1. Select your shape
Choose from rectangle, circle, triangle, trapezoid, L-shape, annulus, or wall-and-window layouts to match your project.
What is tile square footage?
Tile square footage is the total surface area that needs to be covered with tiles, measured in square feet. To find tile square footage, measure the area length and width in feet and multiply them together, then add 10-15% for waste from cuts and breakage. Tile square footage determines how many boxes or sheets of tile to order for your project.
Getting started
How to Calculate Square Footage for Tile
To calculate square footage for tile, measure the surface length and width in feet and multiply. Add 10% waste for simple rectangular layouts, or 15% for diagonal patterns and areas with many cuts. Divide total square footage by the coverage per box to determine how many boxes to order.
2. Enter your measurements
Input dimensions in feet, inches, yards, meters, or centimeters. The Square Foot Calculator converts units automatically.
3. Get area and cost
View results in square feet, square yards, square meters, and acres. Add a material price per unit to estimate total project cost.
Quick reference
Reference
1 acre = 43,560 square feet
1 square yard = 9 square feet
1 square meter = 10.764 square feet
1 square inch = 0.00064516 square feet
Material pricing
Calculate Cost of Materials
Enter the price per square foot of material to estimate total cost. The calculator accepts pricing in square feet, square inches, square yards, or square meters and converts to the correct total based on your area.
There are 2 steps to calculate material cost:
- Enter the price per unit area. For tiling projects, enter the price per box and the number of square feet each box covers. For carpet, enter the cost per square yard. For flooring installation with hardwood or laminate, enter the cost per square foot.
- Select the unit of area that matches your pricing. The Square Foot Calculator multiplies your total area by the unit price to produce an estimated material cost, including labor costs when added to the per-unit price.
To calculate the volume of bulk materials like mulch or gravel for landscaping, convert area to cubic yards or cubic meters by multiplying the area by the depth of material.
Core formula
Basic Formula for Area
Area is the amount of space occupied by a 2-dimensional shape. The shape could be a floor, a wall, a playground, or a field. The simplest formula for area applies to any rectangular shape:
Area = Length × Width
Measure the length and width of the space in feet. Multiply the two values to get the area in square feet. A rectangular room that is 12 feet (3.66 meters) long and 10 feet (3.05 meters) wide has an area of 120 sq ft (11.15 sq m).
Square yardage is area measured in yards, and square meters is area measured in meters. Measure in feet, find the area in square feet, then convert to the unit you need.
For an L-shape room, split the floor into 2 rectangular sections, calculate each area, and add the results. Convert all measurements to the same unit before multiplying, if your dimensions are in different units like inches and feet.
Basic Length Conversion
Convert other units of measure to feet with these 4 formulas:
| From | To Feet | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | Feet | Divide by 12 |
| Yards | Feet | Multiply by 3 |
| Meters | Feet | Multiply by 3.28084 |
| Centimeters | Feet | Divide by 30.48 |
For example, 48 inches ÷ 12 = 4 feet. A measurement of 5 meters × 3.28084 = 16.40 feet. The Square Foot Calculator handles these conversions automatically when you select the input unit.
Unit conversion
Area Conversion
Measure your space in inches or centimeters, calculate area in square inches or square centimeters, then convert to any unit you need, including square feet, square yards, square meters, or acres.
| Unit | Square Feet Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 sq ft | 144 sq in |
| 1 sq yd | 9 sq ft |
| 1 sq m | 10.764 sq ft |
| 1 acre | 43,560 sq ft |
A 300 sq ft room equals 33.33 sq yd, 27.87 sq m, or 43,200 sq in. The Square Footage Calculator displays all conversions at once so you can compare units for flooring, carpet, or tiling projects without manual math.
Shape formulas
Area Formulas for Different Shapes
The Square Foot Calculator supports 11 shape formulas for construction, interior design, landscaping, and flooring projects. Each formula below includes a diagram with labeled dimensions.
Square Shape
Calculate square foot of a square
Using measurements in feet: Area (ft²) = Side Length². The formula to calculate area of any box shape is length × width. Since length equals width for a square, area is the side length squared. A square with 8-foot (2.44-meter) sides has an area of 64 sq ft.
Rectangle Shape
Calculate square foot of a rectangle
Using measurements in feet: Area (ft²) = Length × Width. This is the most common formula for calculating square footage of a rectangular room, floor, wall, or field. A room 15 feet (4.57 meters) long and 12 feet (3.66 meters) wide has a Rectangle Area of 180 sq ft (16.72 sq m).
Waste factor
Adding 10% Surplus for Materials
Add a 10% surplus to your calculated area to account for material waste during cutting, breakage, and pattern matching. This waste factor applies to flooring, carpet, tiling projects, and landscaping materials.
Original Area
100 sq ft
+10%
Order Amount
110 sq ft
Total Material = Area × 1.10
A room with 200 sq ft of floor area needs 220 sq ft of material: 200 × 1.10 = 220 sq ft. Increase the surplus to 15% (multiply by 1.15) for diagonal flooring installation patterns or complex tiling projects with many cuts. The Square Foot Calculator includes a waste factor field for this calculation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate how many tiles I need?
Measure the area in square feet (length x width), add 10-15% for waste, then divide by the area per tile. For example, a 60 sq ft floor with 12x12 inch tiles (1 sq ft each) needs about 66 tiles (60 x 1.10).
How much tile do I need for a 10x10 bathroom?
A 10x10 bathroom needs 100 square feet of tile plus 10-15% waste = 110-115 sq ft. That is approximately 5-6 boxes of tile if each box covers 20 sq ft.
How do I calculate tile for walls?
Measure wall height x wall width for each wall, subtract window and door areas, then add all walls together. Add 15% waste for wall tile because vertical cuts and edge pieces create more waste.
How much extra tile should I buy?
Buy 10% extra for straightforward rectangular floors, 15% for diagonal layouts or complex patterns, and 20% for small mosaic tiles. Keep leftover tiles for future repairs.
How do I calculate tile cost?
Multiply total square footage (with waste) by price per square foot. If tile costs $3.50/sq ft and you need 115 sq ft, material cost is $402.50. Add $5-15/sq ft for professional installation.
How many 12x24 tiles do I need per square foot?
Each 12x24 inch tile covers 2 square feet. Divide your total square footage by 2 to get the number of tiles. A 100 sq ft floor needs 50 tiles of this size, plus waste.