Room size
Product
Waste factor
Waste covers cuts, breaks, and a spare piece later. Tile defaults to 10%. LVP defaults to 5% on a straight lay. This is not a layout plan.
Buy
- Room
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- With waste
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- Boxes to buy
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- Leftover
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Enter length, width, and the carton size.
This is an estimate, not a materials takeoff, and not install advice. It does not choose a layout, grout joint, underlayment, or how a setter starts the first row. Confirm tiles per box and coverage with the store. Nothing on this page leaves the browser.
How the boxes are counted
Room area is length × width in feet. Multiply by (1 + waste). Divide by the square feet in one box, then round up — you cannot buy a fraction of a carton.
A 12×12 tile is 1 square foot. A 12×24 tile is 2. Porcelain, LVP, and a generic box use the coverage printed on the carton. Leftover is extra square feet sitting in the last box.
room_sqft = length_ft × width_ft with_waste = room_sqft × (1 + waste) sqft_per_box = tile_sqft × tiles_per_box (or carton coverage) boxes = ceil(with_waste / sqft_per_box) leftover = boxes × sqft_per_box − with_waste
Example: 10 ft × 10 ft with 10% waste is 110 sq ft. 12×12 tile in boxes of 10 (10 sq ft per box) is 11 boxes. LVP at 20 sq ft per box is 6 boxes, with 10 sq ft leftover.
FAQ
Why does this page count boxes, not square feet?
A 10×10 room is 100 square feet. With 10% waste you need 110 square feet of material. Nobody sells 110 square feet of tile off a roll — they sell cartons. 12×12 tile, 10 tiles per box, is 10 sq ft per box: 110 ÷ 10 = 11 boxes. If you shop by square feet and skip the ceil, you short the last row. This page's answer is boxes to buy, plus leftover sitting in the last carton.
Why 10% waste on tile and 5% on LVP?
Tile chips, snaps, and needs a spare of the same dye lot. Default 10% on a rectangle; bump to 15% for a diagonal or a busy pattern. 5% on tile is tight. LVP cuts with a knife and breaks less, so a straight lay defaults to 5%; use 10% if the room jogs or you run a diagonal. These are starting chips, not a layout plan. This page does not pick a pattern.
What is leftover in the last carton?
Leftover = boxes × coverage − square feet with waste. You cannot buy half a box, so the last carton is almost always extra. Fixture: 10×10 at 10% waste is 110 sq ft. LVP at 20 sq ft/box → ceil(110/20) = 6 boxes = 120 sq ft purchased, leftover 10 sq ft. Same room, 12×12 tile in boxes of 10 lands on 11 boxes with leftover 0. Leftover is not a spare-box recommendation and not install advice.
How many boxes of 12×12 tile for a 10×10 room?
100 sq ft of room, 110 with 10% waste. Each 12×12 tile is 1 sq ft, so 110 tiles. Boxes of 10 tiles: 11 boxes. That is the carton count, not a square-foot order. Confirm tiles per box on the carton — 8 or 12 tiles per box changes the ceil.
How many boxes of LVP for that same 10×10?
Same 100 sq ft room. LVP defaults to 5% waste (105 sq ft), not the 10% tile uses. At 20 sq ft per box: ceil(105/20) = 6 boxes, leftover 15 sq ft. If you leave waste at 10% (110 sq ft) it is still 6 boxes, leftover 10. Coverage is whatever the vinyl carton prints — 18, 20, 24 sq ft are all common. Read the box.
Is this a materials takeoff or install advice?
No. Quantity math only: room × waste, divide by carton, round up. Not a materials takeoff. Not install advice. It does not count doorways, closets, pattern match, grout joints, underlayment, or how a setter starts the first row. Confirm the carton at the store. Whoever sets the floor has the last word.