How to use this calculator
- 1Add up the walls to be tiled. A standard enclosure has two or three sides — for a 36 × 48 in (0.9 × 1.2 m) shower with three tiled walls that is about 10 ft (3 m) of wall.
- 2Set the height. Showers are normally tiled to the ceiling, or at least 6 in above the shower head.
- 3Take off a window or a fixed glass panel with “area not tiled”; a niche usually takes the same tiles, so leave it in.
- 4Pick the tile size and joint. 12 × 24 in (300 × 600 mm) tiles are the common choice; small mosaics for the floor of the shower count by area per box.
- 5Enter the tiles per box (or the area per box) and prices to see boxes and cost.
The formula
- 01Wall area = length of the tiled walls × height − windows − area not tiled
- 02Tiles = wall area ÷ ((tile L + joint) × (tile W + joint)) × (1 + spare %), rounded up
- 03Boxes = tiles ÷ tiles per box, rounded up (or by the area printed on the box)
- 04Adhesive ≈ area × rate for the tile size × 1.1 · Grout ≈ joint volume × 1.6 kg/L × 1.1
A shower is a walls-only job tiled high: the calculator takes the total length of the tiled walls and the height, and counts tiles on the net area.
Corners, the niche and the pipe cut-outs make more offcuts than an open wall, so keep at least 10 % spare — more for a small enclosure with a niche.
The adhesive and grout are rough figures from the same rules as our tile adhesive and grout calculators, so you know what to add to the order.
Worked example
Tiling the walls of a shower — 10 ft of wall in all — to a height of 8 ft gives 80 ft² of wall.
With 24 in × 12 in tiles that is 44 tiles including spare, or 6 boxes of 8.
Add about 153 lb of tile adhesive (4 bags of 50 lb) and 2.3 lb of grout.
Tips before you buy
- Waterproof first: tile and grout are not waterproof on their own — the shower walls need a waterproofing membrane or board behind the tiles.
- Plan the layout from the most visible corner so the cut tiles end up in the corner you see least.
- Use large tiles for fewer grout lines — less cleaning in a shower — and a mould-resistant grout.
- Silicone, not grout, in the corner joints and where tiles meet the tray: corners move, and grout there cracks.
- Keep a few spare tiles after the job; a drilled hole in the wrong place is easier to fix if the batch still matches.
Frequently asked questions
How much tile do I need for a shower?
Add up the walls to be tiled and the height — usually to the ceiling — and the calculator counts tiles on that area with your joint and 10 % spare, then boxes. A typical three-wall enclosure comes to roughly 8–10 m² (85–110 sq ft) of wall; the exact count for your sizes is shown above.
How high should shower tiles go?
To the ceiling in most modern bathrooms, and at least 6 in (15 cm) above the shower head in any case. Set your own height in the calculator if you tile to a border.
What size tile is best for shower walls?
Large tiles (12 × 24 in, 300 × 600 mm or bigger) mean fewer grout lines to clean, but need a flat wall. Small mosaics suit curves and the shower floor. The calculator counts any size, mosaics by area per box.
Do I need to tile behind the shower panel or bathtub?
Behind a fixed glass panel, no — take it off with “area not tiled”. Behind a bathtub most tilers run at least one row below the tub edge so the waterproofing laps correctly.
How much adhesive and grout does a shower need?
The results show a first estimate for your walls. In a wet area use a cement-based (C2) adhesive and mould-resistant grout; the tile adhesive and grout calculators give exact figures for your trowel and joint.
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Sources
- Tile counts: the same method as our tile calculator (tile + joint footprint, 10 % spare) — see its page for the formula and tests.
- Shower tiling practice: tile to the ceiling or at least above the shower head, waterproof behind the tiles — standard guidance in US (TCNA) and UK (BS 5385) wall-tiling references.
- Adhesive rates by trowel notch: LATICRETE 254 Platinum data sheet
Formulas last reviewed: September 30, 2026 ·How we check our formulas