How much tile for a 5x8 bathroom?
5 boxes of tile for a 5x8 bathroom floor, at the settings most people start with. Below the calculator are the same numbers for the alternatives you are likely to choose, and what each one does to the total.
Reviewed · Method: measured dimensions, industry coverage rates, rounded up to real package sizes · How the numbers are calculated
Values are pre-filled for this page. Change anything and hit Recalculate.
The answer, and what it is made of
An 8 x 5 ft area is 40 sq ft. Adding 10% for cuts and breakage gives 44 sq ft of tile. Cartons only come in 10 sq ft, so you buy 5 cartons of tile — 50 sq ft in total, which leaves 6 sq ft over. That overage is not waste: it is the repair stock you will want in two years, when this colour is no longer made.
Planning figure for everything on that list: $158 to $551, with $290 as the realistic middle for the products most people actually buy. These are estimates for budgeting, not quotes. Prices move by region and by season, and the middle figure assumes a mid-range product rather than the cheapest thing on the shelf.
The carton is the lever, not the waste. This job takes 5 boxes in a 10 sq ft carton and 3 boxes in a 20 sq ft carton — the area never changed, only the packaging. Half-empty cartons are the most expensive line on the receipt.
What changes if you change one thing
| Change the carton size | You buy |
|---|---|
| 10 sq ft carton | 5 boxes |
| 12.5 sq ft carton | 4 boxes |
| 20 sq ft carton | 3 boxes |
Every row is a live calculation, not an estimate. The shaded row is what this page defaults to.
What goes in the cart
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Tile cartons (10 sq ft each) | 5 boxes |
| Thinset mortar, 50 lb bag | 1 bag |
| Grout, 10 lb bag | 1 bag |
| Tile spacers | 100 pcs |
| Mixing paddle + 5 gal bucket | 1 set |
| Grout sponge + float | 1 set |
Keep one unopened box. Dye lots change between production runs — a replacement tile bought in two years will not match. Store it flat and dry.
What this size actually changes
Five feet is exactly 60 in, which is a whole number of 12 in tiles and also a standard tub length. That arithmetic matters: laid square, 12x12 tile gives five full tiles across with no rip at all, and the only cuts are at the door and around the toilet. It is why small bathrooms often look better in a 12x12 than in a large format, where a 24 in tile leaves a 12 in rip on every other row.
Figure. 5x8 bathroom floor: 8 x 5 ft. Measure the finished surface, not the room walls — the area between skirting or cabinet faces is the area you pay for.
How the quantity is worked out
Tile is sold by carton, and the carton — not the tile — is what sets your final number. A 15.5 sq ft carton of 12x24 porcelain covers the same area whether the tiles are rectified or pressed, so two products that look identical on the shelf can leave you buying nine cartons or eleven. Always read the coverage printed on the carton, not the square footage of one tile multiplied out.
The waste allowance exists for three reasons: cuts at the perimeter, breakage from a wet saw, and pattern matching if the tile has a repeat. Ten percent is right for a straight lay in a roughly rectangular room. Diagonal layouts, herringbone, and rooms with more than four corners all push the real number to 15 percent or more.
How to measure this job
In a 5x8 bathroom there is no room to lay out a wet saw, so measure with the constraint in mind: the floor is 40 sq ft and you will be cutting in a space 5 ft wide with a toilet in the corner. Work out the cut list before the first tile goes down, then cut everything outside and carry it in.
The tub is the reference line. Whether the tub is in or out changes the whole layout: with the tub out you can tile under it and start from the wall; with it in, every cut along the tub apron has to follow the tub's edge, which is never perfectly straight.
Mistakes that cost real money
Ordering the exact area and hoping for the best
Cuts alone eat 5 to 8 percent in a simple room. Ordering 144 sq ft for a 144 sq ft floor guarantees a second trip to the store, and the second trip is where dye-lot mismatch happens. The extra carton costs less than the delay.
Doing all the cuts in the room
A 5x8 bathroom has no clear 8 ft run for a wet saw bed. Cutting in the doorway or on the landing and carrying tile in is faster and produces cleaner cuts than improvising inside.
Buying a 15.5 sq ft carton for a 40 sq ft floor
For 40 sq ft of floor, four cartons of 10 sq ft is enough. A 15.5 sq ft carton forces six boxes and leaves you with almost a full carton of spare. On a job this small the carton coverage, not the tile price, is what sets the bill.
Forgetting the floor under the vanity and the toilet
A 5x8 bathroom has roughly 8 sq ft hidden by fixtures. That is a fifth of the floor. It still needs tile, but it is also the area where the cuts are most awkward and where nobody will ever see a slightly crooked joint.
Frequently asked questions
How much extra tile should I buy for cuts and breakage?
Ten percent over the measured area for a straight lay in a rectangular room. Fifteen percent if you are laying diagonally, running a herringbone pattern, tiling several small rooms from one order, or working with a tile that has a visible repeat. Never go below five percent, even in a perfect square.
Can I tile a 5x8 bathroom floor in one day?
Yes, if the toilet is out and the floor is sound. About 40 sq ft is four hours of setting including cuts, then grout the next day. The narrow space, not the area, is what slows it down.
How much tile for a 5x8 bathroom?
About 44 to 48 sq ft including waste, so four to five cartons of 10 sq ft. The floor itself is 40 sq ft. A 5x8 is close to a whole number of 12 in tiles across, which keeps the waste low; 6x6 tile does not line up the same way and needs more.
Can one person tile a 5x8 bathroom in a day?
Yes, if the floor is already level and the toilet is out. Thinset and set takes most of a morning on 40 sq ft, grouting a couple of hours the next day. The constraint is not the area but the eight or nine cuts around the fixtures, which take longer than the whole field.
What will the materials for this cost?
A planning range of $158 to $551 for everything in the shopping list, with $290 as the realistic middle. That is materials only: it excludes labour, delivery, tool hire and disposal of the old surface. Treat it as a budgeting figure, not a quote.