The tile ordering guide

From a tape measure
to a carton count.

Get the surface area, choose an allowance, use the coverage on the carton, then round up. Here is how to keep those four steps separate.

1. Measure each surface in metres

For a rectangular surface, multiply its length by its width. A floor 3.6 m long and 2.4 m wide measures 8.64 m². For a wall, use the height you intend to tile and the wall width.

Divide an L-shaped or stepped surface into rectangles that do not overlap. Name the sections so you can find them in the downloaded estimate. Measure at more than one point if the surface is not square; the calculator assumes each entry is a rectangle.

Only exclude an opening or fixed footprint when you know it will remain untiled. Measure its area separately and enter that area in the optional exclusion field. The exclusion cannot exceed the area of its section. For curved surfaces, sloped boundaries or other complex shapes, use an appropriate measured area or a more detailed layout first.

2. Choose extra coverage for your layout

The measured area is the starting point. Tiles may be cut at edges and around fittings, pieces may break, and you may want matching replacements for later. Patterns can change the amount of cutting waste. These are reasons to add extra coverage; the percentage is still your project decision.

The planner starts at 10% only to illustrate the calculation. It does not choose a percentage for herringbone, diagonal, large-format or unusually shaped layouts. Work from the tile supplier's or installer's guidance for your exact product and pattern. A trial layout can reveal narrow strips or cuts that an area-only estimate misses.

Beaumont Tiles explains why ordering spares for cuts, breakages and future use helps retain matching stock from one production batch. Read its guidance on shades and batches.

3. Read the coverage on the actual box

Look for square metres per carton on the product listing or packaging. Enter that coverage directly. Tile dimensions alone do not identify how many tiles the carton contains, and different products can have different pack quantities.

Check whether the advertised price is per square metre or per box. Tiletally's budget field takes the price of one full box. For example, if a product is A$30 per m² and a box covers 1.44 m², its equivalent box price is A$43.20 before any delivery or applicable adjustments.

Tile Mountain's ordering guide describes using the listed carton coverage and rounding the order to complete boxes. Read its box coverage explanation.

4. Round the requirement up to full boxes

For the 8.64 m² example with a chosen 10% allowance, the coverage requirement is 9.504 m². At 1.44 m² per box, that is 6.6 boxes, so the estimate becomes seven complete boxes.

The 0.576 m² difference comes from rounding up. The total coverage above the original measured floor is 1.44 m². Neither number guarantees the same amount of intact spare tile after installation, because your allowance can be consumed by cuts and breakages.

Before placing an order

• Confirm that each measurement refers to the area you actually intend to tile.
• Check the carton coverage and full-box price against the exact product.
• Check the batch and shade details across delivered cartons, where the product uses them. Tiles from different production batches can vary in appearance.
• Decide whether your chosen extra covers both installation loss and the replacements you want to keep.
• Budget separately for adhesive, grout, trims, preparation, labour and other project costs.

Sources checked 11 October 2026: Beaumont Tiles: shades and batches; Tile Mountain: calculating tile quantities. The examples and explanation above are written for Tiletally; retailer recommendations are not automatically applied by the calculator.

Make your own tile box estimate →