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About this tool
Recommends a tile wastage percentage from layout pattern, room shape, tile size and cutouts, then converts it into boxes.
This tool works out how much extra tile to order by adding four separate allowances — laying pattern, room outline, tile format and installer skill — instead of applying a flat 10% to every job. A straight grid starts at 5%, a 45-degree diagonal at 15% and chevron at 22%, because those patterns cut more perimeter tiles at angles that leave unusable offcuts. The result is converted into tiles and sealed boxes so you can place an order against it.
Open Tile Wastage Calculator on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Enter the values you already know.
Fine-tune the options to match your scenario.
Read the result and use it in your planning or reporting.
Separate base allowances for grid, brick, modular, diagonal, herringbone and chevron layouts.
Converts the area into whole boxes and shows the real wastage once boxes are rounded up.
Prints each factor and the percentage it contributed, so you can argue the number with a supplier.
Around 5% for a straight grid in a simple rectangular room, 8% for a brick or offset bond, 15% for a 45-degree diagonal and 18–22% for herringbone or chevron. Add roughly 3% more for 600 mm and larger tiles and 2–5% for an L-shaped or irregular room.
Every tile at the perimeter is cut across a diagonal, so the piece left over is a triangle that only fits the opposite corner of the room. In a grid layout the offcut from a straight cut is often the right size to start the next row, which is why grid layouts waste about a third as much.
Apply it to the floor area first, then divide by the area of one tile and round up — that avoids rounding twice. This calculator then rounds up again to whole boxes, which is why the delivered wastage is usually higher than the recommended percentage.
Keep at least one full box, and two for large-format tiles. Tiles are produced in batches with a shade and calibre code printed on the carton, and a box bought later will rarely match exactly, so future repairs depend on stock kept from the original delivery.
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