Tiles are sold by the box, so what you really need to know is how many boxes. It takes four steps and a phone calculator.
1. Measure the area
Multiply the length of the room by its width, in metres. A room 4 m by 5 m is 20 m². For an L-shaped room, split it into rectangles and add them up. For walls, multiply the width by the height you will tile to, then subtract doors and windows.
2. Add an allowance for cuts and breakage
Tiles are cut at walls, doorways and around pipes, and some break. A common allowance is 10 % for a straight lay and more for a diagonal lay or a room with many corners. For our example: 20 m² × 1.10 = 22 m².
3. Work out what one box covers
Coverage per box = tile width × tile length × pieces in the box. Twyford Kenya publishes these pack sizes for its floor tiles:
- 30 × 30 cm: 17 pieces, which covers 1.53 m²
- 40 × 40 cm: 12 pieces, which covers 1.92 m²
- 50 × 50 cm: 7 pieces, which covers 1.75 m²
- 60 × 60 cm: 4 pieces, which covers 1.44 m²
Always check the label on the box you are buying, because pack sizes can change.
4. Divide and round up
Boxes = area with allowance ÷ coverage per box, always rounded up. For 22 m²:
- 30 × 30: 22 ÷ 1.53 = 14.4, so 15 boxes
- 40 × 40: 22 ÷ 1.92 = 11.5, so 12 boxes
- 50 × 50: 22 ÷ 1.75 = 12.6, so 13 boxes
- 60 × 60: 22 ÷ 1.44 = 15.3, so 16 boxes
Before you order
- Buy everything at once. Tiles are made in batches, and shade can differ slightly between batches. Buying the whole quantity together keeps the floor even.
- Keep one or two spare tiles. They make a future repair invisible.
- Adhesive and grout coverage depends on the tile size, the trowel and the surface, so read the coverage printed on the bag and ask us if you are unsure.
Use the tile estimator to do this arithmetic for you, then send the result to us as a quote request.