Wall tile calculator
Wall tiling is measured differently from floors: you work along the perimeter of the room, up to the tiling height, and then subtract the parts that stay bare — the door, a mirror, a bath panel or shower enclosure fixed to the wall.
Enter the room's dimensions and the height you want to tile. The calculator assumes all walls are tiled to the same height; if only part of the walls is tiled, add the untiled sections to the openings.
Your measurements
Result
- Net area
- 18.00 m²
- Area to order (incl. waste)
- 19.80 m²
- Number of tiles
- 110 pcs
Assumes every wall is tiled to the same height. If you only tile part of the walls, add the untiled parts to the openings.
How the calculation works
- Room perimeter = 2 × (length + width).
- Tiled area = perimeter × tiling height, minus openings: the door, a mirror, a bathtub or shower enclosure against the wall.
- Area to order = net area + 10% waste (15% for many corners, niches or a diagonal layout).
- Number of tiles = area to order ÷ area of one tile, rounded up.
Worked example
A 3 × 2 m bathroom has a 10 m perimeter. Tiled to 2 m high, that is 20 m², minus 2 m² of openings: 18 m² remain. With 10% waste you order 19.8 m², which is 110 tiles of 30 × 60 cm (0.18 m² each).
What the calculator assumes
- All walls are tiled to the same height.
- 10% waste covers the cuts around pipes, sockets and corners.
- Decorative borders and edge trims are not included.
When to adjust the result
- If you only tile the shower area or a kitchen splashback, add the untiled walls to the openings — otherwise the full-perimeter calculation overestimates.
- For floor-to-ceiling tiling, the tiling height is the room height. A kitchen splashback between worktop and wall units is usually 55–65 cm high.
- Patterned tiles that have to be matched can need more than 15% waste.
Frequently asked questions
How high should bathroom walls be tiled?
It's a design choice: around 1.2 m behind a toilet and basin, around 2 m or up to the ceiling in the shower. Tiling the whole wall costs more in tiles but avoids a paint line in a wet area.
Do I deduct the bathtub from the wall area?
Deduct the part of the wall hidden behind a bath panel or a fixed enclosure if it won't be tiled. If the tiles run down behind the bath to the floor, don't deduct it.
Are wall and floor tiles interchangeable?
Floor tiles can usually go on walls if they're not too heavy, but wall tiles are generally not rated for foot traffic. Check the product's classification before using a wall tile on a floor.