Tiles, thinset bags & grout for floors and walls
Enter the area to tile and your tile size. The calculator returns the number of tiles to buy (including waste for cuts and breakage), boxes of tile based on typical box quantities, 50 lb bags of thinset mortar for the trowel size your tile requires, and pounds of grout computed from tile size and joint width. Subtract cutouts like vanities and tubs from your area before entering it.
A 12 ft × 10 ft floor (120 sq ft) with 12×12 tile and 3/16 in joints: 120 tiles before waste; add 12% → 135 tiles. Thinset at ~75 sq ft per 50 lb bag: 2 bags. Grout for 12×12 with 3/16 in joints covers ~115 sq ft per 25 lb bag → 1.1 bags, buy 2. At $4/sq ft the tile costs about $540.
How much tile waste should I add? 10% for standard straight layouts; 15% for diagonal (diamond), herringbone, or large-format tile; 20% for natural stone with culling.
How many 12x12 tiles are in a box? Usually 10 sq ft (10 tiles) per box for ceramic; porcelain and stone vary. Our box count assumes 10 sq ft per box.
How much thinset do I need? A 50 lb bag sets about 90–100 sq ft of small tile with a ¼ in notch trowel, but only 60–70 sq ft of 12×24 large-format with a ½ in notch — buy accordingly.
Sanded or unsanded grout? Sanded for joints ⅛ in and wider (floors, most tile); unsanded for joints under ⅛ in and for soft stone like marble that sand scratches.