A free tile cost calculator to help you budget your next project
Taking on a home DIY project like installing a tile floor can be a great way to save money. But you want to make sure you have the right amount of tile before you head out. Here is our ceramic tile calculator that can help you figure out how many tiles you will need and how much it will cost you.
That’s right; this is also a tile cost calculator! This calculator helps you calculate the cost of the tile and what you will need to take on this project. You can use this to calculate floor tile, wall tile, and any other area you want to tile.
And if you want to know how much it will cost to have someone do it for you, all you have to do is add the labor cost to the equation.
What you will need to use the tile calculator
There are a few things you will need to know to use this calculator. This will work on tile flooring and can work on all sizes.
Tile size
Use this section to show the size of a single tile. You can measure your tile in any unit of measure you want. This calculator will accommodate inches, feet, meters, centimeters, and yards. That way, you can calculate the area of surface a single tile will have in your project and how many you will need to cover the square footage (or square inches or square meters, or square yards) you are working with.
Area to Cover
This is the total area you plan on covering. Most people will use square feet, but it will also do other sizes to help you get an accurate idea of the tile surface you need to cover.
Size for the gap between tiles
Your tiles will need spacers in-between this means you will need fewer tiles than if they all butted up against each other. The spacers’ size is important because you will want to know how big your grout lines are going to be.
Box count
To help you out with your shopping, we’ve added a box count. You may be able to buy a few tiles separately, but usually, they sell tile by the box.
Price of the tiles
This is best done at the cost of an individual tile. By entering in the cost of tile, you can figure out how many tiles you will need for your project and get a cost estimate of your job before entering the labor cost for the project.
Please note that this doesn’t include sales tax or any environmental fees that may be charged.
Cost of labor and materials
If you want to budget for hiring a tile installer, you can enter the amount here. If you would prefer to install the tile on your own, you can simply enter the amount for materials (other than tile) you are budgeting for. Some installers will charge per square foot and others for the job as a whole.
Are you doing a renovation? Use our free home renovation budget template in Excel and Google Sheets.
How to measure for tile
When you measure the area, pick a unit of measure ( square feet is most common, but you can also do cm, meters, inches, and yards). Take note of the area’s length and the width that you will need to cover with your tile.
For example, if you are tiling a backsplash of a kitchen, you would measure the backsplash’s total length and the width that you plan to cover.
Let’s say you are using inches, and it’s a total of 72 inches long, and the height is 22 inches.
Next, measure the tile dimensions. If the tile is 3 inches high and 6 inches long, you would make a note and enter the in the tile calculator above.
Next, you will want to take note of how wide the spaces are. Tiles will have spacers in between to keep the grout lines uniform and to keep things looking symmetrical.
What about tile installation cost?
Once you know the area you want to cover with tile and the price range, you can enter your installation costs. Tile projects can vary from state to state, so you will need to enter an amount that you believe will be accurate.
It’s important to note that the cost of using a tile contractor can vary depending on the project. For instance, doing a new kitchen floor is a lot easier than installing shower tile.
Also, depending on the type of material the contractor uses, you may have some discrepancies. If you know what you want and the area, you can call them and confidently talk with them and say something like, “I want ceramic tile flooring covering 1200 sq ft”. This way, you will know the tile installation’s actual cost because you already know the rest of the project cost.
Are you thinking of installing carpet as well? Here is our carpeting calculator.
What type of tile will this work with?
You can use a variety of different types of tiles for this calculator. This will work on porcelain tile, natural stone tiles, rectified tile, or any other type you can think of.
What tile materials and tile supplies you will need
Tile materials needed
- Tiles
- Grout
- Caulking
- Spacers
Tile tools
- Tile Cutter
- Tile Saw(Wet saw)
- Trowel
- Level
- Tape measure
- Drop cloths
- Tile adhesive or adhesive mat
If you are looking for how to tile a ceramic floor, you should see this article or this one for how to tile a backsplash.
How much extra tile to buy?
When you buy your tile, make sure to buy an extra 10-20% more tile. The extra amount will depend on the complexity of the project and your level of expertise.
With every tile installation project, you will have some tiles that break or that don’t cut properly. Make sure you have enough tile for your project, and you can always return the unopened boxes at the end if there are any. You don’t want to run out of tile 80% of the way to find out that your tile is no longer in stock.
Tile calculator for your next tiling project