How Many Tiles for a 4x6 Shower? (2026 Guide)

A 4×6 shower is a common alcove or freestanding layout, and because it's a standing shower rather than a tub surround, the tiled area covers three walls plus the floor — the extra 24 sq ft underfoot is the part most quick estimates miss. This page counts both, with the walls taken to 84 in (7 ft), which clears a showerhead mounted at the usual 78–80 in.

Tile counts for a 4×6 shower (112 sq ft)

Every size below divides evenly into the area, so no awkward partial-tile rounding hides in the math. Net is the flat area divided by one tile's footprint; the buy column adds a flat 10% for cuts, breakage and future repairs.

A 6×24 in plank is also exactly 1 sq ft (144 in²), so the count matches 12×12 — the real difference is layout: one long grout line per tile instead of two crossing ones. For converting other sizes, see how many tiles per square foot.

The math, step by step

Here's the full worked example behind the 112 sq ft, in case your shower is a slightly different 4×6 variant.

• Wall perimeter: two 48 in short walls plus the 72 in back wall = 168 in around.
• Gross wall area: 168 in × 84 in high = 14,112 in² ÷ 144 = 98 sq ft.
• Opening: a 60 × 24 in doorway = 1,440 in² = 10 sq ft, subtracted.
• Net walls: 98 − 10 = 88 sq ft.
• Floor: 4 ft × 6 ft = 24 sq ft.
• Total: 88 + 24 = 112 sq ft of tile.

Then divide by the tile's footprint: 112 ÷ 1.0 = 112 tiles for 12×12 in, or 112 ÷ 2.0 = 56 tiles for 12×24 in, and multiply by 1.10 and round up for the order.

Tiling walls only? The count changes

If the shower floor is a solid-surface or pre-sloped pan you aren't tiling, skip the 24 sq ft and work from the 88 sq ft of wall: 12×12 in tiles need 88 net (buy 97), and 12×24 in planks need 44 net (buy 49). That wall-only setup is what a standard tub surround looks like — our shower tile guide covers that 60×30 in three-wall case at 72 in high, which is why its totals run closer to 55–65 sq ft than this page's 112.

Tips that change your order

• Waterproof behind the tile. Count on cement backer board or a waterproofing membrane over the studs before any tile is set — the tile quantity doesn't change, but the prep cost does.
• Slope the floor to the drain. The mud bed or foam pan should pitch about ¼ in per ft toward the drain; plan the floor layout from the drain outward so cuts land at the walls, not the drain.
• Large-format needs a flat wall. 12×24 in planks multiply lippage on any hump, so screed or skim the surface and check with a straightedge before you commit to big tiles.
• Add cut allowance for fixtures and niches. A valve, a niche or a corner shelf each eat partial tiles, which is exactly what the extra 10% above covers — skimping there is the most common reason orders run short mid-job.

Need the count for a tighter footprint? The same 88 + floor logic applies at 3×5 bathroom floor scale for the ground, and walls follow the same perimeter × height formula.

Estimate tiles for your shower →