Count your backsplash tiles
Run in feet, height in inches — the gap between counter and wall units.
How this calculator works
- Area = run × height ÷ 12, plus any extra full-height area you enter for behind the hob.
- Area to buy = area × wastage factor. 1.10 for a plain stack bond, 1.15 for standard brick bond, 1.20 for herringbone or a run with many cuts.
- Tiles = ceiling(area to buy ÷ tile area). A 300 × 600 mm tile is 1.94 sq ft; 600 × 600 mm is 3.875; 300 × 300 mm is 0.97; a 75 × 300 mm subway is 0.242.
- Boxes are estimated at the usual pack counts — 4 pieces for 600 × 600 mm, 6 for 300 × 600 mm, 9 for 300 × 300 mm, 40 for subway.
- Cost = area to buy × tile rate + area × fixing rate. Tile is bought with wastage; fixing is paid on finished area. The default fixing rate of ₹215 per sq ft is wall tiling set with chemical adhesive.
| Tile format | Area each | Typical pack | Fixing rate in Mumbai |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subway 75 × 300 mm | 0.242 sq ft | 40 pieces | ₹245 / sq ft |
| 300 × 300 mm | 0.97 sq ft | 9 pieces | ₹225 / sq ft |
| 300 × 600 mm | 1.94 sq ft | 6 pieces | ₹215 / sq ft |
| 600 × 600 mm | 3.875 sq ft | 4 pieces | ₹195 / sq ft |
| Mosaic on mesh | 0.97 sq ft / sheet | 11 sheets | ₹300 / sq ft |
Wall tile fixed with chemical adhesive is audited at ₹170–260 per sq ft; the figures above place each format inside that band, and mosaic above it because it is sheet-by-sheet work we have not billed often enough to carry a rate for. All of them assume a prepared, plumb wall. Fixing over existing tile, or onto an uneven wall needing a levelling coat, adds ₹25–40 per sq ft.
Design and build under one accountable roof
Worked example — the default backsplash
| Step | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Backsplash area | 10 ft × 22 in ÷ 12 | 18.3 sq ft |
| With 15% wastage | 18.3 × 1.15 | 21.1 sq ft |
| Tiles at 1.94 sq ft | ceiling(21.1 ÷ 1.94) | 11 tiles |
| Tile material | 21.1 × ₹120 | ₹2,530 |
| Fixing with chemical | 18.3 × ₹215 | ₹3,942 |
| Supplied and fixed | sum | ₹6,472 |
The backsplash decisions that matter
- Grout colour, not tile colour. A white tile with grey grout reads as a grid; the same tile with white grout reads as a surface. Decide before fixing, because regrouting a backsplash is a full strip-out.
- Epoxy grout behind the hob. Cement grout absorbs oil and darkens within a year in an Indian kitchen. Epoxy costs about ₹60 per sq ft more and still looks new in year five.
- Where the tile stops. Running it only to the underside of the wall units leaves a raw edge above them if the units do not reach the ceiling. Either take the tile up, or close the gap with a filler panel.
- Socket positions. Mark them before tiling. A socket cut that lands across a grout line looks accidental, and moving it afterwards means replacing four tiles.
- Behind the hob. A single large-format slab or a toughened glass panel avoids grout lines exactly where the oil goes. It costs more up front and saves a decade of scrubbing.
Setting out: the difference between a good and a bad tiler
A backsplash is 18 square feet of tile in the most visible strip of the kitchen, at eye level, under task lighting. Everything shows. The difference between a job that looks designed and one that looks fitted is setting out — deciding, before any adhesive is mixed, where the first full tile goes so that the cuts land symmetrically at each end rather than leaving a 20 mm sliver in one corner.
On a 10 ft run with 300 × 600 mm tiles you get six full tiles and a remainder. A good tiler splits that remainder and starts half a tile off centre, so both ends finish with an equal cut of about 150 mm. A poor tiler starts flush at the left wall and finishes with whatever is left. It takes the same time and the same number of tiles; it is purely a decision made at the start.
The second setting-out decision is vertical. If the run is 22 inches and the tile is 300 mm (11.8 in), you get one full course, one full course and a 2.4 in strip. Put the strip at the top, tucked under the wall unit where it is in shadow, never at the counter where the eye lands. Tell the tiler this before the job starts and it costs nothing; say it afterwards and it costs a strip-out.
The fixing rate on this page is what Greenbox charged for wall tiling with chemical adhesive on kitchens it has finished and handed over, held at October 2026. The tile price is yours to set, because it is a shop price and not our work. We publish the fixing side so the arithmetic can be audited rather than trusted. Treat the output as a planning figure: accurate enough to brief a landlord, a bank or a family, and not accurate enough to sign a contract against.
What this tool does not cover
- Wall preparation — levelling, waterproofing behind the sink, or removal of existing tile.
- Trims, corner beads and Schluter profiles, typically ₹180–450 per running foot.
- Epoxy grout, which is charged separately at ₹55–80 per sq ft over cement grout.
- Glass or single-slab splashbacks behind the hob, which are priced per sq ft of panel plus fixing.
- Electrical socket relocation and the chase-and-make-good that goes with it.
- For floor tiling quantities, use the tiles quantity calculator instead.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a kitchen backsplash be?+
Whatever the gap between counter and wall units is — usually 550 mm, or about 22 inches. Behind the hob, take it higher, to the underside of the chimney, because that is where the oil goes.
How much wastage should I allow for backsplash tile?+
Fifteen per cent for a standard brick or stack bond. Twenty per cent for herringbone, a diagonal layout or a run broken by many sockets and a window. Small-format tile wastes less in area but takes far longer to fix.
What does a kitchen backsplash cost in Mumbai?+
Around ₹320–400 per sq ft supplied and fixed for a mid-range 300 × 600 mm ceramic — about ₹120 of tile and an audited ₹215 of fixing with chemical. A 10 ft run at 22 in works out at roughly ₹5,900–7,300 before GST. Mosaic, handmade tile or a glass panel will be two to four times that.
Should I use epoxy grout in a kitchen?+
Behind the hob, yes. Cement grout is porous and absorbs cooking oil, which darkens it permanently within a year. Epoxy costs about ₹60 per sq ft more and it is the single upgrade on this page with the clearest return.
Can I tile over an existing backsplash?+
Technically yes, with the right primer and adhesive, and it saves the mess of a strip-out. But the new surface sits 12–15 mm proud, which changes how the counter upstand and the socket boxes meet the wall. In a kitchen we usually advise taking the old tile off.