Shower tile calculator

Every line shows the quantity to buy and how StudSheet got it: the spacing, the waste and the package size, so you can check it before the supply house or the quote.

In Canada (1.52 m tub surround, tiled to 2.13 m)

Set to Canada, the Sheet works the job out again for Ontario: metric sizes, bag sizes, the frost depth and the code notes. It doesn't just convert feet to meters. The first lines:

• 5 sheets, Cement backer board 13 mm (3×5): 5.3 m² of wall + 10% ÷ 1.4 m² per sheet.
• ≈225 screws, Cement board screws 32 mm: A screw every 203 mm into the studs — about 45 a sheet.
• 1 roll, Alkali-resistant mesh tape 50 mm: Mesh tape bedded in thinset on every board seam.
• 2 × 3.78 L pail, Liquid waterproofing membrane: 5.3 m² of wall + 10% ÷ about 5.1 m² per 3.78 L for both coats = 4.4 L; the cheaper mix of pails.
• 1 roll, Membrane reinforcing fabric: 8.18 m of corners, seams at the tub and around the niche: fabric bedded in the first coat.
• 1, Roller covers 230 mm: Rolls the membrane on; a brush does the corners.

1. Shut off the water at the valve or the main, then tear out to the studs and check them for straightness and rot.
2. Add blocking for grab bars, frame and set the niche.
3. Backer: hang ½″ cement board ¼″ above the tub flange, screws every 8″, seams taped with mesh and thinset.
4. Waterproof: bed fabric in the corners, the tub seam, the niche and around the pipes, then roll coat 1; once it changes color, roll coat 2 crosswise — each 50–60 wet mils, up to the top of the tile.
5. Set tile: the walls from a level ledger one row up from the tub, with a ¼″ × ¼″ square notch; leave ⅛″ at every change of plane.
6. Grout: after 24 h, pack the joints with cement grout and clean the haze; keep grout out of the corners and the tub joint.
7. Caulk: silicone every inside corner and the tub joint.
8. Seal: once it has cured, seal the grout (see the bag); trim plates and the shower head back on.

Must-have tools first, then the ones that help and the ones to rent for the day.

Mistakes that cost a callback or a second trip

• Drywall behind the tile: Even green board turns to mush behind shower tile. Cement-type backer, or foam board, with a membrane.
• Two vapor barriers: Poly behind the board and a membrane in front trap water in the board. One or the other.
• Membrane too thin: A liquid membrane only works at full thickness: two coats, checked with a wet-film gauge or the color change.
• Grout in the corners: Changes of plane move and crack grout. Silicone in every corner and at the tub.
• Tile over the tub flange: The backer and tile stop just above the flange, and the joint gets silicone — tile pushed onto the flange cracks and leaks.

What the calculator assumes

• Tub surround: the tile starts at the tub’s rim, taken as 15″ above the floor.
• Backer: ½″ cement board in 3×5 sheets (15 sq ft), +10%, a screw every 8″; foam board ½″ × 32″ × 48″, +10%.
• Liquid membrane: about 55 sq ft per gallon for both coats at 50–60 wet mils (RedGard), +10%. Sheet membrane: +15% for the 2″ overlaps and corners.
• Tile: +10% for cuts (15% for large format), + 2 spares; mosaic floor sheets +15%. Niche returns about 1.5 sq ft each.
• Thinset per 50 lb bag: about 95 sq ft with a V-notch, 80 sq ft with ¼″ × ¼″, 40 sq ft with ½″ × ½″, +20% back-buttering; unmodified over sheet membranes and foam board.
• Grout: joint volume from the tile size, joint and thickness, ≈ 0.065 lb per cu in, +15%.
• Silicone: about 55 ft a 10.1 oz tube at a 3/16″ bead (DAP), +15%.

The Sheet sets its code notes for the job's state or province. These are New Jersey's and Ontario's; the code reference has more. Always confirm with your building department.

• Wet walls: what the code asks: IRC R307.2 (R327 in the 2024 IRC): in showers and at tubs with showers, the walls get a smooth, nonabsorbent surface to at least 6 ft above the floor. IRC R702.4.2: behind tile in tub and shower areas, cement, fiber-cement or glass-mat gypsum backer — not drywall, even moisture-resistant drywall.
• Wet walls: the National Building Code: NBC 9.29.2.1: walls in showers get a waterproof finish to at least 1.8 m above the floor, and around tubs with showers to at least 1.2 m above the rim. 9.29.10.4: tile around tubs and showers goes over moisture-resistant backing. 9.29.10.5: the joint between the tile and the tub is caulked with mildew-resistant sealant. Confirm with your building department.

What materials do I need to tile a shower or tub surround?

For the worked example, a 5′ tub surround, tiled to 7′, the Sheet counts 17 lines with waste included, starting with cement backer board ½″ (3×5) (5 sheets), cement board screws 1¼″ (≈225 screws), alkali-resistant mesh tape 2″ (1 roll), liquid waterproofing membrane (2 × 1 gal pail). Each line's math is in the table above. Put in your own sizes in the shower tile calculator and every line is counted again.

How long does it take to tile a shower or tub surround, and can I do it myself?

About 34 to 53 hours for the worked example, in 8 steps. StudSheet stamps it DIY OK: you can do this.

What tools do I need to tile a shower or tub surround?

26 in all. The must-haves start with notched trowel, margin trowel, ½″ drill + mixing paddle, 5-gal buckets (2), grout float, grout sponges + 2 buckets. On the Sheet you mark each one as owned, to buy or to rent.

Stuck while you tile a shower or tub surround? Ask in the Tile showers and tub surrounds group of the StudSheet community with this Sheet attached. Homeowners who've done it and verified pros answer, and anyone can read it.

• Tile for contractors: run this takeoff at your own prices, send the estimate, and get it signed and the deposit paid.
• Carpet a room (14′ × 12′ room): Tack strip, pad, seams and stretching — the full stretch-in install.
• Install vinyl plank flooring (14′ × 12′ floor): Click-together LVP: boxes, trim, transitions and the gaps that matter.
• Tile a floor (8′ × 5′ bathroom): Backer, thinset, tile and grout sized to your tile — bathroom, kitchen or entry, with the toilet reset when there is one.
• Hardwood and laminate floors (14′ × 12′ floor): Install solid or engineered hardwood or laminate, or sand and refinish an old wood floor.
• Tile a kitchen backsplash (12′ of backsplash, 18″ tall): Tile, adhesive, grout, edge trim and outlet extenders for the wall between the counter and the cabinets, counted from the run and height.
• Carpet stairs (13 steps, 3′ wide): Carpet, pad and tack strip cut step by step — waterfall or wrapped (Hollywood) — with the pile running down the stairs and the landing included.
• All 45 Sheets, across 16 trades.
• Code reference: frost depths, guard heights, stairs, retaining walls.