About

Estimating material coverage is a frequent task in construction and renovation, particularly for finishing works like tiling, decking, or paving. Buying too little material leads to project delays, while buying too much wastes budget. It is industry standard to calculate the exact theoretical area and then adjust for "waste" or "overage" - typically 5-10% for simple layouts and up to 15-20% for diagonal patterns - to account for cuts, breakage, and mistakes.

This tool calculates the total Square Meterage (m²) covered by a specific quantity of items. It accepts dimensions in various units (mm, cm, inches) and automatically normalizes them. The "Effective Coverage" feature allows you to see the net area after accounting for the inevitable material waste.

Formulas

Step 1: Convert length (L) and width (W) to meters.

Step 2: Calculate single piece area (A_piece):

A_piece = L_m × W_m

Step 3: Calculate Total Gross Area:

Area_total = A_piece × Quantity

If calculating coverage provided (with waste subtracted):

Area_net = Area_total × (1 − Waste%)

Reference Data

Material	Standard Sizes	Typical Waste %
Ceramic Tiles	30x30 cm, 60x60 cm	10%
Subway Tiles	7.5x15 cm	10-15%
Laminate Planks	120x20 cm	5-8%
Pavers (Brick)	20x10 cm	5%
Decking Boards	14.5 cm width (varies)	5-10%

Frequently Asked Questions

No. This tool calculates the physical surface area of the material itself. Grout lines typically add 2-5mm between tiles, which slightly increases the total coverage area, but for purchasing purposes, it is safer to ignore grout area to ensure you have enough material.

Gross Area is the mathematical area of all pieces laid out side-by-side. Net Area (or Effective Coverage) is a conservative estimate of how much floor you can actually cover, assuming some pieces will be cut and discarded.

Select "Inches" from the unit dropdown. The tool converts inches to meters (1 inch = 0.0254m) before calculating the area.