What are some Rule of Thumb for Tile Waste Calculations in MeasureSquare 8?

What are some Rule of Thumb for Tile Waste Calculations in MeasureSquare 8?

This articles provides some basic examples of how to handle waste for different tile sizes.

This article applies to MeasureSquare 8 versions


​These may not apply to everyone as these are generic examples. An example of "best practices" for all employees to follow within the company.
  • Find how many SF or SY a particular product is sold in. Use the SF or SY for each products “Boxed” quantity within the software; You will end up buying a box that has 45 SF of Tile in it, not half a box.

Appropriate waste percentage will be dictated by size of tile generally

  • Use a small waste percentage for 2” x 2” tile. Utilizing a waste percentage add on of around 5%. (These settings will yield a waste percentage of around 5 - 7%).
  • When installing a 12” x 24” tile with a 33% offset , box the material with 16 SF and carry a waste percentage add on of around 9 – 12%.  (These settings will yield a waste percentage of around 10 - 12%).
  • For a 12” x 12” VCT that has 45 SF per box, we will carry a waste percentage add on of around 5 – 7%. (These settings will yield a waste percentage of around 5 – 7%).
  • For a 4” x 36” LVT, 6” x 36” LVT or 9” x 59” LVT we will carry a waste percentage add on of around 7 – 9%. (These settings will yield a waste percentage of around 7 – 11%).
  • For 24” x 24” Carpet Tile we will carry a waste percentage add on of around 7 – 11%. (These settings will yield a waste percentage of around 7 – 14%; in some cases the layout will yield much higher percentages).
  • For Meter Sized Tiles, we use the same process as above. Looking for the waste percentage to be around 7 – 14%.



Important! When using Random Tiles to create a Random Tile Pattern by %, the software cannot apply the calculations settings of Half Reuse, Cut & Fit, and No Reuse. If any of these 3 are selected, the software will still calculate as "Waste Add-on"