Tiles Per Square Metre — Reference Table
The table below shows tiles per m² for all common UK sizes, both with and without a standard 3mm grout gap:
| Tile Size (mm) | Tiles/m² (no gap) | Tiles/m² (3mm gap) | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 x 50 | 400.0 | 355.6 | Mosaic sheets |
| 100 x 100 | 100.0 | 94.3 | Mosaic, splashbacks |
| 150 x 75 | 88.9 | 82.9 | Metro/subway (small) |
| 200 x 100 | 50.0 | 47.8 | Metro/subway (standard) |
| 250 x 200 | 20.0 | 19.3 | Metro (large) |
| 200 x 200 | 25.0 | 24.2 | Small floor/wall |
| 300 x 300 | 11.1 | 10.9 | Bathroom floors |
| 330 x 330 | 9.2 | 9.0 | Bathroom/utility |
| 400 x 250 | 10.0 | 9.7 | Bathroom walls |
| 450 x 450 | 4.9 | 4.9 | Kitchen/hallway |
| 500 x 250 | 8.0 | 7.8 | Bathroom walls |
| 500 x 500 | 4.0 | 3.9 | Living rooms |
| 600 x 300 | 5.6 | 5.4 | Bathroom walls/floors |
| 600 x 600 | 2.8 | 2.7 | Large rooms, open plan |
| 800 x 400 | 3.1 | 3.1 | Contemporary floors |
| 900 x 450 | 2.5 | 2.4 | Large kitchens |
| 1200 x 600 | 1.4 | 1.4 | Luxury, open plan |
How to Use This Table
- Find your tile size in the left column
- Read the tiles per m² figure (use the "with gap" column for accuracy)
- Multiply by your total area in square metres
- Round up to the nearest whole number
- Add 10% for wastage (15-20% for diagonal or herringbone patterns)
- Round up to the nearest box quantity
Example: For a 12m² kitchen floor using 450x450mm tiles: 4.9 tiles/m² x 12m² = 58.8, rounded to 59. Plus 10% wastage = 65 tiles. If tiles come in boxes of 6, you need 11 boxes (66 tiles).
The Formula
The number of tiles per square metre is calculated as:
Tiles/m² = 1,000,000 / [(tile width + grout gap) x (tile height + grout gap)]
Where all measurements are in millimetres. The 1,000,000 converts from mm² to m².
Frequently Asked Questions
Approximately 11 tiles (10.9 with a 3mm grout gap). For 10m², you need 109 tiles plus 10% wastage = 120 tiles.
Approximately 2.8 tiles (2.7 with a 3mm grout gap). Round up to 3 per m² when ordering.
300x300: 120 tiles. 600x600: 31 tiles. 200x100 (metro): 528 tiles. All include 10% wastage.
Slightly. A 3mm gap on 300x300mm tiles reduces the count by about 2%. The effect is larger on smaller tiles and wider gaps.