How much tile do I need for a 3x5 (32x60) shower?

83 square feet of wall to 8 ft, plus the 13.3 square foot floor. In tiles with 10% waste: 45 of 12 x 24, 706 of 3 x 6 subway or 90 of 12 x 12, and 16 mosaic sheets for the floor at 15%.

How many boxes of tile do I need for a shower?

Divide the tile count by the number on the box: 12 x 24 tiles usually come 8 to a box, so the 32 x 60 shower is 6 boxes; 3 x 6 subway about 80 per box, so 9 boxes. Boxes labelled in square feet: divide the area plus waste by that figure. Always round up and keep the spare box.

How much tile do I need for a shower niche?

A niche adds a little: its back is already counted in the wall, so only the four short sides are extra, about 1 to 2 square feet for a 12 x 24 inch niche, typically cut from the same tile or done in the mosaic. It is inside the 10% waste for most showers; add one extra sheet of mosaic if the niche is mosaic.

How much waste should I add for shower tile?

10% on the walls for a straight layout, 15% for a diagonal or herringbone pattern or for small showers where every row is cut at both ends, and 15% on the floor because mosaic sheets are cut around the drain and along the slope. Large-format tiles in a small shower can reach 20% waste.

Do I tile the shower ceiling?

Only in steam showers or if you want to. A ceiling adds the floor area again, plus 10%: 13.3 square feet for the 32 x 60 shower. Use the calculator with that area and your wall tile.

What if I only tile to 7 ft, or right up to the ceiling?

The walls scale with the height. For the 32 x 60 shower in 12 x 24 tile: 40 tiles to 7 ft, 45 to 8 ft, 48 to an 8 ft 6 in ceiling, all with 10% waste.

How many tiles do I need for a shower? 12x24, subway and 12x12

A standard 32 x 60 inch tub-size shower has three walls to tile, 83 square feet of them to 8 ft, so you need 45 tiles of 12 x 24 with 10% waste, 706 of 3 x 6 subway, 90 of 12 x 12 or 90 sheets of 2 x 2 mosaic, plus 16 mosaic sheets for the floor. A 36 x 36 stall is 72 square feet of wall and 39 tiles of 12 x 24. The tables cover the common shower sizes and tile formats.

Open the tile calculator

Shower walls: tiles by size

Three walls (back and two sides) tiled from the tub or pan to 8 ft. Grout lines are 1/8 inch for 12 x 24 and 12 x 12, 1/16 inch for subway; mosaic is counted by the 12 x 12 inch sheet. Waste is 10%. Subtract nothing for the niche; it comes out of the waste.

Three walls to 8 ft, 10% waste
Shower	Wall area (sq ft)	12 x 24 in	3 x 6 in subway	12 x 12 in	2 x 2 in mosaic, 12 x 12 sheets
32 x 60 in (tub-size alcove)	83	45	706	90	90
36 x 36 in (square stall)	72	39	615	78	78
36 x 48 in	80	44	683	87	87
42 x 60 in (walk-in)	96	52	820	104	104

Shower floor: mosaic sheets

Shower floors are almost always 2 x 2 inch (or smaller) mosaic on 12 x 12 inch mesh sheets, because small tiles follow the slope to the drain and grip wet feet. Waste is 15% for the cuts around the drain and the walls.

Floor in 12 x 12 in mosaic sheets, 15% waste
Shower	Floor area (sq ft)	Sheets
32 x 60 in (tub-size alcove)	13.3	16
36 x 36 in (square stall)	9	11
36 x 48 in	12	14
42 x 60 in (walk-in)	17.5	20

How the numbers are worked out

Wall area = (back wall width + 2 x side wall depth) x tiled height. For 32 x 60: (60 + 32 + 32) x 96 inches = 82.7 square feet. Each tile plus its grout line is one cell; area divided by the cell, times 1.10, rounded up. The tile calculator does it for any tile size, grout width, waste and box count; run the walls and the floor separately because the tiles differ.

From tiles to boxes

Boxes vary by brand: 12 x 24 in tiles are often 8 per box, 3 x 6 in subway about 80 per box, 12 x 12 in 10 to 15 per box, mosaic 10 sheets per box. Check the box, divide, round up, and buy every box from the same dye lot. The 12x12 tile guide has boxes worked out for larger floors.

Before you order

Trim pieces (bullnose, pencil, Schluter edge) are bought by the linear foot along every exposed edge: the two front edges of the side walls and the top of the tile if it stops below the ceiling.
Thinset and grout are separate: a 50 lb bag of thinset covers about 50 to 90 square feet depending on the trowel notch; grout coverage depends on tile size and joint width, so use the chart on the bag.
Waterproofing comes first: a membrane or board on the walls and a sloped, waterproofed pan. Tile is not the waterproof layer.
Doing the bathroom floor too? The tiles for 100 square feet guide covers it.

Frequently asked questions

How much tile do I need for a 3x5 (32x60) shower?: 83 square feet of wall to 8 ft, plus the 13.3 square foot floor. In tiles with 10% waste: 45 of 12 x 24, 706 of 3 x 6 subway or 90 of 12 x 12, and 16 mosaic sheets for the floor at 15%.
How many boxes of tile do I need for a shower?: Divide the tile count by the number on the box: 12 x 24 tiles usually come 8 to a box, so the 32 x 60 shower is 6 boxes; 3 x 6 subway about 80 per box, so 9 boxes. Boxes labelled in square feet: divide the area plus waste by that figure. Always round up and keep the spare box.
How much tile do I need for a shower niche?: A niche adds a little: its back is already counted in the wall, so only the four short sides are extra, about 1 to 2 square feet for a 12 x 24 inch niche, typically cut from the same tile or done in the mosaic. It is inside the 10% waste for most showers; add one extra sheet of mosaic if the niche is mosaic.
How much waste should I add for shower tile?: 10% on the walls for a straight layout, 15% for a diagonal or herringbone pattern or for small showers where every row is cut at both ends, and 15% on the floor because mosaic sheets are cut around the drain and along the slope. Large-format tiles in a small shower can reach 20% waste.
Do I tile the shower ceiling?: Only in steam showers or if you want to. A ceiling adds the floor area again, plus 10%: 13.3 square feet for the 32 x 60 shower. Use the calculator with that area and your wall tile.
What if I only tile to 7 ft, or right up to the ceiling?: The walls scale with the height. For the 32 x 60 shower in 12 x 24 tile: 40 tiles to 7 ft, 45 to 8 ft, 48 to an 8 ft 6 in ceiling, all with 10% waste.

How many tiles per square metre? 30x30, 60x60 and other sizes
Tiles per square metre for the common sizes with a 3 mm grout gap, how many to order for 10 m² with cutting waste, and when to allow more than 10%.
How many 12x12 tiles for 100 square feet? (12x24, 18x18, 24x24 too)
Tiles needed for 100, 200, 300 and 500 sq ft in 12x12, 12x24, 18x18 and 24x24 inch sizes with a 1/8 inch grout line and 10% waste, and how to turn that into boxes.
How many pavers do I need for a 10x10 patio? 12x12, 16x16, 24x24
Pavers for a 10x10, 12x12, 16x16 and 20x20 ft patio in 4x8, 6x9, 12x12, 16x16 and 24x24 inch sizes with a 1/8 in joint and 5% waste, plus the base to go under them.
How many tiles for a kitchen backsplash? (subway, 4x12, mosaic)
Subway 3x6, 4x12 and 12x12 mosaic sheet counts for backsplashes of 10 to 30 linear feet at 18 inches high with 10% waste, boxes to order, and metric splashbacks.

Last updated 2026-09-12. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.