Tile Quantity & Cost Calculator (Floor, Wall, Splashback)
Calculate tile quantities for floors, walls, and splashbacks including waste allowance. Adhesive, grout, and 2024 UK cost estimates for typical tile types.
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Tile Quantity Guide (UK)
What should I know about Calculating Tiles Needed?
Step 1: calculate area. Floor: length × width. Wall: length × height. Subtract: doors (~1.8m² each), windows. Bathroom: add all wall areas + floor. Subtract sanitaryware footprint (toilet, basin, bath) — about 2-3m² total. Step 2: add wastage. 10% standard for simple rectangular layouts. 15% for moderate complexity (one alcove, doorway angle). 20% for complex (diagonal layout, multiple obstacles, expensive tile where mistakes are costly). Step 3: divide by tile area. Round up to whole tiles, then add the waste percentage on top to arrive at the final quantity to order.
What's the key thing to understand about Tile Types and Costs (2026 UK)?
Ceramic: cheapest. £10-25/m². Good for walls. Less durable for high-traffic floors. Standard for budget bathroom walls. Porcelain standard: £20-40/m². Most common floor tile. Denser, harder, less porous than ceramic. Used widely for floors and walls. Porcelain premium: £40-80/m². Better appearance, wood-effect porcelain, anti-slip ratings, large format. Increasingly common in mid-range home renovations. Natural stone (slate, limestone, travertine): £40-150/m². Beautiful natural variation. Requires periodic sealing to protect against staining and moisture absorption, unlike glazed porcelain which needs none.
What do I need to know about Adhesive and Grout Quantities?
Tile adhesive: ready-mixed or powdered. Powdered cheaper for larger jobs. Quantity rule of thumb: 4-5 kg per m² (3-5mm tile bed). Specialist adhesive: rapid-set, flexible, large-format. £15-30 per 20kg bag. Brands: BAL, Mapei, Weber, Ardex. Grout: 1-2 kg per m² for most tile sizes/joints. More for smaller tiles or wider joints. Less for large-format tiles with narrow joints. Coloured grout: significantly more expensive than standard white/grey. £20-40 per 5kg bag for coloured. Special grouts: antimicrobial or epoxy formulations cost more still, but are worth it in wet areas like showers where standard grout can develop mould over time.
What's the difference between DIY and Professional?
DIY tile work: cost saving £30-60/m² in labour. 4-8 hours per m² for beginner. Faster with experience. Best for: simple straight layouts. Small areas (bathroom splashback, single wall). Areas where mistakes can be hidden. Avoid DIY for: wet rooms (waterproofing critical). Wall-floor junctions (need decoupling membrane). Large format tiles 600×1200mm (heavy, awkward, mistakes very visible). Expensive marble/stone where waste is costly. Tiler day rate (2026 UK): £200-350/day. Project pricing typically runs £30-60 per square metre for labour on a standard tiling job, more for large-format or complex layouts.