painless, because cut planning happens wall by wall when the boxes arrive.

Deduct only what matters

Subtract full doors, windows and archways over about 10 sq ft. Keep everything smaller in the count: outlets, switches, pipes and shower valves each eat a cut tile, so deducting them double-charges you. In the calculator, add each opening’s width and height and it is subtracted from the wall total automatically.

Waste by pattern, not by guess

Pattern decides waste more than room size does. Straight stacked layouts need 10–12%, subway and running-bond need 12–15% since alternate rows start with cut halves, and herringbone or chevron needs 20–25%. Small mosaic and backsplash tiles sit at 15% even in straight layouts — there are simply more cuts per square foot. Choose the pattern above and the allowance is built into every number.

Bathroom walls and backsplashes

A full bathroom is usually three or four tiled walls plus a shower zone — add a wall section per wall and, if the shower differs in tile, run it as its own estimate on ourshower tile calculator. Kitchen backsplashes follow the same math at small scale: length times height to the cabinets, outlets included, waste at 15%. One spare box per tile type covers future repairs — dye lots drift and discontinued wall tiles are essentially unmatchable.

FAQ

Wall tile questions, answered.

How many wall tiles do I need for a 10×8 ft wall?
A 10×8 ft wall is 80 sq ft. With 12×24 in tiles (2 sq ft each) you need 40 tiles — order 44 with the 10% buffer for cuts and breakage. The calculator above opens pre-set to wall mode with 12×24 in tiles, so just enter each wall’s width and height.
Should I subtract doors and windows from wall tile area?
Subtract openings larger than about 10 sq ft — full doors, windows and archways. Leave outlets, switches, mixing valves and small niches in the total: the cuts around them waste roughly as much tile as the opening saves. The calculator has a built-in openings deduction for exactly this.
How much extra tile for a subway vs straight wall pattern?
Straight stacked walls need 10–12% extra, subway or running-bond needs 12–15% because every second row starts with a cut half-tile, and herringbone or chevron needs 20–25%. Set the pattern in the calculator and the cutting waste is added automatically.
How does a bathroom wall tile calculator handle multiple walls?
It measures each wall separately — width times height per wall — then sums them and deducts openings. That matters because corners are rarely square and each wall produces its own offcuts. Add one wall section per wall in the calculator above and everything merges into a single tile, box and cost total.
Can I use the same calculator for a kitchen backsplash?
Yes. A backsplash is just a small wall with many outlets: measure length times height, keep outlets in the area, and raise waste to 15% since small mosaic and subway tiles need far more cuts per square foot. The wall mode above handles it — no separate backsplash tool needed.

Tiling a floor, ceiling or backsplash instead? Try themain tile calculator, the floor tile calculator, the bathroom tile calculator, the ceiling tile calculator, or the backsplash tile calculator.