Tile installation cost calculator: price per square foot.
Enter the area, tile size and joint, and get tiles and boxes with waste, grout from joint geometry, thinset bags and an installed price per square foot or square meter. A worked tile estimate example and tile takeoff checklist follow.
Send one plan set. See what the AI extracts and what it flags for review. No obligation.
- Any tile size
- Grout from joint geometry
- Installed price per area
1 · Area & tile
2 · Grout & thinset
3 · Prices
Live formula
Save your results
Copy these results, then add your approved sample files in the trial brief.
Estimates only. Check every default against your spec, supplier data and crew records before you bid.
Standard formulas, shown on the page.
Nothing hidden. These are the same steps an estimator runs on a takeoff sheet.
1. Tiles
Divide the area by the face area of one tile (length × width ÷ 144), then add waste for cuts, breakage and pattern.
2. Boxes and purchased area
Round up to whole boxes. The purchased area is what you actually pay for, and it is usually more than area plus waste.
3. Grout
Each tile owns one joint along its length and one along its width. Volume per square foot follows from the tile count per square foot, joint width and depth.
4. Thinset and installed price
Thinset coverage depends on trowel notch and substrate; use the bag's chart. Installed price adds tile, setting materials and labor per area.
Every default is cited or editable.
Replace any of these with your spec, supplier data sheet or job-cost history. The calculator recalculates instantly.
| Input | Default | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Waste | 12% | Editable assumption; diagonal, herringbone and large-format layouts often need more |
| Grout density | 0.06 lb per in³ | Editable assumption; use the grout manufacturer's calculator or yield |
| Thinset coverage | 90 sq ft per bag | Editable assumption; varies with trowel notch, tile size and back-buttering |
| Joint depth | 3/8 in | Example; roughly the tile thickness |
Pricing 850 sq ft of 12 × 24 tile, step by step.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Tiles before waste | 850 ÷ (24 × 12 ÷ 144) = 850 ÷ 2.0 | 425 tiles |
| Add 12% waste | 425 × 1.12 | 476 tiles |
| Boxes of 8 | ⌈476 ÷ 8⌉ | 60 boxes = 960 sq ft purchased |
| Grout | 850 × 0.831 in³/sq ft × 1.12 | ≈ 791 in³ → ≈ 47 lb at 0.06 lb/in³ |
| Thinset | ⌈850 ÷ 90⌉ | 10 bags |
| Installed price | (tile $ + thinset $ + labor $) ÷ 850 | your $/sq ft |
These match the calculator defaults. The purchased area (960 sq ft) is what you pay for, not 850 × 1.12 = 952 sq ft.
What a tile takeoff has to capture.
- Finish codes by room from the finish schedule, not just the plan hatch.
- Floor and wall tile separately, with wainscot heights from elevations.
- Base, trim and transitions as linear and count items.
- Substrate prep: leveling, crack isolation, waterproofing membranes.
- Pattern and size: large-format and patterned layouts change waste and labor.
From calculator to bid: get the quantities off the drawings.
Speed is easy to promise. Defensible numbers are the job, so RenderDraw keeps the estimator in control of every quantity that gets priced.
- Source on every row. Each quantity keeps its source sheet, location and reviewer decision.
- Lowest confidence first. The review queue shows the drawing tile with the detection highlighted and the extracted value.
- Uncertain items flagged, not hidden. Anything the AI can't confirm goes to the estimator rather than being guessed.
- Nothing priced before approval. Rows move on to pricing only after they are accepted.
Questions estimators ask
How do I calculate how many tiles I need?
Divide the area by the area of one tile in square feet (length × width in inches ÷ 144), add a waste percentage, and round up to whole boxes.
How much waste should I add for tile?
Commonly 10–15% for straight lay, more for diagonal, herringbone or large-format tile in small rooms. The default is an editable assumption.
How do you calculate grout?
Grout volume per square foot = 144 ÷ ((L + j)(W + j)) × (L + W) × j × depth, with tile size, joint width and depth in inches. Multiply by area and convert to pounds with the grout's density.
What is a tile takeoff?
The measurement of tile scope from drawings: floor and wall areas by finish code, base and trim lengths, transitions, waterproofing and prep areas, ready for pricing.
Can RenderDraw do tile takeoff from plans?
Yes. RenderDraw proposes finish polygons by code, base lengths and transitions from finish plans and schedules, each linked to the source sheet, for estimator review.
See what the AI reads on your own drawings.
Send one representative flooring plan set. RenderDraw reviews it and follows up with what the AI extracted and what it flagged for review. Your files remain private while the request is assessed, and there is no obligation.
- Upload finish plans, the room finish schedule, flooring details and the Division 09 flooring spec sections.
- RenderDraw reviews the set and the scope you want tested.
- We follow up with extracted quantities, flagged items and next steps.