Tile Layout Planner
See exactly how your tiles will land before you mix any thin-set. Enter the room and tile size, choose grid, brick, diagonal or herringbone, and the planner draws every full and cut tile, shifts the pattern to avoid thin slivers at the walls and tells you how many tiles to buy.
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How to use the Tile Layout Planner
- Enter the room width and length (for example 10' 6" or 3.2 m). Choose L-shape to cut a rectangular notch out of one corner.
- Pick the tile size from the presets or type your own, and set the grout joint.
- Choose a pattern and whether the long side of the tile runs across the width or along the length of the room.
- Pick a layout start. Balanced cuts finds the position with the widest edge pieces; Centered, From corner and Custom let you control it yourself.
- Check the drawing: red pieces are slivers that are hard to cut and look bad. Try another start or pattern until the walls show comfortable cuts.
- Download the PNG to take to the store or the job, and order the suggested number of tiles.
How to read the layout drawing
Every tile in the drawing is placed with the grout joint you entered, then clipped to the walls. Solid tiles are laid whole, lighter hatched tiles need one or more cuts, and red tiles are small cuts: pieces narrower than about 2 in (50 mm) or a quarter of the tile, or tiny corner triangles. Small cuts are hard to make with a snap cutter, break easily and draw the eye, which is why tile setters move the whole pattern to avoid them.
The Balanced cuts mode does exactly that: it slides the pattern through hundreds of positions and keeps the one with the fewest small cuts and the widest narrowest piece. On a rectangular room with a straight grid this usually means equal cuts on opposite walls, the same result as the classic method of snapping centerlines and dry-laying a row.
Choosing a tile pattern
| Pattern | Look | Best tiles | Typical extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid (straight lay) | Clean, modern, joints line up | Squares and rectangles of any size | 10% |
| Brick, 1/2 offset | Classic running bond, subway style | Small rectangles such as 3 × 6 in subway tile | 10% |
| Brick, 1/3 offset | Staggered, wood-floor look | Large rectangles and planks (reduces lippage) | 10% |
| Diagonal grid (45°) | Makes narrow rooms feel wider | Square tiles | 15% |
| Herringbone 45° | Zig-zag running along the room | Rectangles 2:1 to 6:1, e.g. 2 × 10, 3 × 12, 6 × 24 in | 15–20% |
| Herringbone 90° | Zig-zag running diagonally | Same as 45° herringbone | 15% |
Tips for a better layout
- Measure at several points. Walls are rarely square or straight; use the smallest width and length and check the diagonals before snapping lines.
- Favor the doorway. The first thing people see is the threshold and the opposite wall, so full or near-full tiles there matter more than in a corner behind a vanity.
- Run planks along the longest sightline. Long tiles running the length of a hallway or room make it look longer and need fewer cuts at the far ends.
- Dry-lay first. Lay a row of tiles with spacers along both centerlines to confirm the cuts before spreading mortar.
- Keep the same dye lot. Buy all tiles, including the extra, at once so the color and size match; leftovers are handy for future repairs.
Frequently asked questions
Should I start tiling in the corner or the center of the room?
Starting from the center usually looks better because opposite walls get equal cuts, and it is how most professionals lay floors. Starting from a corner gives full tiles along the most visible wall but can leave a thin sliver on the far side. Use the Balanced cuts option to find a start position that avoids slivers on all walls, then snap your chalk lines to match.
What is the smallest tile cut I should allow?
A common rule of thumb is to avoid cut pieces narrower than about half a tile at visible walls, and anything under roughly 2 inches (50 mm) is hard to cut cleanly and tends to crack or pop loose. This planner flags pieces narrower than 2 in or a quarter of the tile's short side, whichever is smaller, plus tiny corner triangles, in red.
How much extra tile should I buy for herringbone or diagonal layouts?
Patterns with angled cuts waste more tile. A typical allowance is about 10% for straight grid or brick layouts, about 15% for diagonal and straight herringbone, and 15–20% for 45° herringbone. Add more for L-shaped rooms and many obstacles. The Auto setting uses these allowances; you can override them.
Why is a 1/3 offset recommended for long rectangular tiles?
Large rectangular porcelain tiles are rarely perfectly flat; most have a slight bow in the middle. With a 50% offset the high center of one tile lines up with the low ends of its neighbors, which exaggerates lippage. Many manufacturers recommend an offset of no more than 33% for tiles with a side longer than 18 in, so the 1/3 brick pattern is the default here. Always check your tile maker's instructions.
How does the planner count tiles to buy?
It draws every tile, counts the full tiles and each cut piece as one tile, then adds the waste percentage and rounds up. Counting every cut piece as a whole tile is deliberately conservative because offcuts can only sometimes be reused on the opposite wall. Enter the number of tiles per box to see the box count.
Does the layout include grout lines and expansion gaps?
Grout joints are included in the spacing, so the drawing shows how the pattern really shifts across the room. Perimeter expansion gaps are not subtracted; they are hidden under the baseboard and simply make the edge cuts slightly smaller, so measure on site before cutting.
Is the herringbone layout here a true herringbone?
Yes. Each tile meets its neighbor at a right angle in the classic zig-zag. The 45° version runs the zig-zag parallel to the walls, as most herringbone floors do; the 90° version keeps the tile edges parallel to the walls so the zig-zag runs diagonally. Herringbone needs rectangular tiles, typically 2:1 to 6:1 long to short.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.