Tile guide
How to measure a bathroom for tile
A bathroom is several tile jobs in one room: the floor, the shower or tub walls, and sometimes a backsplash or wainscot. Measure each surface on its own, because they often use different tile and different waste allowances.
1. The floor
Measure the floor wall to wall and multiply length by width. Subtract the footprint of a vanity or tub only if the tile will stop at it; many installers tile under freestanding pieces. Add the area inside a walk-in shower separately if it uses a different floor tile.
2. Shower and tub walls
Measure each wall that gets tile, width × the height you will tile to. A tub surround is usually three walls from the tub rim up; a walk-in shower is usually floor to ceiling or to just above the shower head. Add the walls together.
- Subtract windows and doors, but not small cutouts like valves.
- Add the back and sides of a niche as extra area.
- Add curbs and benches: top plus each exposed face.
3. Pick the allowance for each surface
Small rooms with many edges, niches, and a patterned layout produce more offcuts than a large open floor. Keep the allowance per surface, then add the tile counts. See tile waste percentage explained.
Worked example
- Floor 8 × 5 ft = 40 sq ft, minus a 2.5 × 2 ft vanity = 35 sq ft.
- Tub surround: back wall 5 ft × 6 ft + two ends 2.5 ft × 6 ft = 60 sq ft.
- Floor in 12 × 24 in tile (2 sq ft each) with 10%: 35 × 1.1 ÷ 2 = 19.25, so 20 tiles.
- Walls in 3 × 6 in subway (8 per sq ft) with 15%: 60 × 1.15 × 8 = 552 tiles.
Don’t forget
- Grout for each tile size, from the manufacturer’s chart. The grout calculator uses that coverage.
- Edge trim or bullnose for exposed tile edges, measured in linear feet.
- Backer board and waterproofing for wet areas, per your product’s instructions.