Calculate the exact number of tiles, boxes of laminate, or square metres of hardwood needed for any room — with wastage, grout joints, and cost built in.
Rectified: 2mm. Standard: 3–5mm.
Check your supplier’s box count.
Most laminate packs cover 1.8–2.4 m². Check your pack.
10mm perimeter expansion gap is standard.
For a rectangular room: Area = Length × Width. A 4m × 3m room = 12 m². For L-shaped rooms, split into two rectangles and add the areas. Always add wastage: 10% for straight lay gives 12 × 1.10 = 13.2 m², round up to 14 m². Measure at the widest and longest points of the room, not at the skirting.
The formula is: tiles/m² = 1 ÷ ((tileWidth + grout) × (tileHeight + grout)) where dimensions are in metres. Including a 3mm grout joint:
| Tile Size | Grout | Tiles/m² |
|---|---|---|
| 300×300mm | 3mm | 10.24 |
| 400×400mm | 3mm | 5.92 |
| 500×500mm | 3mm | 3.84 |
| 600×600mm | 3mm | 2.68 |
| 600×300mm | 3mm | 5.35 |
| 800×800mm | 3mm | 1.52 |
300×300mm: budget floor tile, staircases, small bathrooms. 400×400mm: mid-range, popular in KPK and Punjab homes. 600×600mm: standard modern floor and wall tile, the most popular choice. 800×800mm: premium living rooms and large open spaces. 1200×600mm: contemporary large format, requires a very flat subfloor and careful handling.
Straight lay: 10% standard for rectangular rooms. Diagonal (45°): 15–20% because every edge tile must be cut at an angle. Complex patterns (herringbone, Versailles): 20%+ due to precise cutting. Irregular rooms with many alcoves: 15%. Always buy from the same production batch — tiles vary in shade between batches and mis-matched tiles are obvious once laid.
Laminate is sold by the box, typically covering 1.8–2.4 m² per pack. Divide your total area (with wastage) by the m² per box and round up. Add 10% wastage minimum for staggered joints and perimeter cuts. Most laminate requires underlay (12–15 m² per roll). Our calculator includes an optional underlay calculation.
Narrow (1–2mm): rectified tiles only, precise installation needed. Standard (3–5mm): most floor tiles, allows for slight size variation. Wide (6–10mm): rustic or handmade tiles with uneven edges. Wider grout joints mean fewer tiles per m² — always include the grout width in your calculation for an accurate count.
Always buy 10–15% extra tiles from the same batch/lot number. Inspect tiles on delivery for lippage (uneven edges) — reject any box with chipped or warped tiles. For laminate, allow 48 hours for acclimatisation in the room before installation. Never mix boxes from different lot numbers on the same floor — even the same model can show visible colour difference between production runs.