Whether you are a tile aficionado or a natural stone novice, reviewing the fundamentals of natural stone never hurts.
One of the most important fundamentals of natural stone tiles is understanding how to calculate tile square footage.
Today, we will walk you through exactly how you can calculate the square footage of your tile quickly and easily.
Let’s get started!
What You’ll Need
We’re here to share the good news: calculating your tile square footage does not require ample time or resources.
You’ll need a tape measure to capture the length and width of the surface you’re covering, a place to store your measurements (like a pen and paper or your computer), and a calculator.
The Formula for Calculating Square Footage
To calculate the square footage for your tile, you will need the following formula:
Looking at this formula, you might wonder how and why the number 144 comes into play in this equation.
The answer is simple: 1 foot equals 12 inches, and 1 foot squared, or 12 inches squared, equates to 144 inches. So, dividing your measurements by 144 gives you a shortcut for finding your tile’s square footage.
Let’s look at an example to better understand how this formula functions.
Say you are creating a patterned tile installation on your living room wall.
If your wall measures 132 inches long and 96 inches wide, then you would apply the formula as follows:
While there is a little math and measuring involved, using this formula can help you calculate the square footage for your tile efficiently and effectively.
A Good Rule of Thumb
You might be wondering: How many tiles are in a square foot?
The answer to this question depends on what size tile you are using.
Review the chart below to better understand how many tiles make up a single square foot for some of the most common tile sizes.
Or look at the visual breakdown below, to see what one square foot of tile looks like in different-sized tiles:
This is our Camille Pattern in 4×4, 6×6, and 12×12 from our Made to Order tile line. We see here how the tile size will change the look and pattern repeat in a square foot.
Calculating Square Footage for Backsplashes
Our decorative tiles are commonly installed on kitchen backsplashes.
Looking below at a photo featuring our Cherry Blossoms on Luster Limestone, we will walk you through how to apply the square footage formula to a backsplash.
First, you must measure the length and width of the wall space between the kitchen counter and stove hood (or cabinetry) where the tile will be installed.
The backsplash in the kitchen above measures 18” by 30.”
Using our trusty formula, multiply 18 x 30 to get 540 inches.
To calculate our final square footage, you would divide 540 inches by 144 to get a total of 3.75 square feet. Easy, right?
Calculating Square Footage for Stair Risers
We see here a lovely stair riser installation of our Chapman (Sky) on Carrara Blanco.
Stair Risers generally tend to be 7” tall. Each stair riser area measures 7”x 36,” and this installation needs eight riser spaces.
Using our formula again, multiply 7 x 36 to equal 252. Multiply 252 x 8 to get 2016.
To get the final square footage, divide 2016 by 144, and you get a total of 14 square feet!
Calculating Square Footage for a Fireplace
Here is a fireplace installation of our Catalina (Island Blue) on Carrara Blanco.
Starting at the base of the paneling, it measures 42” x 60.”With the formula, we multiply 42 x 60 to get 2520.
Next, because this is a fireplace, we subtract the space exposing its opening, which, shown here, measures 30” x 30.” Multiply 30 x 30 to get 900.
Subtract 900 from 2520 to get 1620.
Take 1620 divided by 144, and your final square footage is 11.25!
Calculating Square Footage for a Vanity Wall
This example shows the Starling (Lullaby Blue) on Thassos in this handsome vanity wall.
It measures 42” x 48” in the intended installation space.
First, we multiply 42 x 48 to get 2016.
Divide 2016 by 144 to get 14 square feet! Easy again!
Even though there are mirrors where the tiles do not display, buying more than the exact number of tiles to complete your project to account for incidentals and ensure your space gets completed in your allotted time frame is strongly recommended.
Measure Before You Buy
It is never a bad idea to plan ahead!
Before tile shopping, do a quick space measurement. Even without an exact measurement, you’ll better understand your tile count and the budget necessary for making it happen.
Measuring before buying also helps narrow down your available purchase options.
You are strongly recommended to buy 15-20% more than the expected number of tiles to account for any miscalculations, mistakes, or challenges in the installation process.
Depending on the price per square foot, you may find certain tiles within or beyond your budget, which will help you choose what’s best for your current or future projects.
Squared Away
With this building block of stone basics, we hope you can confidently calculate the square footage of your tile in any space.
Are you eager to cover more basics of natural stone? Discover how often you have to seal natural stone tile or how to pick the perfect backsplash grout color today on our blog!
Helpful post to tile newbies that makes the basics crystal clear!
Great post! It is always good to be prepared before you walk into a showroom. I'm looking forward to the next lesson!