Tiles & paint calculator
A quick tiles calculator for any room — enter the length, width and tile size to get the number of tiles and full boxes to buy, with a built-in wastage allowance.
Switch to paint mode to turn a wall area, the tin's coverage and the number of coats into litres and tins. A planning-level tool for renovations and new builds, computed entirely in your browser.
What are you estimating?
Side of a square tile, e.g. 600 for a 600 × 600 mm tile.
Check the carton — large tiles often pack 2–4 per box.
Extra for cuts, breakage and future repairs — usually 10%.
Tiles needed
43 tiles
Covering 14.00 m² floor (incl. 10% wastage)
Boxes to buy
11
Floor area
14.00 m²
Per tile
0.360 m²
Tiles
43
Boxes
11
| Tiles formula | ceil( floor ÷ tile × (1 + waste) ) |
| Floor area | 4 m × 3.5 m = 14.00 m² |
| Tile area | 600 mm² → 0.360 m² per tile |
| With wastage | × (1 + 10%) = 43 tiles |
| Boxes | ceil( 43 ÷ 4 per box ) = 11 |
A planning-level estimate. Tile counts assume square tiles laid straight with no large feature cuts; diagonal, herringbone or patterned layouts need more. Paint coverage varies with surface porosity, colour change and application — always check the figure printed on the tin and buy a little extra.
From room dimensions to a shopping list
Tiles come down to floor area divided by tile area, padded for wastage and rounded up to whole boxes; paint is wall area times coats divided by the coverage printed on the tin.
Measure the area
For tiles, multiply room length × width in metres. For paint, total the wall or ceiling area and subtract large doors and windows.
Divide by the unit
Tiles: area ÷ one tile's area (a 600 mm tile is 0.36 m²). Paint: area × coats ÷ coverage (m² per litre).
Pad and round up
Add ~10% tile wastage for cuts and breakage, then round up to whole tiles, boxes and paint tins.
Tiles & paint, answered
How do I calculate how many tiles a room needs?+
Work out the floor area (length × width in metres), then divide by the area of one tile. A 600 × 600 mm tile covers 0.36 m², so a 14 m² room needs 14 ÷ 0.36 ≈ 39 tiles before wastage. Add a wastage allowance — usually 10% — for cuts and breakage, then round up to whole tiles and boxes.
How much wastage should I add for tiles?+
A 10% allowance is the common rule of thumb for a straight (grid) layout in a simple rectangular room. Allow more — 12–15% — for diagonal or herringbone patterns, many cuts around fittings, or large-format tiles where a single break is costly. The default here is 10%.
Why does the calculator round up to whole boxes?+
Tiles are sold by the box, not individually, so the boxes figure rounds up: boxes = ceil(tiles ÷ tiles-per-box). Buying full boxes also leaves a few matching spares from the same batch, which is useful for future repairs since later production runs can differ slightly in shade.
How is the amount of paint calculated?+
Litres = wall area × number of coats ÷ coverage. Coverage is the area one litre covers in a single coat, printed on the tin — emulsion is typically about 10–14 m² per litre. For a 40 m² wall at 10 m²/L with two coats: 40 × 2 ÷ 10 = 8 litres.
What paint coverage should I use for Nepal?+
Use the figure on your specific tin, as it varies by brand and product. Common interior emulsions quote roughly 10–14 m² per litre per coat on a smooth, primed wall; rough plaster, fresh putty or a strong colour change reduces coverage and may need an extra coat. The default 10 m²/L is a safe, conservative starting point.
Should I subtract doors and windows?+
For paint, yes — subtract large openings such as doors and picture windows from the wall area for a tighter estimate, though many people leave small windows in as a built-in margin. For floor tiles, measure the actual floor to be covered and rely on the wastage allowance for the rest.
Sources & data note
Tiles = ceil(floor area ÷ tile area × (1 + wastage)); paint litres = wall area × coats ÷ coverage. Tile sizes follow common IS 15622 nominal dimensions and coverage defaults reflect typical emulsion practice. These are indicative planning estimates — confirm the coverage printed on your paint tin and your tiles-per-box, and verify quantities with your supplier before buying.