Bathroom floor area is only one part of the tile takeoff
Calculate the floor as length × width. Calculate the walls as perimeter × tiled height, then deduct doors and windows within the tiled area. A 3 × 2 m bathroom has 6 m² of floor and a 10 m perimeter. At a tiled height of 2.4 m, the gross wall area is 24 m² before openings.
Use the height to which tiles will actually be installed, which may be lower than the room height. When only two walls are tiled or heights vary, measure the individual faces instead of multiplying the full perimeter by the highest height. The calculator's wet-wall option assumes four walls tiled to one height for each room; check that this matches your scope.
A 3 × 2 m bathroom using one product on walls and floor
- Floor dimensions / tiled height
- 3 × 2 m / 2.4 m
- Door
- 1 × 0.8 × 2.1 m
- Tile size / carton coverage
- 60 × 60 cm / 1.44 m²
- Layout / waste
- Straight / 7%
- Skirting and extra cutting allowance
- Not added
The requirement after waste is 30.3024 m²; 22 cartons supply 31.68 m². This assumes one product suitable for the intended surfaces. Split the order when the wall and floor products differ.
Open this example in the calculatorView the result captured from the calculator
Worked example: deduct the door, then add waste
A 0.8 m wide, 2.1 m high door removes 1.68 m² from the tiled wall area. Net walls are 24 − 1.68 = 22.32 m². Adding the 6 m² floor gives 28.32 m². With the example's 7% waste, the requirement is 28.32 × 1.07 = 30.3024 m². Do not also deduct the doorway from the floor: it is an opening in the wall face.
At 1.44 m² per carton, 30.3024 ÷ 1.44 = approximately 21.0433 cartons, rounded up to 22. The order supplies 31.68 m². Its surplus above the waste-adjusted requirement is about 1.38 m². That comes from buying whole cartons and is not another waste percentage to apply again.
When to separate wall and floor cartons
Combine the surfaces only when they use the same product, reference and finish, and the manufacturer confirms suitability for both uses. If the products differ, keep two order lines even if their dimensions and carton coverage match. Equal areas do not establish that a wall tile is suitable for flooring or that spare pieces of another colour can fill a shortage.
If different wall and floor products each cover 1.44 m² per carton and retain the 7% allowance, the floor requires 6.42 m², or 5 cartons. The walls require 23.8824 m², or 17 cartons. They happen to total 22 here, but must be ordered separately. Rounding a combined area will not always equal the total of independently rounded products.
Convert tile dimensions to square metres and pieces
Tile area in m² = length in centimetres × width in centimetres ÷ 10,000. The table shows area per piece and theoretical pieces per square metre before joints, cutting and waste. Avoid rounding pieces per square metre before multiplying by the bathroom area. Divide the total required area by the area per piece and round only the final quantity.
Carton coverage comes from the specific product and packaging. Saudi Ceramics lists product 110116902501016 as 60 × 60 cm with 1.44 m² per carton. This is a documented pack example, not proof that every carton of that size has the same coverage. Read the actual pack value instead of inferring it from the tile's shape.
| Tile size | Area per piece | Theoretical pieces per m² |
|---|---|---|
| 30 × 30 cm | 0.09 m² | 11.11 |
| 30 × 60 cm | 0.18 m² | 5.56 |
| 60 × 60 cm | 0.36 m² | 2.78 |
| 60 × 120 cm | 0.72 m² | 1.39 |
Account for windows, niches and bath panels
Deduct only the part of an opening inside the tiled height. If a window starts at 1.8 m and ends at 2.6 m while tiling stops at 2.4 m, the deduction height is 0.6 m, not 0.8 m. Add tiled reveals, niche sides and niche backs using their measured areas. Deducting the opening does not account for those recessed surfaces.
Take off bath panels, partitions, built-in seats and other surfaces separately when they are not represented by the basic rectangle. The calculator cannot infer these from room length and width. Only exclude floor beneath a fixed fitting if the installation scope excludes it. Raising waste is not a substitute for measuring a missing surface.
Check the layout and supporting materials before ordering
The example uses an editable 7% allowance. Cuts at corners and openings, directional patterns and decorative bands may change the requirement, so have the tiler review the layout. Give decorative products and different sizes their own order lines. Record a future repair reserve separately if required; cutting waste does not guarantee usable whole spare tiles.
The carton quantity excludes adhesive, grout, waterproofing and trims. Each needs its own specification and estimating basis. Confirm the product reference, coverage and supply batch with the supplier, and keep tiled heights and opening measurements with the calculation so design changes can be reflected in the order.
Sources and product references
These references explain the method or a specific product. Match the product and specification to your project before ordering.
- Saudi Ceramics: 60 × 60 cm tile, product 110116902501016
Source for the 1.44 m² packaging example. Bathroom geometry is illustrative; product suitability for walls and floors is a separate check.
Common questions about this calculation
How many square metres of tiles does a 3 × 2 m bathroom need?
The floor is 6 m². Tiling all four walls to 2.4 m and deducting a 0.8 × 2.1 m door gives 28.32 m² including the floor before waste, or 30.3024 m² with 7% waste.
How many 60 × 60 cm tiles are in a square metre?
Each piece covers 0.36 m², so one square metre is about 2.78 pieces before joints, cutting and waste. For purchasing, divide the total waste-adjusted area by piece area or by the actual carton coverage.
Do I deduct the full door height for half-height wall tiling?
Deduct only the opening inside the tiled portion. Multiply its width by the height overlapping the tiling scope, then measure any tiled reveals separately.
Prepared by the KSA Home Calc team. Content and defaults await professional review before launch. Updated: .