Free tile layout software: what should it actually calculate?
Online tool · 8 min read · updated 17 September 2026 · Written by Tilelico
A useful planner displays the real grid and the real cut pieces. A decorative texture may help with colour choices, but it cannot give you setting-out dimensions or an order quantity — and those are the two things you came for.
What separates a planner from a visualiser
A visualiser applies a texture to a photograph or a generic room. It answers “what will this look like?” and stops there, which is genuinely useful when choosing a colour.
A planner computes geometry: it clips a real grid against a measured outline, counts the tiles that get broken into, and tells you where to snap the first chalk line. The two tools answer different questions and are easy to confuse.
Continue with: Tile layout planning: the complete method before installation →
Features that matter
The list below is short, and every item on it changes the number you order. Anything else is convenience.
- Measured room geometryA polygon drawn wall by wall, not a rectangle approximating an irregular room.
- Real tile dimensions and grout widthThe repeating pitch is the tile plus the joint. A planner that ignores the joint is describing a different floor.
- Editable origin and orientationWithout them you cannot balance the perimeter cuts, which is the main reason to plan at all.
- Cut classificationPosition and size of each cut, and a warning when one falls below a usable width.
- Quantities in boxesTiles are bought by the box; a figure in square metres is not an order.
- A printable planWith written dimensions, so the layout survives the walk from the screen to the floor.
Continue with: Tile layout plan PDF: what the installer needs →
Test it with a real room
Enter one room you have already measured and compare the displayed edge cuts with a quick manual check. If the tool and the tape disagree, the tool is approximating something.
A free version should let you judge the calculation before asking for payment. Being unable to see the result until you pay is a reasonable business model for a picture, and an unreasonable one for a number you have to trust.
Tilelico takes the second view: the engine, the cuts, the setting-out dimensions and the cut sheet are free on one room. Payment covers going further, never seeing the result.
Continue with: Tile quantity calculator: from floor area to boxes →
From plan to job site
A useful export records the grid origin, the parameters that produced it, the quantities and the cut list, so the layout can be reproduced away from the screen.
That document is also what lets a second person work from your plan — a supplier checking the order, or an installer who was not there when it was drawn.
The figures quoted here describe common practice, not imposed rules. The data sheet for your covering and for your installation products always takes precedence, and measurements taken on site are the reference.
Frequently asked questions
Can I plan tiles without installing an app?
Yes. Tilelico runs directly in a modern browser and can be tried without creating an account, though nothing is saved that way.
Does software replace site measurement?
No. It calculates from the dimensions you enter, so the substrate, the squareness of the walls and the site constraints still have to be checked in person.
Is free tile layout software accurate enough to order from?
It depends entirely on whether it clips a real grid or divides one area by another. Check that it reports individual cuts before trusting its quantity.
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Technical references
This guide describes common installation practices. It does not replace applicable technical documents, manufacturer instructions or measurements taken on site.