How many 12x24 tiles are in a square foot?

A 12×24 inch tile covers 288 square inches, or 2 square feet, so there is half a tile (0.5) per square foot. Put another way, one 12×24 tile covers 2 square feet, and 100 square feet needs 50 tiles before waste.

How many 3x6 subway tiles are in a square foot?

A 3×6 inch subway tile covers 18 square inches. 144 ÷ 18 = 8 tiles per square foot. A 30 sq ft backsplash therefore needs about 240 tiles before adding waste.

Does grout spacing change how many tiles fit in a square foot?

Slightly. Grout joints make each tile's effective footprint a little larger, so you need marginally fewer tiles. A 1/8 inch joint on a 12×12 tile raises coverage to about 1.02 sq ft per tile — a difference of roughly 2%. For small mosaics the effect is bigger. Our calculator accounts for grout width automatically.

How do I turn tiles-per-square-foot into a total tile count?

Multiply your area (in square feet) by the tiles-per-square-foot figure for your size, then add 10–15% for waste and round up to full boxes.

How Many Tiles Are in a Square Foot? (Chart by Size)

Quick answer: Divide 144(square inches in a square foot) by your tile’s area in square inches. A 12×12 in tile is 1 per sq ft, 6×6 in is 4, 4×4 in is 9, and a 3×6 in subway tile is 8 per sq ft. Large-format 12×24 intiles cover 2 sq ft each, so it’s 0.5 per sq ft.

“How many tiles in a square foot” is really one small calculation repeated for every tile size. Once you have the per-square-foot number for your tile, multiplying by your room area gives a base tile count in seconds. This guide gives you the chart, the formula behind it, and how to go from there to the number of boxes to buy.

The formula

A square foot is 12 inches × 12 inches = 144 square inches. To find how many tiles fit in it:

Tiles per square foot = 144 ÷ (tile length in × tile width in)

So for a 4×4 in tile: 4 × 4 = 16 sq in, and 144 ÷ 16 = 9 tiles per square foot. The number falls as tiles get bigger and rises as they get smaller.

Tiles per square foot: quick-reference chart

Tile size	Area per tile	Tiles per sq ft	Tiles for 100 sq ft*
2 × 2 in (mosaic)	4 sq in	36	3,600
3 × 3 in	9 sq in	16	1,600
3 × 6 in (subway)	18 sq in	8	800
4 × 4 in	16 sq in	9	900
6 × 6 in	36 sq in	4	400
8 × 8 in	64 sq in	2.25	225
12 × 12 in	144 sq in	1	100
12 × 24 in	288 sq in	0.5	50
18 × 18 in	324 sq in	0.44	44
24 × 24 in	576 sq in	0.25	25
24 × 48 in	1,152 sq in	0.125	13

*Base count, before waste. Add 10–15% for cuts and breakage, then round up to full boxes — see how much extra tile to buy.

Worked examples

3×6 subway backsplash, 30 sq ft: 8 tiles/sq ft × 30 = 240 base tiles. Add 10% waste → 264 tiles.
12×24 floor, 100 sq ft: 0.5 tiles/sq ft × 100 = 50 base tiles. Add 10% → 55 tiles.
4×4 shower accent, 20 sq ft: 9 tiles/sq ft × 20 = 180 base tiles. Add 15% (small tile, many cuts) → 207 tiles.

Rectangular tiles and mixed sizes

For non-square tiles, multiply the two dimensions before dividing. A 12×24 tile is 12 × 24 = 288 sq in, so 144 ÷ 288 = 0.5 per sq ft. The chart above already does this for the common rectangular sizes. If your tile isn’t listed, the formula handles any size — or enter the exact dimensions in the tile calculator and it does the math for you.

Why grout spacing shifts the number slightly

The chart uses the tile’s nominal size. In a real install, each tile sits inside a grout joint, so its effective coverage is a little larger and you need marginally fewer tiles. A 1/8″ joint on a 12×12 tile lifts coverage to about 1.02 sq ft — only ~2%, but on mosaics with many joints the effect is larger. It’s a reason the chart is a base figure and why you always add waste on top. The calculator factors in grout width precisely.

From tiles per square foot to boxes

Tiles are sold by the box, not the tile. Once you have your total (base × area, plus waste), divide by the tiles per box printed on the label and round up. For the full method — including L-shaped rooms and multiple areas — see how many tiles do I need and how to calculate tiles for a floor.

Frequently asked questions

How many tiles are in a square foot?: It depends on the tile size. Divide 144 (the square inches in a square foot) by the tile's area in square inches. A 12×12 in tile is exactly 1 per square foot; a 6×6 in tile is 4 per square foot; a 4×4 in tile is 9 per square foot; and a 3×6 in subway tile is 8 per square foot.
How many 12x24 tiles are in a square foot?: A 12×24 inch tile covers 288 square inches, or 2 square feet, so there is half a tile (0.5) per square foot. Put another way, one 12×24 tile covers 2 square feet, and 100 square feet needs 50 tiles before waste.
How many 3x6 subway tiles are in a square foot?: A 3×6 inch subway tile covers 18 square inches. 144 ÷ 18 = 8 tiles per square foot. A 30 sq ft backsplash therefore needs about 240 tiles before adding waste.
Does grout spacing change how many tiles fit in a square foot?: Slightly. Grout joints make each tile's effective footprint a little larger, so you need marginally fewer tiles. A 1/8 inch joint on a 12×12 tile raises coverage to about 1.02 sq ft per tile — a difference of roughly 2%. For small mosaics the effect is bigger. Our calculator accounts for grout width automatically.
How do I turn tiles-per-square-foot into a total tile count?: Multiply your area (in square feet) by the tiles-per-square-foot figure for your size, then add 10–15% for waste and round up to full boxes.

Skip the chart entirely: enter your area and tile size in our free tile calculator and it returns the exact tile count, boxes, and waste — accounting for grout spacing automatically.