TileQuantCoverage math for tile, thinset and grout — before you buy.

Backsplash tile for a 22 ft run, 15″ high, 6×6″ in a stacked layout

Tile to buy
33.5ft²
27.5 ft² of wall plus 22% — about 135 × 6×6″ tiles in stacked
Elevationcounter22 ft15″6 outlets · 22% waste · 24.5 ft trim
Tile to buy33.5ft²
Tiles6×6″135tiles
Wall area22 ft × 15″ high27.5ft²
Waste allowance10% for stacked + 12% for 6 outlets22%
Outlets to cut aroundNEC wants one within 24″ of any point on the counter6outlets
Edge trimtwo ends plus the exposed top edge24.5linear ft
Layoutgrid lines up in both directions — least cutting, least forgiving of a wall out of squarestacked
Heighta short splash — the wall above stays painted15″
Run length
22 ft
Height
15 in
Tile
6×6″
Layout
a stacked layout

Backsplash waste is not floor waste

22 ft × 15″ is 27.5 ft² of wall. Buy 33.5 ft² — 22% over.

That allowance is higher than a floor's for a specific reason. A narrow strip has far more edge per square foot than the same area spread across a floor, and every outlet is four cuts and most of a wasted tile. There are about 6 outlets in a run this long, because the NEC wants one within 24 inches of any point on the counter.

At 6×6″ that comes to roughly 135 tiles in a stacked layout.

Edge trim: the giveaway

24.5 linear ft. A raw cut edge along the top or at the ends is the single most obvious sign of a DIY backsplash, and it is the one thing you cannot fix later without pulling tile off.

Buy it all at once

Tile is made in colour lots. A second box bought three weeks later can be visibly different against the first under kitchen lighting, and kitchen lighting is unforgiving — it comes from directly above and rakes across the wall.

Start from the middle of what people look at

Usually the cooktop or the sink. Work outward from there so the cut tiles land at the ends of the run where nobody looks, rather than dead centre behind the range.

Notes

  • Backsplash waste is not floor waste. A 15″ strip has far more edge per square foot than the same area on a floor, and every outlet is four cuts and most of a wasted tile. 22% here — 10% for the stacked layout and 12% for 6 outlets.
  • Grid lines up in both directions — least cutting, least forgiving of a wall out of square.
  • At 15″ the top edge is exposed and needs finishing: 24.5 linear ft of metal trim or bullnose. A raw cut edge along the top is the single most obvious sign of a DIY backsplash.
  • Start the layout from the most visible point — usually the centre of the cooktop or the sink — and work outward, so the cut tiles land at the ends where nobody looks.
  • Buy the whole job in one order. Tile is made in colour lots, and a second box bought three weeks later can be visibly different against the first under kitchen lighting.

Nearby sizes

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