TEC Grout Calculator: Coverage by Tile and Joint Size

1. Pick the TEC grout you plan to buy. The calculator fills in that grout's factor and a standard bag size from the TEC data sheet.
2. Enter the tile length, width and thickness and the grout joint width. Use the real tile size from the box. Choose inches or millimetres first.
3. Enter the area to grout and your own waste allowance. Read the bags to buy, or switch the question to see the area one bag covers.

A TEC grout calculator estimates how much TEC brand grout a tiling job needs. It works out the volume of the grout joints, then turns that volume into pounds and bags using a factor for the chosen product.

The factor matters because TEC grouts do not all cover the same area. AccuColor Premium Unsanded covers about 22 percent more joint volume per pound than Power Grout, according to the figures in TEC's own charts.

This page is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by TEC Specialty Products LLC. For a general calculator that is not tied to one brand, use the grout calculator.

The calculator finds the cubic inches of grout in one square foot of tile, then multiplies by TEC's factor for the product.

Here L and W are the tile length and width in inches, T is the tile thickness, J is the joint width, and k is the grout factor in pounds per cubic inch. The 144 converts square inches to square feet.

1. Joint length. Each tile has a joint along its length and its width. Per square inch of tile, the joint length is (L + W) / (L x W).
2. Joint volume. Multiply by the joint width and the tile thickness, then by 144 to get cubic inches per square foot.
3. Pounds. Multiply by the grout factor k. Then multiply by the area and your waste allowance.
4. Bags. Divide by the bag size and round up.

I read this geometry in TEC's online coverage calculator on 2026-10-03. It asks for tile size, tile thickness and grout line width, and its script uses the same expression. The factors below come from that script, and I checked each one against the printed coverage charts in the data sheets.

The factor is not a measured bulk density. It is the grout weight that TEC's figures imply per cubic inch of finished joint. It folds in packing and mixing, so use it only with this formula.

Take a 400 sq ft floor of 12 x 24 in porcelain tile, 3/8 in thick, with 3/16 in joints, grouted with Power Grout in 25 lb bags. The 10 percent waste allowance is only an example.

1. Joint volume: 144 x 0.375 x 0.1875 x (12 + 24) / (12 x 24) = 1.2656 in3 per sq ft.
2. Grout per sq ft: 1.2656 x 0.061 = 0.0772 lb. That is one pound for every 13.0 sq ft.
3. Whole floor: 400 x 0.0772 = 30.88 lb. Adding 10 percent gives 33.97 lb (15.4 kg).
4. Bags: 33.97 / 25 = 1.36, so buy 2 bags. About 16.0 lb is left over.

One 25 lb bag covers 25 / 0.0772 = 323.8 sq ft before waste. That sits between the 1/8 in and 1/4 in columns of the TEC chart, as it should for a 3/16 in joint.

Coverage falls fast as the joint gets wider. Doubling the joint width halves the area a bag covers, because the joint volume doubles.

This table shows square feet per 25 lb bag of Power Grout, computed with the formula above. The 1/8 in and 1/4 in columns match TEC's chart within 0.3 percent. The 3/16 in column uses the same formula, since TEC's chart skips that width for most tile sizes.

Bigger tiles cover far more per bag, because they have less joint per square foot. A 24 x 24 in tile has about one sixth of the joint length of 3 x 6 in tile over the same area.

Five inputs move the answer. Four of them are in the calculator, and the fifth is how well you spread the grout.

Joint Width

Grout quantity is directly proportional to the joint width. A 1/4 in joint takes twice the grout of a 1/8 in joint on the same tile.

Tile Thickness

Thicker tile means deeper joints. TEC's Power Grout data sheet asks for joints at least two thirds of the tile thickness in depth, and the calculator assumes the joint is filled to the full thickness.

Tile Size

Small tile has the most joint length per square foot. A mosaic can need many times the grout of a large-format tile.

Grout Product

The factor differs by product. Premium Unsanded uses 0.05 against 0.061 for the others, so a pound of it goes further in narrow joints.

Waste and Technique

Spillage, mixing loss and uneven tile edges use extra grout. Set your own allowance, since no standard figure fits every job.

Each TEC grout has its own joint range, bag size and factor. The table lists what the data sheets say, read on 2026-10-03.

If your product is not listed, pick Custom and enter the factor yourself. For a ready-to-use grout sold by the gallon, one US gallon is 231 cubic inches, so a factor of 0.00433 gallons per cubic inch means the grout fills the joint volume with no loss. Always confirm it on that product's data sheet.

Ordering Grout for a Floor or Shower

Enter the tile and joint details, pick the grout, and read the bag count. Then add the grout to the tile order from the tile calculator.

Checking a Store Estimate

If a store or installer quotes a bag count, run the same tile size here. A big gap usually means a different joint width or tile thickness.

Comparing Joint Widths

Change only the joint width to see the cost of a wider joint. The area per bag falls in direct proportion.

Planning a Whole Project

The flooring and tile quantities guide shows how to measure a room before you use the numbers here.

1. Using Nominal Tile Size

Some tiles measure a little less than the label. Enter the real size from the box.

2. Forgetting Tile Thickness

A 1/2 in thick tile has joints twice as deep as a 1/4 in tile. Leaving thickness out of any grout estimate gives the wrong volume.

3. Using a Joint Width Outside the Product Range

Premium Unsanded is for joints up to 1/8 in. A wider joint needs a different product, and the numbers for it do not apply.

4. Skipping the Waste Allowance

The exact figure assumes no spillage. See the material waste guide for how allowances work.

5. Mixing Lb and Kg

The bag size and factor stay in pounds. The calculator shows kilograms beside the result, so read the unit before you buy.

6. Rounding Bags Down

Bags are sold whole. 1.4 bags means 2. A full bag also mixes better than a part bag, as TEC advises for color.

The calculator reproduces TEC's printed coverage within about 0.3 percent for three of the grouts and about 1 percent for the unsanded one. Real jobs vary more than that.

The formula also uses the tile size, not the tile plus joint, as TEC does. Counting the joint corners exactly would lower the quantity by about 1.8 percent for the 12 x 24 in example and about 2.4 percent for 3 x 6 in tile with 1/16 in joints.

It depends on tile size and joint width. For 12 x 12 in tile, 3/8 in thick, with 1/8 in joints, one 25 lb bag covers about 364 sq ft. Wider joints cut that number fast.

Pounds per square foot equal 144 x T x J x (L + W) / (L x W) x k. T is tile thickness, J is joint width, L and W are tile sides in inches, and k is the grout factor.

TEC's online coverage calculator uses 0.061 lb per cubic inch of joint for Power Grout. The same value applies to AccuColor Plus and AccuColor Premium Sanded, while Premium Unsanded uses 0.05.

No. It is the grout weight that TEC's published figures imply per cubic inch of finished joint. It includes packing and mixing, so it is not a bulk density you can measure from the bag.

TEC's Power Grout data sheet says joints should be at least two thirds of the tile thickness deep. The calculator assumes full thickness, which is a cautious figure for ordering.

Differences usually come from joint width, tile thickness or the waste allowance. Run the same numbers here, then check which input the other estimate used.

Switch the units to millimetres and square metres. The calculator converts to inches with 1 in = 25.4 mm, then shows kilograms and square metres beside the pounds and square feet.

The data sheets list Power Grout, AccuColor Plus and Premium Unsanded for 1/16 in. Premium Sanded starts at 1/8 in, so the verdict band warns you if you pick it for a narrower joint.

Not directly. Those products have their own data sheets, and some are sold by the gallon or kit. Pick Custom, enter the factor from the data sheet, and check the result against TEC's chart.

No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers. Anything you choose to Save stays in this browser only.

• TEC coverage calculator: tile size, thickness and grout line inputs (TEC Specialty Products, read 2026-10-03).
• Power Grout (550) product data sheet: coverage per pound, joints, bag sizes (TEC, dated August 2026, read 2026-10-03).
• AccuColor Plus (450) product data sheet (TEC, dated May 2026, read 2026-10-03).
• AccuColor Premium Sanded (650) product data sheet (TEC, dated September 2026, read 2026-10-03).
• AccuColor Premium Unsanded (620) product data sheet (TEC, dated August 2026, read 2026-10-03).